376 SAMUEL CLAGETT BUSEY 



receipts from his second year's practice were only $800.00. 

 Thereafter his practice, his income and his influence steadily 

 increased. 



In 1853 he was elected Professor of Materia Medica in the 

 Medical Department of Georgetown University. From 1853 

 to 1856 he served as a member of the City Council and assisted 

 in editing a political newspaper. Advocating as he did the 

 principles of the so-called "American Party " it may be as- 

 sumed, that a man of such positive convictions, fearless and 

 outspoken, made many political enemies. In 1858 symptoms 

 of pulmonary disease appeared and drove him to take up the 

 life of a farmer. He moved out to " Belvoir," near the site of 

 what is now Cleveland Park. This change, although in op- 

 position to the views of his friends, was undoubtedly beneficial 

 and added many years to his useful life. During his farm life 

 he attended professionally most of the neighboring families and 

 kept up with the rapid advances then being made in the medi- 

 cal sciences. When after ten years he returned to Washington 

 in September, 1869, he was physically and professionally well 

 equipped for the busy life awaiting him. In that 3'ear he 

 helped to organize a dispensary in connection with the Colum- 

 bia Hospital and was placed in charge of the Department of 

 Diseases of Infancy and Childhood. One of the blessings re- 

 sulting from this connection was the establishment, November 

 25, 1870, of the Children's Hospital. In 1872 the staff of the 

 Columbia Hospital and Dispensary established the first Post 

 Graduate School of Clinical Medicine in this country, and he 

 was one of the most successful teachers. In July, 1875, he was 

 appointed Professor of Diseases of Infancy and Childhood in 

 the Medical School of Georgetown University. In 1880 he 

 was one of Dr. Jacobi's coadjutors in establishing the section of 

 diseases of children in the American Medical Association. He 

 presided over the first meeting, read the first paper entitled 

 " Chronic Bright's disease in Children caused by Malaria," and 

 was elected Chairman of the Section in 18^81. He was also one 

 of the founders of the American Pediatric Society. His interest 

 in behalf of sick children remained unabated ; in 1896-1897 he 

 pointed out the absence in Washington of suitable provisions 



