In the register of St. Helena Church, Beaufort, are re- 

 corded the birth and baptism of John L. E. W- Shecut and 

 his brother Abraham. Their parents removed their resi- 

 dence from Beaufort to Charlestan prior to 1779. 



John LinnsBus Edward Whitridge Shecut was born Decem- 

 ber 4th, 1770, and in early manhood rose to eminence in the 

 medical profession as well as in scientific and literary lines. 

 He studied medicine, first under a friend of the family, Dr. 

 David Ramsay, physician and historian, and afterwards in 

 Philadelphia, where he received his degree in 1791, at the 

 age of twenty-one years. 



He returned to Charleston and immediately began the 

 practice of medicine, which he continued till his death. 



Dr. Shecut was one of the earliest physicians in this 

 country to use electricity in the treatment of disease, and in 

 1S06 he exibited to the public his electrical machine which 

 he invented and used in his profession. He wrote many 

 books and essays— among them the " Flora Caroliuceensis," 

 pubhshed in 1803, which he said was designed to promote a 

 taste for the study of Botany, and to simplify as much as 

 possible the Linnssan system. 



As the founder of the Antiquarian Society of Charleston, 

 Dr. Shecut's connection with the Charleston Museum, is of 

 special interest. We quote below from his ' ' Medical and 

 Philosophical Essays " (1819) : 



"At the commencement of the year 1813, the author sub- 

 mitted to a select number of his friends, the outlines of a 

 constitution, for organizing a society to be called the Aiifi- 

 quariaa Society of Charleslori. The object [s] of this society 

 were to be, primarily, the collection, arrangement and pres- 

 ervation of specimens in natural history ; and of things rare, 

 antique, curious and useful ; and, secondarily, the promotion 

 and encouragement of the arts, sciences and literature gen- 

 erally. 



On the 20th May, 1813, the following gentlemen agreed to 

 associate for the above purposes, and signed their names to 

 the original outlines for a constitution, * * * Doctors Richard 



r> "• 



