Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/897

NAME PAGE 87b PAINE was a remarkable obstetrician and is said to have brought into the world three thousand children without losing a mother or a child. In this branch of medicine he displayed won- derful tact and skill. He rarely used the forceps. Owing to his great diagnostic skill he was an unrivalled physician for children. An epidemic of spotted fever raged in Maine in 1812-14, during which he saved a large pro- portion of lives. Thacher says that almost all of the cases were attended personally by Dr. Page, and that he is entitled to the greatest honor for his indefatigable industry at this time. He was well versed in Latin and French, and after attending Talleyrand and other dis- tinguished Frenchmen who were journeying through Maine, Dr. Page was able to discuss their symptoms in their native language. It is averred that Talleyrand was so much pleased with his physician's treatment that he thanked him in French in a letter and enclosed five times the fee suggested. For many years this remarkable physician was at his best, had a very' large practice in Central Maine and travelled extensively round about Hallowell. He sometimes went as far as Canada on con- sultations. His standing with his professional brothers was of the highest, as is proved by the numerous letters received by him asking his advice in emergencies. He was very communicative to his pupils, many of whom rode with him during his practice. He received from Bowdoin the honorary degree of M. D. in 1843. He was a member of the Massachusetts Medical So- ciety, and had an excellent medical library. He was a philosopher as he advanced in age, lived economically yet was generous to the poor. A man without rebuke in his own town, he never discussed politics or religion. Dr. Benjamin Page was large in stature, well formed, mild and benignant in countenance, of great intelligence and very cheerful. His head was ismall, his eyes sparkling and his face extremely vivacious. He was very suave, much given in later years to society, and a man very fond of company. Dr. Parker was married twice, first to Eliza- January 25, 1844, during an epidemic of this disease, after he had saved all the patients who went to the hospital. He left a son, Dr. Frederick Benjamin Page, who distinguished himself as a physician in the South. James A. Spalding. From Documents furnished by G. S. Rowell. Boston Med. and Surg. Jour., 1845, vol. xxxiii, pp. 169-179, 1 pi. Paine, Martyn (1794-1877) Martyn Paine, founder of the New York University Medical School, was born at Wil- liamstown, Vermont, July 8, 1794, and died in New York City, November 10, 1877. His death was caused by a compound fracture of the elbow joint. He was the son of Elijah and Sarah Porter Paine and was one of eight chil- dren. He was educated by private tutors who lived in his father's family, and among them may be mentioned Francis Brown, who later became president of Dartmouth College at Hanover, N. H. Martyn Paine graduated from Harvard University, receiving the degree of A. B. in 1813 and the degree of M. D. from the medical department of the same university in 1816. He was a pupil of Dr. John Warren (q. v.), in whose office he studied for two years, and upon the death of Dr. Warren in 1815 continued his medical studies under Dr. John C. Warren (q. v.) After graduation he practised medicine in Montreal, Canada, until 1822, when he moved to New York City, where he lived during the remainder of his life. To Dr. Paine"s efforts the founding of the medical school of the University of the City of New York was largely due. In 1838, Dr. Paine and Drs. Charles A. Lee, Alfred C. Post, Gun- ning S. Bedford and A. Sidney Doane asso- ciated for the founding. Paine was the leading spirit and it was not until 1841 that the opposi- tion of the College of Physicians and Surgeons had been overcome and Drs. Valentine Mott, John W. Draper, Granville S. Pattison, John Revere, Bedford and Paine formed the teach- ing staff of this medical school and it began under a charter from the Legislature, that Paine had been instrumental in obtaining. Dr. Paine was from 1840-1850 professor of the in- stitutes of medicine and materia medica and from 1850-1867 of therapeutics and materia medica and after many years of active teach- ing he was made professor emeritus in 1867. Among Dr. Paine's many contributions to medicine may be mentioned the Cholera Epi- demic of New York, 1832; Medical and Physiological Commentaries (3 vols.), 1840- 1844; Materia Medica and Therapeutics, 1842; the Institutes of Medicine, 1847; the Soul and Instinct, distinguished from Materialism, 1848; Essay on Organic Life as distinguished from the Chemical and Physical Doctrines, 1849. In 1859 he contributed a large number of articles to show the superiority of medical education in the United States over that in Great Britain. The Index Catalogue of the Surgeon-General's office gives a remarkable list of lectures by Dr. Paine.