Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/815

NAME MILLER 793 MILLER departments of medicine and the physician always kept a supply of drugs in his "shop," also extracting teeth and practising venesec- tion. After two years Miller entered the medical department of Transylvania Univer- sity at Lexington, Kentucky, and attended his first course of lectures, at the end forming a partnership with his preceptor. Dr. Bainbridge, and practising until the fall of 1821 when he returned to Lexington and attended his second course, graduating with honors. His inaugural thesis bore such distinct marks of genius and so highly was it esteemed by his brethren that it was published at the time, no ordinary compliment in those days. He returned afterwards to practise in Glasgow and the following year was elected demon- strator of anatomy in his alma mater with- out even being consulted. He gave up this position at once and went to Philadelphia, making the trip on horseback, in order th?t he might better equip himself for the place to which he had been elected. On account of some dissensions in the faculty, he soon resigned his position and again returned to Glasgow until 1827, when he removed to Har- rodsburg, Kentucky, and practised for nine years. In 1837 the Medical Institute of Louis- ville was founded with Dr. Miller as pro- fessor of obstetrics and diseases of women and children, a chair he retained until 1858 In 1867, nine years after retirement from the University, he was recalled by the creation of a special chair for his occupancy, that of medical and surgical diseases of women. He soon resigned this position, but two years later accepted a similar chair in the Louis- ville Medical College which he retained until his death, February 8, 1874. Dr. Miller was widely known abroad as well as at home as an author. In 1844 he published his chief work, "Theoretical and Practical Treatise on Human Parturition," which was revised and republished under the title "Principles and Practice of Obstetrics" (1858), a work recognized for years as an authority. He accepted nothing as true with- out thorough investigation and most critical study. He was a frequent contributor to the various medical journals at the time and his articles carried with them the weight of authority. In 1859 he was elected president of the American Medical Association at its annual meeting in Louisville. He was the first in Louisville and one of the first in the United States to employ the vaginal speculum, or to employ anesthesia in obstetric practice in Louisville. June 24, 1824, Dr. Miller married Clarissa Robertson, and had seven children, one of whom, Edward, became an eminent surgeon. .A. partial list of his writings is given in the "Surgeon-general's Catalogue," Washing- ton, District of Columbia. Benjamin F. Zimmerm-'in. Richmond and Louisville Med. Jour., Louisvilie, 1S72, vol. xiii. Trans. Amer. Med. Assoc, Phila., 1875, vol. xxvi. Trans. Kentucky Med. Soc., Louisville, 1875. L. P. Yandell. Miller, John (1774-1862) John Miller was born in the town of Armenia, County of Dutchess, New York, on November 10, 1774. His advantages for early education were very limited; he attended the district school about one year and a classical school in Connecticut about the same length of time, his boyhood being spent in laboring on the farm. He began the study of medi- cine with Dr. Miller, an uncle, in Dutchess County, in the year 1793. At the expiration of little more than a year he went to Wash- ington County, New York, and entered the office of Dr. Moshier, of Easton, in that county. While living with Dr. Moshier, young Miller received a severe injury by being thrown from a horse and was unable to pursue his studies for more than two years. During this period he returned to his home in Dutchess County. After several months at home he was induced by the advice of Dr. Baird. of New York, to seek an appoint- ment in the then small Navy of the United States. For this purpose, though much against the wishes of his family, he went to New York, where he was presented by Dr. Baird and others, with letters of recom- mendation to Dr. Benjamin Rush (q. v.), of Philadelphia. At that time Miller was in poor health, and being tall, more than six feet in height, and thin in body, Dr. Rush was somewhat amused that so ghostly looking a young man should think of going into the navy, and said to him : "Young man, you look better fitted for a skeleton in my office than for a post in the navy." Dr. Rush went with him to visit the President of the United States, and through the influence of Dr. Rush he obtained the place he sought, and was directed to report himself to the surgeon of the United States brig Nezv York, then soon to sail for Tripoli. Upon further acquaintance Dr. Rush advised Miller to resign his post in the navy and proffered him a position in his family and office as a pri-