BEAUMONT ^ 



afforded, and never lost an opportunity to perform post-mortems. A 

 perusal of his case histories shows what a careful observer he was — 

 a qualification of the first importance in a physician. His diploma or 

 license to practice was granted the second Tuesday of June, 1812, by 

 the third Medical Society of the state of Vermont. It reads : 



By the Third Medical Society of the State of Vermont as by law estab- 

 lished, William Beaumont having presented himself for examination on the anat- 

 omy of the human body, and the theory and practice of physic and surgery, and 

 being approved by our censors, the society willingly recommends him to the 

 world as a judicious and safe practitioner in the different avocations of the medi- 

 cal profession. In testimony whereof we have hereunto prefixed the signature 

 of our president and the seal of the society at the Medical Hall in Burlington on 

 the second Tuesday of June, A. D. 1812. 



CASSIUS P. POMEROY, Secretary. JOHN POMERY, President 



Assistant Army Surgeon: In September the same year Beau- 

 mont joined the army at Plattsburgh, as assistant surgeon under Gen- 

 eral Dearborn. His old preceptor Dr. Chandler had unsuccessfully 

 tried to dissuade him from the army service, advising him to settle 

 down to private practice. Apparently there is a destiny which shapes 

 our ends. Had he followed the advice of his old master, he would in 

 all probability have been among the thousands of good men who have 

 lived their lives through, leaving the world a little better than they 

 found it, and passed into the silent land, pass and leave no sign to in- 

 dicate that they have been. But Beaumont followed his own bent and 

 it was while acting as army surgeon that he made the momentous 

 discoveries which have placed him among the epoch-makers of medi- 

 cal history. It is significant to note that more than one army sur- 

 geon has performed service of an extraordinary nature to medical 

 science. Fom the times when Machaon and Podilirius rendered aid to 

 the Greek hosts at ancient Troy to the days of Ambrose Pare, the 

 army surgeon has been identified with medical progress. A name 

 honored within recent years in the French service is that of Laveran, 

 who during his tour of duty in Algeria did a work in connection with 

 malaria which made possible the work of Sir Ronald Ross, of the In- 

 dian medical service, and his associates of more recent times. The 

 spectacle of the Panama Canal and its construction were made pos- 

 sible by the United States Army medical service. In the British Army 

 medical service are such names as Sir David Bruce, whose investiga- 

 tions led to the extermination of Malta fever. 



Beaumont's Diary: Beaumont left a diary which is an interest-^^^* 

 ing description by one on the firing line, of the stormy times of 1812. ^ 

 This graphic account of events of the war by an eye-witness is 

 reproduced in Dr. Meyer's book. Beaumont was present August, 1814, 

 at the battle of Plattsburgh, where General Macomb defeated the Brit- 

 ish under General Provost. The Treaty of Ghent ratified in February, 

 1815, closed the war. Soon after the close of the war of 1812 Beau- 

 mont tendered his resignation and in partnership with a Dr. Senter 

 opened a store in the town of Plattsburgh, which store contained "a 

 general assortment of drugs, medicines, groceries, dye woods, etc., of 

 the first quality and choicest selection which they calculate to sell on 

 liberal terms for cash or approved credit." So runs the advertisement 



