Exposition of the conduct and character of Dr. John Augustine Smith : president of the Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons in the City of New-York, and professor of physiology : as exhibited in the session of 1839-40 / by James R. Manley.

  • Manley, James R., 1781-1851.
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Exposition of the conduct and character of Dr. John Augustine Smith : president of the Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons in the City of New-York, and professor of physiology : as exhibited in the session of 1839-40 / by James R. Manley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    about this time his situation there, was any thing but pleasant, and he was glad to be transferred. The College of Physicians and Surgeons found, after he had accepted, that they had in him, much less than they had anticipated, or thought that they hud bargained for, since the professors who were associated with him were taxed some thing like five hundred dollars per annum to pay the interest of the value of an anatomical museum to illustrate his course, which another person (Dr. Rhinelander) owned, and all his courses of ins!ruction were consider- ed failures notwithstanding. He was moreover strongly suspected to be infidel in his views of revelation, and a materialist in his philo- sophy. They submitted however to their own tax and his teach, ing for four or five years, when their patience being exhausted, he was removed from the chair and Dr. Rhinelander was ap- pointed in his place ; this last gentleman held three or four years, and relinquished it for the chair of professor of pathological anatomy, which had been held by Dr. Mott who was then in Europe. The place of anatomy being thus made vacant, Dr. Brigham of Hartford was by the trustees appointed lecturer, and conducted the course one session only, when, in consequence of an intinntion either from Dr. J. A. Smith or Dr. Delafield, or both, he resigned. Dr. Alexander H. Stevens, who had been ever since the year 1826 the professor of surgery, had resigned all active duty, and taken the title of Emeritus professor of the same branch ; this event also created a necessity for the introduction of a new man to fill his place, and Dr. Alban G. Smith was, by appointment of the regents of the university, selected for that purpose. He conducted the course two sessions, when he received a similar intimation from the same men, and he also resigned. It is a little remarkable, that the minutes of the board of trustees make no mention of any circumstances which could have operated as causes for these resignations ; they however occurred, and rendered other appointments indispensible. In this embarrassed condition of the college, with dissention within and distrust from without, Dr. Rhine- lander was willing and desirous to retire, if he could dispose of his museum ; and now we must introduce Dr. Watts, who was made lec- turer on general anatomy on the resignation of Dr. Brigham, and who it appears was willing to become the purchaser, if the chair of the anatomical professor was included in the bargain. Dr. Rhinelander did resign,—Dr. Walts did receive the appointment of professor of anatomy, and did purchase the museum ; while the place of professor • of pathological anatomy which Dr. R. resigned was abolished, either because it is unnecessary, or because it can be conveniently merged in the general course. There was yet to be another resignation and