History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

" Permit me, gentlemen, t^) express the hope that the same benevolent object will ever direct the deliberations of all your future convocations; and al4o my convicti>>ns that a continuance of the same course of pru- dent k-j;*islali'>n, that hiis characterized the past, will not fail progres- Bively to elovrtto the character of the medical profession of Connecticut, to a |K>sition unsur|Mi.44e<l by that of its brethren of other communities, or of eillior of the learned profcyisions, and where it may 8ur\'ey uncon- corned the puny axsAultd of a reckless empiricism, which will, doubtless,' long ho flustiined with the hope of inviting a novel-loving public to contribute aid for the promotion of its interest and aggrandizement. " I cannot, gentlemen, in justice to my feelings, close without express- ing the deep sense with wtuL-h I am impressed liy the recent event which has deprived the me«lical profetiHion of several of its shining ornaments, as welt OS this society of two of its most active, respectable, and efllcicut members. *' I presume that, in common with myself, there arc members of this body who anticii>ated a cordial and friendly greeting with our esteemed friends and colleague!*, who have now retired from all earthly scenes, but whom a few days since wo had apparent reason to believe little short of a grave |)ruvldeutial dispensation would be likely to deprive us of their prei»ence. Their viwiges in our hall of convocation have l»ccn, hcri'U)fi>re, nearly as familiar as its fixtures by which we arc sur- rounded, and there are recollections thus raodo vivid, which are pecu- liarly cjilculalcd to add deeper |K>lgnancy to tho evont which wo doubt- lea all in common dc|)lorc. "From thooiie, Dr. Samuel Beach,* selected atonr last annual meeting M DlMortator, we had the apparent g-jod romson to expect an interesting and luBtructlvo communication. But in this our hopes are annihilated, and it Id iMjcomiug in U4 devoutly t ) submit to the act of superior wisdom which has iutcrp^fst-d and frustrated our cherished expectiUions. Of tlio character of I>r. Itciwh as a citlzon, a physician, and friend, I cannot re- frain fron» the remark that, iluring a loug experience of friendly and intimate Intercourse, X have over found him uniform in tho exercise of tho (pialitius of an hone.it man, a guntlenian, and a philanthropist; while as a member of tho .Medk'at Society and pn>fi'asi jn, It is uo dlsiMir- agement to any of its members to say that in zeal for tho promotion of their intermlsand prosiM*Hty ho was sunuuscd by none. "Of Dr. ArchlltabI Welch, surruunde-l as I am by hia frionds and nelf^hlioring bn'thren. an>l In consequence of tho position which be has loug held In this Cunvontiun lu a memt>cr, as haviug fulfilled various oflKial dutb-a ill it.4 onuoction, including those of tUo occupancy of tbo • Dr. Beach was a victim of tho accident on tho Xcw York and Now Haven lUllruad disaster ut the Xywwlk Bridge. Uc pnuticed in Bridge- port. chair, my attempt at his oulogj- is rendered unnecessary. Personally, however, I am inclined to state that during an acquaintance of more tlian a quarter of a ccntnr>', I have unifonnly had occasion to odmiri- his characteristic urbanity and gentlemanly deportment, and for u namber of years, being ofTK-ially associated witli him In the discharge of public professional duties, T have experienced the ttenefitsof his valuable friendship and more intimate social inturcourse. Generally, I do not hesitate to add that as an example of zeal for tho furtherance of thr interests of tlie profession he has left no superior. " Hut an afllictivo Provi'leuce has inter])osed and tho cherished hopes of future intcniews with mo, and with you, are thus abruptly tennl- nated. It only remains therefore for us to emulate the worthy example which may be deriveil from the lives of the individuals whose career on earth has been so suddenly arretted. ■ ** While, then. In common with their families and numerous circles of ' friends, we dc]tlore the lots inflicted by the awful event, let us profession- ally inipR>ve the admonition, that the guardians of liftr are, alike with their charge, subject to the variocs foims of deoth wliich their vocation calls uiwn them to cinilat; and that vn sepaiaiiiig at the doseof our annual convocations, no eye but that of on inscrulable Proviilenco can designate thoso frcm our nuniLer, whcfc linenments will ceate to ani- mate tt« in future assemblages, but in the reoiiniscenco inspired by Owir virtues which survive Otem."* To Miij. L. N. Middlebrook, commissioner in bank- ruptcy for Fairfield County, the grandson of one of its "original subscribers" referred to by Dr. Blukenian, one whom it was his intention to memorialize in his address, I am indebted for the following sketches of three members of the Middlebrook family: Stephen Middlebrook, M.D., a son of Stephen Middlebrook, a Revolutionary patriot and one of the Revolutionary Committee of Safety in Fairfield County, was born Dee. 8, 1755, in the parish of North Stratford, in the then town of Stratford, but now tiie village of Long- Hill, town of Trumbull, He received his medical education, as wai not unusually the cus- tom in those days, through a due course of study and practice with other physicians of the county, being admitted to full jiructice on examination by, and a certificate of qualification from, a standing committee of reputable physicians constituted for tiiat purpose, these being the only facilities available in Connecti- cut at that early day for instruction in and admission to the medical profession. His classical studies were pursued in part under the private tuition of the cele- brated William Samuel Johnson, LL.D., of Stratford, and in part in the academical institutions of the county, — among others the academy at Kastttn. He established himself in his native town, and became one of the most successful practitioners of his day in this and the adjoining counties, accumulating there- from what was regarded as a large fortune in those times. He manifested his love for the i>rofession by training two of his three sons to the same lionorablr calling. He filled many positions of honor and trust in his town and county. He died Dec. 18, 1819, and is buried in the cemetery at Long Hill, Trumbull. So great was his love for his chosen profession that lie endeavored to have his three sons — Elijah, Ste- phen, and Robert — follow the path in which he had walked so long. He was only two-thirds successful, Robert rebelling and spending his life in farming. Elijah was one of those referred to by Dr. Blakeman in his address, — a master-spirit of the jirofession, by Phot*., h\ Wilnoii. llridfreport. 'a^'cC ^Jy^hj^^M MEDICAL HISTORY. whose uiircraitted labors in his era of professional liist<irv tlie improvements in the ]irol'essi(in were ef- feeted. Elijah Middlebeook, M.D., ehlest son of Dr. Stephen Middlebrook and Amer Beach Middh'lii k, daiifjliter of Elijah Beaeh, of Trnml)iill, an "tlieer of the Ivevolutionary army, was born at Loni;- Hill, now in tlie town of Trumbnll, (Jet. 20, 178'). He pnrsned his medieal studies with his father, and was lieensed to praetiee medicine by the Conneetient Me<lieal So- ciety in 1811. He afterwards took a furtlier two years' course of instruction in the College of Pliysieians and Snrtjeons in New York City, and graduated from tiiat in>tituti<>n in 18L'-!. He thereU[ion entered active jiractiee in Ids native town in company with his fatlier, ami was an active practitioner for forty-five yi'ars, iin'ctiMU with ,ercat success. Pie died Jan. 2, 18."ilt. and is Imried in the cemetery at Long Hill. For fifty-four years he edited and published annually Ills celebrated " iMiddlebrook's New England Alma- nac,"— a jjcriod of editorial labor, as devoted by the same individual to the same publication, believed to l)e weUnigh witlmnt a parallel in the history of pe- riodical literature. He was fitted for this s|iei'ial work uniler the private tuition of Prof Nehemiah .Strong, of Yale College. He was among the most genial of men and an enthusiast in his profession. He always strove to elevate and dignify his calling, and was an active and zealous laliorer in the various national and State organizations instituted to that end, always being present at their meetings. His name appears oftener tlian any other on the records of the Fairfield County Jledical Society. He filled many civil and i)olitieal offices of honor and trn.st. He was elected president of the Connecticut Medical Society in 1841, re-elected in 1842, and resigned the office in 1843. He was tlio first repi'esentativc of the Fairfield County Medical Society to the Natiomd Medical Society. Some idea of the extent of his jiractice may l)e formed when we know that his powers of curing were considered as almost infallible. So much was he sought that he regularly employed two or three younger physicians to assist him, making them j)roxies. One of them asserts that tlie average busi- ness done by himself alone while thus employed aver- aged three hundred dollars per month. The following relic is left of the busiMess-likc way of his dealings. It is a bill of Dr. Hulbert's, of Fair- field, one of the " original subscribers," and explains itself: " Itrnd Jlrndfij lo Hoani Untlml, Iir. "(lit tho TOiucst i>r Pr. MidillrfTc.c.ks). "1801, Sep'. To Visit niiil Coiisulliitiun witli wl Dcx-lnr fur }cmr Son.. SI '* Ilecil tlie abovt' Aui' of Dv. Mi*Uilubiooli. " JIOSE.V Ihl.LIERT." The numy subscribers to " Middlebrook's New Eng- land Ahuanac" will be more interested in this receipt from Prof. Nehemiah Strong: " lit'ct'ivfd of Elijah ^licliUcl. rooks iiino sliilliiiKS in Part of :ii; Shil- lings Due to nie for instructing hini in .\stronumy 12 weik.s at ;!,<. por week. " Rereivod hy nio. "Ni;ilt:.Ml.\ll Stiioxi:. " UninGEronT, Dfcemb'", Stli, ISOl." ( )n the opposite side of the slij) is the ackiidwledg- nient of the remainder: " Drc'it. Ill"', IS(H. " Ueceivcd twonty-seven shillinss of 3Ir. Stcpht-n ^li'lillc llrooks, wliirh with the Nine Shillings I lereiveil on the other side is the whole of my denianils for Teaching liis Son in the Science of Astntnr.my. *' per nie Nkh. Stuonu."