this process, which led to the distinction specified. Besides this honor, he was elected a member of the Royal Society of London, admitted as a Licentiate of the College of Physicians of London, and as a member of the College of Physicians of Edinburgh. He was also admitted to membership of the Society of Belles Lettres of Rome.
When in Italy Dr. Morgan visited Morgagni, at Padua. Dr. Rush says, in his notice of Morgan, that “this venerable physician, who was the light and ornament of two or three successive generations of physicians, was so pleased with the doctor that he claimed kindred with him from the resemblance of their names, and on the blank leaf of a copy of his works, which he presented to him, he inscribed with his own hand the following words: Affini suo, medico præclarissimo Johanni Morgan, donat auctor.” These volumes were placed by Dr. Morgan in the library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
Dr. Morgan, while in Europe, appears to have constantly revolved in his mind the course he would pursue. In writing from London, November 10th, 1764, to Dr. Cullen, he remarks: “I am now preparing for America, to see whether, after fourteen years’ devotion to medicine, I can get my living without turning apothecary or practitioner of surgery. My scheme of instituting lectures you will hereafter know more of. It is not prudent to broach designs prematurely, and mine are not yet fully ripe for execution.”[1]
It has been shown that the practice of medicine in the Colonies embraced every branch of the profession, including pharmacy. This arose from the necessity of the case, and the difficulty of division of labor in a restricted community.
The plan pursued in Europe of a separation of practice into several departments was regarded as inexpedient, and had not been adopted. When Dr. Morgan returned from Europe, he determined to take a different course from that in operation, and was the first physician who restricted himself to simply prescribing for the sick.[2] In the Preface to his Discourse he
