Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/757

NAME MC CURDY 735 MC DERMONT tion of the corresponding limb" (Gross). The case of Dr. Valentine Mott of New York, performed in 1828, which Dr. Mott supposed was the first operation of the kind done in the United States, and about the wonders of which surgical writers at the time said much, was not a complete removal, for about one inch of the acromial end of the clavicle was left. Dr. McCreery was a fine historian, a great reader, eloquent speaker, ready writer and close student. The love of his patients for him bordered on idolatry, his name being to them a synonym of kindliest sympathy and readiest helpfulness. His home life was characterized by unusual sweetness and ten- derness and an intense appreciation of child nature. He was a well formed, handsome man with fine dark eyes. Dr. McCreery died of cardiac dropsy, August 26, 1826, at West Point on his return from Shelbyville, where he had gone to bring his two oldest daughters home from Science Hill Academy. August Schachner. President's Annual Address, Kentucky State Medi- cal Society, forty-sixth meeting, James H. Letcher. McCurdy, John M. (1835-1890) John M. McCurdy, of Youngstown, Ohio, was born in Ireland, January 11, 1835, of Scotch-Irish extraction, his parents coming to this country when he was eight years of age. His father, a physician, receiving his degree from Edinburgh, abandoned the practice of medicine on coming to this country and engaged in stock-raising. John was educated at Jefiferson Medical College and at Cleveland Medical College in 1858, taking an M. D. at the former in 1859. For more than a year he was house-surgeon to the United States Marine Hospital in Cleveland ; then en- gaged in practice with T. Woodbridge of Youngstown. During the Civil War he served with distinction at the front as assist- ant surgeon of the twenty-third Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, and medical director of the fourteenth Army Corps and acting medical inspector of the Army of the Cumberland. He was twice taken prisoner, spending almost three months in Libby Prison. He was a frequent contributor to medical journals and was one of the founders of the Mahoning County Medical Society, several times its president ; and an active member of the Ohio State Medical Society. James N. Barnhill. Trans. Ohio State Med. Soc, Toledo, 1890. Portrait. McDermont, Clarke (1823-1881) Born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1823, Clarke McDermont immigrated to this country in 1840, and, having had a classical education, was able to become principal nf a private school in Lexington, Kentucky. He began to study medicine under Dr. Dudley (q. v.), professor of surgery in Tran- sylvania University and the most noted lithot- omist in America, in 1849 graduating from the University of New York, and immedi- ately going to Edinburgh and Dublin for post- graduate work. Returning to this country, for a while he assisted Prof. Detmold (q. v.) in his private classes, and in 1852 went to Dayton, Ohio, and associated himself with Dr. Green. Promptly at the beginning of the War for the Union he was appointed to the surgeoncy of the Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In 1862-1863 he served as medical director of the right wing of the Army of the Cum- berland, and later was detailed to hospital service in Nashville, Tennessee, and Louis- ville, Kentucky. In the latter place he had charge of the hospital for sick and disabled officers. In the official report of the battle of Murfreesboro, Gen. Rosecrans commended him for gallantry on the battle-field, and for great humanity in the care of the wounded; in recognition of his services he was brevetted Lieutenant-Colonel, U. S. Volunteers. At the close of the war he was assigned as surgeon to Camp Dennison, until appointed surgeon- general of the state under Governor Hayes. While surgeon-general of Ohio, he prepared a bill to protect the state from the evils of quackery. The bill was introduced into the Legislature, but failed to pass. In 1856 Dr. McDermont married Mary E. Winters, daugliter of Valentine Winters, of Dayton, O. True to his lineage, he was full of Irish wit and humor, which bubbled to the surface at the most unexpected times ; and this, with the keen observation and information which came from reading and travel, made him a charming companion. He died April 7, 1881. William J. Conklin. Phys. and Surgs. of U. S., W. B. Atliinson, 1878. McDUl, Alexander Stuart (1882-1875) Alexander Stuart McDill, trustee and super- intendent of the Wisconsin State Hospital for the Insane, was the seventh son of James McDill of Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and grandson of Hugh McDill and Roxanna Stuart, the founders of this branch of the