Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/951

POTTER but the unhealthiness of the Island drove him inland. In 1632 he purchased a plantation and erected the first home in Middle Plantation, seven miles from James City, which he called "Harop." The fact that the "Surgeon of the Colony" had moved to Middle Plantation was a convincing argument in favor of its healthfulness. Surveys were quickly made and new homes erected so that there grew up around "Harop" a village which was later given the name of Williamsburg, where in 1693 the College of William and Mary was founded under royal patronage.

Williamsburg, first the habitation of Dr. Pott, became the capital of Virginia in 1698, and here her lawmakers assembled until the exigencies of the Revolution made it advisable to transfer the seat of government to Richmond, in 1779.

It is not known when Dr. Pott died, but his death probably occurred in Virginia, and certainly after March 25, 1651, at which time his son John, styled Jr., signed the test of fealty to the Commonwealth as a citizen of Northampton County.



Potter, Frank Hamilton (1860–1891)

Frank Hamilton Potter was the only son and eldest child of (q. v.), and was born in Cowlesville, Wyoming County, New York, January 8, 1860. Descended from a long line of American physicians, he early directed his attention to medicine and graduated at the Buffalo Medical College in the class of 1882. Prior to his graduation, he served in the Rochester City Hospital for two years. After receiving his degree he settled in Buffalo, and, on the organization of the Medical Department of Niagara University in 1883, was appointed clinical assistant in surgery. He subsequently held the lectureship of descriptive anatomy, in 1884; demonstrator in surgery, and lecturer on botany in 1884–85; lecturer on materia medica from 1885 to 1888, and lecturer on laryngology from 1888 to May, 1891. In recognition of his active efforts and conspicuous ability, the Niagara University conferred upon him, in 1885, the ad eundem degree of M. D. At the close of the session of 1891, he severed his connection with the school with which from its organization he had labored successfully, and accepted the position of clinical professor of laryngology in the Buffalo University Medical College.

At one time he was a member of the surgical staff of the Sisters of Charity and Emergency Hospitals. He was a member of the Buffalo Medical and Surgical Association; and the Medical Society of the State of New* York.

He was a frequent contributor to the medical and literary societies of which he was member, and had clearness of expression as well as beauty of style and diction.

Among the instruments he devised may be mentioned nasal scissors, mechanical nasal saw, self-retaining nasal speculum.

In 1887, after returning from Europe, whither he went for study and travel, he married Eva, daughter of Lars G. Sellstedt. the famous artist, and had two sons. The widow and three children survived him.



Potter, Hazard Arnold (1810–1869)

Hazard Arnold Potter was one of our bold original pioneer surgeons who lived in New York state about the middle of the last century. He was born in Potter township, Ontario (now Yates) County, New York, December 22, 1810, and died in Geneva, New York, December 3, 1869.

He graduated in medicine at Bowdoin in 1835 and began practice in Rhode Island, but soon returned to his native town, where he practised from 1835 to 1853. He settled in Geneva in the latter year and passed the rest of his life in that town.

In 1837 he called attention to the presence of arterial blood in the veins of parts paralyzed by injury to the spinal cord; he trephined the spine for depressed fracture of the arches of the fifth and sixth vertebrae, in 1844, and did the same operation four times subsequently, twice with success. He ligated the carotid artery five times, with success four times; he removed the upper jaw six times and the lower five times. He advocated abdominal operations and did a gastrotomy in 1843 to relieve intussusception, with success. He operated upon fibroid tumors through the abdomen five times, with three successes; and did twenty-two ovariotomies, fourteen being successful, one of these was what was known as a double ovariotomy at that time. Again he did a second operation on a patient within seventeen months. He was regimental surgeon of the 59th New York Volunteers in 1862.

He had the reputation of being a clever and capable surgeon, very profane, and a