Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/123

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

ANGELL :

Angell, Anna A. (1844-1906).

Born in New Jersey February 13, 1844. She graduated from the New York Infirmary School in 1S71 and soon after became a resident physician at Mt. Sinai Hospital, at the instance of several members of the medical staff. This was the first general hospital in the country to confer a regular hospital appointment on a woman. She served three years very acceptably.

In conjunction with Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi, she founded a dispensary at Mt. Sinai Hospital, which has since had women on the staff.

Upon leaving Mt. Sinai she studied in Europe for a couple of years and return- ing took up work in the tenement house districts.

In January, 1877, she became resident physician of the New York Infant Asylum. There during her three years of service the death rate among the children was materially lowered. Soon after leaving the Infant Asylum ill health forced Dr. Angell to retire from practice, to her a blow and disappointment not light to bear, but her many years of in- validism were endured with a fortitude only born of a strong character. She died June 8, 1906. A. B. W.

Mary Putnam Jacobi, in "Woman's Work in

America. "

Personal information.

Trans. Alumni Assoc. Woman's Med. Col. of

Penn., 1907.

Anthon, George Christian (1734-1S15). George Christian Anthon (first sur- geon at Detroit under the British flag) was born at Salzungen, in the Duchy of Saxe, Meiningen, August 25, 1734; his father a clergyman and teacher in the Town School for boys; his mother a pastor's daughter. On the death of his father, in 1739 his mother married a surgeon of Salzungen, John Gottlieb Boumbort. Beginning the study of medicine with his stepfather he continued it with Dr. Mackel of Gurnstungen, and in 1750 he passed the examination before the medical authorities in Eisenach, and one in 1754 before the college sur-


ANTHON

geons at Amsterdam, securing thereby the position of surgeon in the Dutch West India service. On his second trip in the " Vrouw Anna" he was captured by a British privateer and taken to New York. His usefulness as a surgeon being recognized, he was made assistant sur- geon of the General Military Hospital at Albany in 1758 and at the end of the year was appointed assistant surgeon to the first Battalion, Sixtieth Regiment, Royal Americans. His commission in the Brit- ish Army is dated Albany, June 25, 1761 and signed by the commander-in-chief, Sir Jeffery Amhurst, and appoints him "Surgeon's Mate to his Majesty's Hospital in North America." In 1760 he was de- tached with the party that took possession of Detroit under Major Rogers, November 29, and for the next twenty-six years was the sole medical officer of the Post, for Army, Navy and Indians. During Pontiac's siege of Detroit, Dr. Anthon, desiring to have a look at the enemy, climbed an old tree near by. The Indians began firing on him, but Gladwin unwill- ing to lose his medicine man made a sortie, and rescued the doctor. In 1765 Sir William Johnson appointed Dr. An- thon surgeon for the Indians and sent him with Deputy Col. Croghan on an expedi- tion to the Illinois country. The Kicca- poos took him prisoner below the mouth of the Wabash, and, released after an im- prisonment of three months, he used to tell of the avidity with which he ate the refuse flung him during their repasts. In 1786 he removed to New York City, there finishing his career. In 1802 he was one of the thirteen Governors of New York Lying-in Hospital. From 1796 to 1815 he was a Trustee of Columbia College. He was a strong believer in the non-contagiousness of yellow fever. Dr. Anthon had th.e massive, severe appearance of Luther, suggesting an origin from the same Thuringian Saxon race, but relieved by mild sympathetic expressive eyes. Though outwardly stern in manner, he was remarkable for tenderness towards his family, kind- ness towards his patients and benevolence