KNIGHT 
 An Eulogiura on Nathan Smith M.D. 
 
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 AN 
 
 EUL.OGIUM 
 
 ON 
 
 NATHAN SMITH, M. D. 
 
 LATE PROFESSOR OF 
 THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PHYSIC AND SURGERY, 
 
 IN THE 
 
 MEDICAL INSTITUTION OF YALE COLLEGE; 
 PRONOUNCED AT HIS FUNERAI,, 
 
 BY J. KNIGHT, M. D. 
 
 PROFESSOR OF ANATOMY AND PHTSIOIOGT, 
 
 NEW HAVEN: 
 
 PRINTED BY HEZEKIAH HOWE. 
 1830.
 
 JSTew Haven, Feb. 2, 1829. 
 Prof. Knight — Respected Sir, 
 
 We take pleasure in communicating to you, the annexed resolution of 
 the Medical Class, requesting for publication, a copy of your eulogy on their 
 late instructor and your associate, Professor Smith. The high degree of grat- 
 ification which that performance afforded them, and their desire to preserve 
 some memorial of the life of one whose loss they so deeply deplore, and whose 
 memory they so much revere, unite in prompting to this request. The com- 
 mittee beg leave to unite with the class, in a tender of their high respect and 
 esteem. J. C. Goodhue. 
 
 H. D. BULKLEY-. 
 
 At a meeting of the Medical Class at their Lecture Room, Jan. 31, 1829. 
 Resolved, That Messrs. J. C. Goodhue and H. D. Bulkley, be a committee 
 to wait on Dr. Knight and request a copy of his eulogy on our late instructor, 
 Prof. Smith, for publication. 
 
 JSTew Haven, Feb. 7, 1829. 
 
 Gentlemen, 
 
 Your polite note of the 2d inst. inclosing a vote of the Medical Class, re- 
 questing a copy of the eulogy on your late instructor, Prof Smith, has been 
 received and considered. Esteem for my late associate and friend while liv- 
 ing, and respect for his memory when removed from us by death, prompted to 
 the preparation of the discourse, at a short notice, and amidst the interruptions 
 of professional employments. The same respect, as well as a desire to comply 
 with the wishes of the Medical Class, leads me to consent to its publication, 
 with little opportunity to correct its errors, or to supply its defects. 
 
 Permit me to express the hope that the example of one so much respected 
 and beloved as your late instructor, may lead all who enter upon the profession 
 of Medicine, to pursue the same course, of laborious, benevolent exertion. 
 
 Be pleased to present to the class which you represent, my acknowledg- 
 ments for the compliment implied in their request, and accept for yourselves 
 assurances of the esteem of your instructor and friend. 
 
 J. Knight. 
 Messrs. J. C. Goodhue and H. D- Bulkley.
 
 EULOGIUM, &c. 
 
 Friends and Fellow Citizens^ 
 
 The occasion which has brought us together is 
 one of solemn and mournful interest. We are as- 
 sembled to pay the last tribute of respect to the 
 remains of one, in no ordinary degree, useful and 
 beloved. Why one so beloved, so respected, and 
 so useful, should be removed, when, to all human 
 view, in the midst of his usefulness, is one of those 
 mysterious dispensations of a wise providence, 
 which short-sighted man can neither fathom nor 
 explain. It becomes us to be thankful to the Giver 
 of all good, that he raises up wise and good men 
 among us ; that he suffers them to remain, until by 
 their example they excite, and by their instruc- 
 tions, they prepare others to walk in their steps : 
 and when He sees fit to remove them, to say with 
 humble submission. Thy will, O God, be done. 
 
 When a man, who has been widely known and 
 beloved ; who has exerted an extensive and benefi- 
 cial influence over the interests of an important 
 profession ; who by the exertion of skill, assiduity 
 and benevolence, has acquired the aftections of a 
 large and enlightened community, is removed by 
 death, public opinion requires, and inclination dic^
 
 tales, lliat some testimonial of his worth should be 
 brought forward, by those who, having been asso- 
 ciated with him, are supposed to know him best. 
 This duty, with respect to our deceased friend, has 
 been assigned to me. For the imperfections of 
 its performance, the circumstances in which it is 
 undertaken, Avill be a sufficient apology. 
 
 The subject of these remarks was the son of re- 
 spectable parents, in moderate pecuniary circum- 
 stances, who at the time of his birth resided in 
 Rehoboth, Mass. He was born on the 30th Sept. 
 1762. While he was yet young, the family remo- 
 ved to Chester, Windsor Co. Vermont, where his 
 parents remained until their death. Of his early 
 life little has reached us, except that his time was 
 spent, in acquiring the elements of education at the 
 ordinary country schools, and in agricultural pur- 
 suits on his father's farm. 
 
 Before he arrived at the period of manhood, in 
 some of the latter years of the rcvolut ionary war, 
 he joined a body of the Vermont militia, which was 
 stationed on the frontiers of that state, to repel the 
 incursions of the Indian tribes of the neighborhood, 
 and to keep them in check. How long he contin- 
 ued in this service is not known. He frequently 
 alluded to the hardships and privations which he 
 endured, while encamped in what was then a wil- 
 derness, with few of the necessaries, and none of 
 the conveniences of life. While on this ex|)editiou 
 he was shot at, and narrowly missed, by an Indian 
 lying in ambush. These privations and dangers.
 
 were not however peculiar to him, but were endur- 
 ed in common with many thousands of others of the 
 hardy and enterprising inhabitants of our frontier 
 settlements, during that perilous period, when prop- 
 erty and life were exposed to all the dangers of 
 savage warfare. While residing at his father's, a 
 portion of his time was occupied with what was 
 then almost a necessary employment ; securing the 
 game, and destroying the beasts of prey of the 
 neighboring forests. In these pursuits, small par- 
 ties of young men were often absent from home for 
 many days. On one of these excursions, he was 
 left by his companions, in mid winter, at a distance 
 from home, with a slender stock of provisions. 
 While waiting for their return, his supplies were 
 exhausted, and what was more unfortunate, a sud- 
 den thaw came on, which softening the surface of 
 the snow, then many feet in depth, rendered trav- 
 elling impracticable. Here he was detained seve- 
 ral days, subsisting entirely on the unsalted flesh of 
 some game which he had taken. By the time the 
 impediments to travelling were removed, he found 
 himself afllicted, in consequence of exposure and 
 improper food, with a severe and distressing dis- 
 ease. With difliculty he reached the nearest 
 house, where, and at his father's, he was, for many 
 months, confined by sickness. Thus his life passed 
 on, in a course of laborious industry, and of hardy 
 enterprize, until he arrived at the age of twenty- 
 four years. What his mental acquirements at this 
 period were, we have no means of judging. And.
 
 although from the limited means of instruction 
 which he enjoyed, we cannot rate them high, yet, 
 from the fact that he was engaged during some of 
 the winter months, as teacher of a school in the vi- 
 cinity, we are warranted in the belief, that they 
 were more than were ordinarily obtained by the 
 young men of the period, in that country. 
 
 At this time an event occurred, which gave a 
 new direction to his thoughts and his life. This 
 event, trivial in its nature, and apparently casual, 
 led him to the study, and finally to the practice, of 
 a profession, which for more than forty years, he 
 adorned and improved. The events to be stated, 
 add one more to the many well known cases, which 
 shew, by how small and apparently inoperative 
 means, a wise overruling Providence, controls and 
 directs the affairs both of individuals and of nations. 
 Mr. Smith was present, almost without design on his 
 part, at a surgical operation performed by Dr. Jo- 
 siah Goodhue, then, and for years afterwards, the 
 most celebrated surgeon in that region. By wit- 
 nessing this operation, his attention was directed 
 to the structure of the human body, and his curios- 
 ity excited to learn more of a subject at once so 
 novel and interesting. Shortly after, he mentioned 
 to Dr. Goodhue his desire to engage in the study 
 of medicine, and requested permission to enter his 
 office as a student. The Doctor judiciously inquir- 
 ed of him, for they were almost strangers to each 
 other, what had been his previous course of life, and 
 what were his acquirements. The reply was, un-
 
 til last night, I have labored with my hands during 
 my life. Dr. Goodhue told him kindly, that he was 
 not in the habit of receiving young men as stu- 
 dents, who had not received some preparatory edu- 
 cation : giving him as the reason for this, that the 
 profession of medicine was in a low state in that 
 part of the country, and that to elevate it in real- 
 ity and in public estimation, young men properly 
 qualified only, should be encouraged to engage in 
 it. In conclusion, he stated to Mr. Smith, that if 
 he would place himself under the tuition of some 
 person capable of instructing him, and acquire so 
 much literary information, as would enable him to 
 enter the freshman class of Harvard College, he 
 would then receive him as a student. This judi- 
 cious advice was happily followed. He selected 
 the Rev. Mr. Whiting of Rockingham, Vt. as his 
 instructor. With him he remained until the re- 
 quired condition was fulfilled. For three years af- 
 ter this he was a pupil of Dr. Goodhue, then re- 
 siding in Putney, Vt. The assiduity and success 
 with which he pursued his professional studies, are 
 fully attested by his instructor, who always re- 
 garded him, with that esteem and affection, which 
 can be excited in the mind of an instructor, only by 
 diligence and good conduct on the part of the pu- 
 pil. These kind feelings were fully reciprocated 
 by Dr. Smith. He always spoke of this, his early 
 friend, in the warmest terms of esteem and grati- 
 tude, as well for his early advice, as for his subse- 
 quent instruction, and for his countenance and
 
 support after he engaged in the practice of his pro- 
 fession. That respectable gentleman still lives, 
 and will mourn at the tidings of the death of a fa- 
 vorite pupil and devoted friend. 
 
 Dr. Smith commenced the active duties of his 
 profession at Cornish in N. H. After practising, 
 with what reputation or success we are not fully in- 
 formed, for two or three years, he visited Harvard 
 University, for the purpose of availing himself of the 
 advantages which that celebrated institution afford- 
 ed. Here, he attended the several courses of Lec- 
 tures on Medicine and Surgery, as well as those on 
 Natural Philosophy, and other means of instruc- 
 tion, to which persons, not members of the academ- 
 ical department, could gain admission. At the 
 close of the term at Cambridge, he read an inau- 
 gural dissertation on 'The circulation of the blood,* 
 which was received with high approbation, and, at 
 the request of the faculty, was published. Having 
 received the degree of Batchelor of Medicine from 
 this University, he returned to Cornish, and enga- 
 ged anew, with increased information and enlarged 
 means of usefulness, in the practice of his profession. 
 
 At this period the medical profession, in that vi- 
 cinity, was at a low ebb. The country itself, was 
 to a great extent a wilderness, throughout which, 
 were interspersed flourishing towns and villages. 
 This state of the country was a type of the medi- 
 cal profession. The large majority of the physi- 
 cians were uneducated and unskilful. This was 
 true with respect to all of New Hampshire, except
 
 Portsmouth and its vicinity, as well as the neigh- 
 boring state of Vermont. There were Physicians 
 and Surgeons, respectable for their talents and at- 
 tainments, scattered over this region ; but they 
 were few when compared with the whole number. 
 This state of his favorite profession was painful to 
 the benevolent and enterprising mind of Dr. Smith. 
 Instead of merely taking advantage of it, to elevate 
 himself by the ignorance of others, he early enga- 
 ged, with his usual vigor, to correct it. The most 
 obvious and effectual means to remedy this evil, 
 was to furnish those who were about to enter upon 
 the profession, with an opportunity of obtaining a 
 correct professional education. To accomplish this 
 object, he projected the plan of a Medical Institu- 
 tion in connexion with Dartmouth College, located 
 at Hanover in New Hampshire. The plan was 
 soon completed, and Dr. Smith was appointed pro- 
 fessor of medicine. For several years the business 
 of instruction in the various branches of Medicine 
 and Surgery, as well as the auxiliary sciences, 
 was performed by him alone. To qualify himself 
 more thoroughly for this employment, which he 
 probably foresaw was to occupy a large portion 
 of his future life, he determined to derive larger 
 stores of knowledge from what had been long con- 
 sidered as the fountain of medical science; the 
 school of Edinburgh. He accordingly left a prac- 
 tice which had then become lucrative, and again 
 became a pupil, seeking instruction from those who 
 were well qualified to give it. He spent about a year 
 
 2
 
 10 
 
 in Great Britain, partly, in attending a full course 
 of the Medical Lectures in Edinburgh, where the 
 elder Monro and Dr. Black were then active teach- 
 ers ; and partly, in witnessing the practice of the 
 hospitals in London. That this visit was full of in- 
 terest and improvement to him cannot be doubted. 
 He was perhaps in the best state to be improved by 
 it. He was of mature years, had studied and prac- 
 tised enough to know, not only in general what 
 every physician should learn, but, what in particu- 
 lar was necessary for him ; and he was ardent and 
 zealous in the cause of his profession. His course, 
 after his return to his native country, was one of 
 almost unrivalled success. The medical school, 
 which he was the means of establishing, flourished 
 in a high degree, under his auspices, and those of 
 the able professors who were, in the course of a few 
 years, associated with him. The number of pupils, 
 which for several years after the establishment of the 
 school, was about twenty, gradually increased, so 
 that for many of the last years of his connexion 
 with it, the average number was not far from sixty. 
 These, upon the completion of their education, 
 were scattered over the neighboring parts of New 
 Hampshire and Vermont, and other more distant 
 places in New England. They gradually occupied 
 the stations, rendered vacant by the death of the 
 older members of the profession, and by the loss of 
 business of those who were incompetent. Thus, 
 that portion of the country became filled with a 
 race of young, enterprising, intelligent physicians.
 
 11 
 
 who all justly looked up to Dr. Smith as their friend 
 and professional father. This, together with his 
 deservedly high and continually increasing reputa- 
 tion, as a kind, attentive, and skilful Physician and 
 Surgeon, necessarily drew upon him a vast amount 
 of business. Every Physician, especially all who 
 had been his pupils, desired him as their counsellor : 
 the sick and the friends of the sick, looked to him 
 as their last resort in all cases of difficulty. 
 
 The labor which he endured in traversing, for 
 the most part on horseback, such an extensive coun- 
 try, then, in part, almost a wilderness, over moun- 
 tainous regions, and roads which were often nearly 
 impassable, at every season, and in every vicissitude 
 of weather ; the good which he accomplished, in af- 
 fording advice and instruction, and by imparting a 
 portion of his own vigor and energy to the younger 
 members of the profession, as well as the more di- 
 rect benefit which he afibrded to the sick and dis- 
 tressed, can scarcely be estimated. 
 
 Thus he continued his laborious and successful 
 exertions in the business of instruction at Hanover, 
 and in the practice of his profession, in that vicini- 
 ty, until the autumn of 1813. At this time, he ac- 
 cepted the invitation, which had been previously 
 given him, to occupy the chair of a Professor, in 
 the Medical Institution of Yale College, then just 
 established in this city. From that time to the 
 present, he has delivered an annual course of lec- 
 tures, on the Theory and Practice of Physic and 
 Surgery, to the class of Medical Students in this
 
 12 
 
 Institution. Since that period, lie has also deliv- 
 ered a course of lectures on the same branches, 
 at Dartmouth College ; one at the Vermont Uni- 
 versity in Burlington; and two at the recently 
 established and flourishing Medical Institution of 
 Brunswick College in Maine. To trace the career 
 of Dr. vSmith, as an instructor, and as a prac- 
 titioner of Physic and Surgery, since his removal 
 to this city, would be only to repeat the account 
 which has been given of him, while residing in 
 Hanover. To this place have resorted for many 
 years past, from seventy to ninety young men ; and 
 it is no injustice to Dr. Smith's associates to say, 
 that a principal object has been, to learn from his 
 wisdom and experience, the practical parts of their 
 profession. Here, the sick and unfortunate, from 
 every part of the country, have collected, to re- 
 ceive the benefit of his skill. In addition to his 
 practice in the immediate vicinity, he has been 
 called to visit, professionally, every county, and al- 
 most every town in this state, as well as many more 
 distant places in the neighboring states. Thus his 
 hfe has been one continued scene of active, labori- 
 ous and useful exertion. 
 
 Such as he has been for many years past, so use- 
 ful, so honored and so beloved, we fondly hoped he 
 might continue to be, for many succeeding years. 
 But alas ! our hopes are blasted. The last dread 
 summons has reached him ; his spirit has ascended 
 to him who gave it, and his body must return to 
 the dust from which it sprung. By this melan-
 
 13 
 
 choly event, a bereaved family is called to mourn 
 the loss of a kind and affectionate husband, a ten- 
 der, indulgent and well beloved parent ; the insti- 
 tution with which he was connected, a chief pillar 
 and support ; the medical profession, a father and 
 a friend ; the poor, the sick and the distressed, a 
 means of consolation and relief, and the community 
 at large, a distinguished benefactor. 
 
 The story of his sickness and death will be brief 
 About the middle of July last, he was seized with a 
 severe illness, which after a short continuance, left 
 him, but in a very debilitated state. From this 
 state his friends perceived with alarm that he did 
 not entirely recover. He continued to be weak, 
 with occasional attacks of illness, through the re- 
 mainder of the summer and autumnal months. 
 Though enfeebled in body, his mind retained its 
 usual vigor and activity, and unwilling to yield to 
 what he probably considered a trivial complaint, he 
 continued, with the exception of a few days, his la- 
 borious employments. No considerable alteration 
 in tne state of his health appeared, until about four 
 weeks since, when he was attacked with a severe 
 influenza. This was accompanied and followed, by 
 a painful and vertiginous aflection of the head. By 
 the use of remedies these symptoms were allevia- 
 ted. On the evening of Tuesday, the 13th inst. he 
 first perceived a slight numbness of the left hand, 
 with a trifling indistinctness in his articulation. 
 These symptoms of paralysis gradually increased, 
 imtil the morning of the 26th inst. when the powers
 
 14 
 
 of life became exhausted, and at 6 o'clock, in the 
 67th year of his age, he slept the sleep of death. 
 
 That our deceased friend was no ordinary man, 
 the brief story of his life already told, most con- 
 clusively proves. In early life he was a poor boy, 
 in a comparatively obscure village, with a limited 
 education, and still more limited means of advan- 
 cing it. Thus he remained, until past the period 
 when most men are fixed in their situation for life. 
 At this time his mind received a new impulse. He 
 resolved to render himself useful and distinguished. 
 Having chosen his profession, he entered at once, 
 with the decision which marked his character 
 through life, upon the work of preparing himself 
 for it. The means of acquiring an education were 
 furnished almost entirely by his own exertions. He 
 appears for many years, to have labored to acquire 
 property, only to expend it in advancing his knowl- 
 edge of literature and medicine. Following this 
 purpose with untiring zeal, he obtained a medical 
 education, such as was then almost unknown in 
 New England. With the same zeal, act vity and 
 intelligence, he entered upon the practice of his 
 profession, and subsequently upon the business of 
 instruction. By pursuing this course, his reputa- 
 tion gradually increased, until he became more ex- 
 tensively known, than any other m dical man in 
 New England. Indeed it is doubted whether any 
 other man in New England, of any profession, pos- 
 sessed so large a number of personal acquaintances 
 and friends.
 
 15 
 
 His acquaintance was not only extensive, but 
 reached to every rank in society. The poor knew 
 him as their benefactor ; the sick, as their skilful, 
 attentive physician ; the rich, were honored by his 
 society ; and the wise and the good, received him 
 as their friend and companion. 
 
 At the same time his influence over medical lit- 
 erature was equally extensive. This influence was 
 exerted, through his large acquaintance among 
 medical men, by his advice and example, as well as 
 more directly through the medium of the various 
 medical schools, which were favored with his in- 
 structions. By means of his influence thus exert- 
 ed, he eflfected, over a large extent of country, a 
 great and salutary change in the medical profes- 
 sion. The assertion, that he has done more for the 
 improvement of Physic and Surgery in New Eng- 
 land, than any other man, will, by no one, be deem- 
 ed invidious. If the accomplishment of objects so 
 important, with means so limited ; the raising and 
 sustaining so high and extensive a reputation, from 
 so humble an origin; the advancing in such a de- 
 gree, one of the liberal professions, over so large a 
 country, be not marks of strong native talent, fos- 
 tered by industry, I know not where indications of 
 such talent can be found. 
 
 To form a correct opinion of the character of 
 Dr. Smith, it will be proper to view him in the va^ 
 rious relations which he sustained. 
 
 As a physician and surgeon, he early attained a 
 high rank ; a rank which he held through life. The
 
 16 
 
 present is neither the place, nor the occasion to in- 
 quire into his opinions upon medical and surgical 
 subjects, nor upon his mode of practice. (See iNote.) 
 It may however be proper, as illustrative of his 
 character, to investigate those qualities of his mind 
 and habits of life, which raised him to this elevated 
 station. 
 
 The first faculty of his mind which I mention, 
 was a keen, discriminating inquisitiveness into eve- 
 ry thing submitted to his inspection. Nothing pass- 
 ed before him unseen or unheeded. This quality, 
 which in a weak mind is mere inquisitiveness, exer- 
 cised to gratify an idle curiosity, is, in a strong 
 mind, a principle of rational enquiry, seeking in 
 every direction, for information to be applied to 
 some valuable purpose. By the continual exercise 
 of this quality, ripened into a habit of steady, fixed 
 observation, he collected in his mind, not only the 
 outlines of the diseases with which man is afflicted, 
 but all the minute circumstances, relative to their 
 causes, rise, progress and termination ; and the ef- 
 fect of remedies upon them in their various stages. 
 
 Another faculty of his mind was a memory high- 
 ly retentive. This is so nearly allied to the habit 
 of observation just mentioned, and so certain is it 
 that whatever we observe minutely, is long remem- 
 bered, that we are not surprised to find them so of- 
 ten associated in the same person. With him eve- 
 ry fact which he observed, every truth which he 
 heard stated, appeared to be impressed indelibly 
 upon his mind. In the last years of his life, he
 
 17 
 
 would relate with wonderful accuracy, not only the 
 great, but also the minute events which he had^vit- 
 nessed. Especially, he remembered the diseases 
 which he had seen, in all their varieties ; the surgi- 
 cal operations which he had performed, and the 
 causes requiring their performance, with all the 
 attendant circumstances of person, time and place. 
 By the aid of this faculty, his mind became a store- 
 house, well filled with facts suited to his necessities. 
 From it he could, at will, draw forth materials to 
 guide him in his practice ; to confirm and to illus- 
 trate his opinions. 
 
 Another faculty, which contributed more than 
 either of the foregoing to his eminence, was the 
 power of reducing all the knowledge, which he 
 acquired, whether from reading or observation, 
 to some useful practical purpose. This is opposed 
 to mere speculation. It does not enquire into 
 matters which have no practical bearing upon 
 the happiness of man; but it observes all things 
 as they now exist, in the present age, and in this 
 country. It looks upon the evils now to be rem- 
 edied, and the blessings now to be enjoyed. It 
 leads the physician, to view diseases and acci- 
 dents, as they present themselves to his own eyes ; 
 and to summon together all the information and 
 every fact which he possesses, to bear upon the 
 case immediately before him. This faculty is fa- 
 miliarly called plain common sense. It was pos- 
 sessed in a high degree by Dr. Smith, in relation 
 to all subjects connected with his profession. The 
 
 3
 
 18 
 
 same faculty was illustriously displayed, in the lives 
 of Washington, Franklin, Sherman, Dwight and 
 Whitney. 
 
 Another faculty possessed by the deceased, and 
 which aided him much in his successful career, was 
 an undaunted moral courage. The physician of- 
 ten feels it to be his duty to apply a powerful rem- 
 edy, and the surgeon to perform a painful and haz- 
 ardous operation, in cases where he can give no 
 positive assurances of their success. The timid 
 man shrinks from such high responsibility, and suf- 
 fers his patient to be destroyed by disease. Such 
 was not Dr. Smith. Having satisfied himself what 
 course was best for his patient, he honestly advis- 
 ed, and fearlessly pursued it ; regardless of the cen- 
 sure which might follow, should it prove unsuc- 
 cessful. With him there was no hesitation, no 
 wavering between duty and expediency ; between 
 the welfare of his patient and his own reputation. 
 This conduct, in one who valued reputation so 
 highly, is the strongest proof of the existence of that 
 courage of the mind, so much more noble, and so 
 much more rarely found, than mere physical valor. 
 
 To these intellectual qualities, were added others 
 of a moral nature, which facilitated his progress, 
 and rendered it more successful. I allude to the 
 kindness, assiduity, and delicacy with which he 
 treated his patients. In him kindness was a natu- 
 ral feeling, springing out directly from the benev- 
 olence of his disposition. This feeling, he doubt- 
 less cultivated from a knowledge of the effects
 
 19 
 
 which its expression produces, in alleviating the 
 distress, as well of the body as the mnid. In all 
 his intercourse with the sick, the kindness of his 
 heart beamed upon his countenance, and flowed 
 forth from his lips. Their faces brightened, and 
 their spirits were roused at his approach, not more 
 by the relief which they expected, than by the 
 kindness with which it was afibrded. 
 
 The assiduity of his attention to patients dan- 
 gerously sick, was unremitted. He watched at 
 their bedside by day and by night, administering 
 to all their wants, and performing the offices of a 
 kind friend, as well as of a skilful physician. 
 
 The esteem and respect which he entertained for 
 the virtuous female character, and the purity and 
 delicacy of his conduct towards those who possess- 
 ed it, rendered him highly acceptable to all such 
 as their physician. The continual exercise of these 
 feelings, gained for him at once their confidence 
 and esteem. 
 
 As an instructor, the reputation of Dr. Smith 
 was high, from the time he began the business of 
 instruction. Of the method which he adopted in 
 relation to this subject, in the earlier part of his 
 life, I have little information. The facts however, 
 that for many years, he gave instruction upon all 
 the branches of Medical and Surgical Science; 
 that this instruction was acceptable to classes of 
 intelligent young men ; and that many who were 
 thus instructed, have become eminent in their pro- 
 fession, prove not only versatility of talent, but va-
 
 20 
 
 riety and extent of information, with a happy meth- 
 od of communicating it. His mode of communi- 
 cating instruction, since his connexion with the 
 institution in this place, has been simple, natural 
 and unaffected. He sought no aid from an artifi- 
 cial style, but merely poured forth, in the plain 
 language of enlightened conversation, the treasures 
 of his wisdom and experience. He occupied but 
 little time with the theories and opinions of other 
 men, referring to books, only for the facts which they 
 contain; nor did he often indulge in theoretic specu- 
 lations of his own ; but gave principally the results 
 of his practice and experience. His object was to 
 instil into the minds of his pupils the leading prin- 
 ciples of their profession ; not entering fully into 
 the details of the practice, but leaving it for them 
 to apply these principles to individual cases as they 
 should present themselves. These principles he 
 would illustrate, by appropriate cases, furnished 
 by a long course of practice; related always in an 
 impressive, and often in a playful manner, so as 
 at once to gain the attention, and impress the truth 
 illustrated, upon the mind. He often urged upon 
 them the necessity of correct moral deportment, of 
 industrious habits, and especially of forming a 
 judgment for themselves, concerning the cases 
 which were presented to them. 
 
 He endeavored to inspire them, both by pre- 
 cept and example, with a love of their profession, 
 with activity in the practice of it, and a zeal for 
 the promotion of its best interests.
 
 21 
 
 At the same time that he communicated to his 
 pupils instruction, he gained their aftection by the 
 suavity of his manners, and by a course of conduct 
 towards them, by which they were satisfied that he 
 ardently desired their best interests. Of all who 
 have been instructed by him, the number is small 
 of those who were not his personal friends. 
 
 The various relations of life were sustained by 
 Dr. Smith in an exemplary manner. As a citizen, 
 the same spirit which prompted him to enlist in the 
 service of his country, when engaged in war, led 
 him to support, by his influence, her free institu- 
 tions in time of peace : as a lover of good order, he 
 rejoiced in the enaction and the execution of whole- 
 some laws and regulations ; and as a friend of mo- 
 rality, he discountenanced vice in every form. The 
 purity of his life, it is believed, arose not so much 
 from the restraints of society, as from a purity of 
 mind, which remained unsullied. So far as per- 
 sonal observation enables me to speak, he regarded 
 the institutions and the ministers of religion, with 
 the highest reverence. With regard to subjects of 
 this nature, it is believed, that his last days were 
 his best days. 
 
 In his relations to his fellow men, there are par- 
 ticular traits of his character, which ought not to 
 pass unnoticed. He possessed strong social feel- 
 ings and habits. Accustomed from early life to 
 the society of men in every station, he entered 
 readily into free and unreserved intercourse with 
 all. In companies of every kind, learned or un-
 
 2-2 
 
 learned, polished or otherwise, his free conversa- 
 tion, his fund of anecdote, and the acuteness of his 
 remarks upon all subjects, whether relating to the 
 common affairs of life, or the more important con- 
 cerns of morals and literature, rendered him a wel- 
 come guest. His manners, which were free, yet 
 unpresuming, and unshackled by the forms of cer- 
 emonial observances, were such as to impose no in- 
 convenient restraints upon others or upon himself 
 No one delighted more in social intercourse with 
 his friends, and in a free interchange of feelings 
 and opinions with them. This was one of the plea- 
 sures of his life, and this endeared him to those 
 with whom he associated. 
 
 Dr. Smith was eminently a benevolent man. He 
 regarded man as his brother, and when in distress, 
 as a brother he afforded him relief No one, it is 
 presumed, ever heard him say to the destitute. Be 
 ye warmed and be ye clothed, without at the same 
 time furnishing the means of relieving their neces- 
 sities. That his charity was always discrimina- 
 ting is not probably true. It was the charity of 
 the heart, and not of calculation; and often his 
 most valuable benefactions were rendered in the 
 course of professional exertion. 
 
 The mere distribution of a portion of his property 
 to those who were in need, was indeed, the least 
 part of his beneficence. It is no difficult matter 
 for those who recieive, as a compensation for their 
 labor, an abundant supply of all they need, unless 
 their hearts are fast bound by the chains of avarice.
 
 23 
 
 to distribute a small portion of their substance to 
 those who are in want. Indeed the selfish man of- 
 ten does this to rid himself of troublesome importu- 
 nity. These merely, of their abundance, cast into 
 the treasury. It is a far nobler charity, to relieve 
 distress by personal exertions and sacrifices. The 
 man, who to alleviate or remove the misery of his 
 fellow men, exposes himself to cold, hunger and 
 fatigue, in visiting the abodes of wretchedness, pen- 
 ury, and even of guilt ; who, when there, listens 
 with sympathizing attention to the story of sickness, 
 told by its miserable inmates ; relieves by personal 
 attentions their immediate sufferings, and cheers 
 their hearts with assurances of future assistance, 
 exhibits the fairest specimen of human benevolence. 
 Surely, upon the head of such a man, the blessing 
 of many ready to perish, will fall. 
 
 The sketch, thus feebly drawn, exhibits one fea- 
 ture in the character of our deceased friend. To 
 him, the sick and suffering, whether rich or poor, 
 were equally objects of attention and compassion. 
 He regarded all alike, the rich, the poor, the beg- 
 gar and the outcast, when his services were requir- 
 ed to relieve their distresses. This with him was 
 a matter of feeling, rather than the result of medi- 
 tation. He did not serve the poor, that he might 
 gain the favor of the rich, but to fulfil the desires of 
 his own benevolent heart. He acted in accordance 
 with an opinion which I have more than once heard 
 him express, that the great object of the intercourse 
 of man with his fellow men, should be to do them good.
 
 24 
 
 Nor was his benevolence confined in its exercise, 
 to the sick and the poor. It led him to rejoice in, 
 and to promote by his influence and exertions, all 
 plans, calculated, in his view, to promote the best 
 interests of his fellow men. The interests of litera- 
 ture and sound morality, received his cordial and 
 unvaried support. In regard to objects of this kind 
 he indulged in no narrow, local prejudices ; but 
 looked abroad with an enlarged view, to the wel- 
 fare of all, both of the present and future genera- 
 tions. 
 
 From the preceding statement, it cannot be 
 doubted that Dr. Smith performed with fidelity the 
 various relations of domestic life. That benevo- 
 lence which was so active and so expansive, could 
 not but shed its brightest and warmest rays, upon 
 those who were the nearest and dearest to his heart. 
 Why should I speak of him as a kind, affectionate 
 husband, or as a tender, indulgent and judicious 
 parent, who bore good will to all mankind ? Those 
 towards whom he sustained these endearing rela- 
 tions, are witnesses of the manner in which he ful- 
 filled the duties which they require. The affection 
 and respect which they manifested towards him 
 while living, and the mourning and tears which ac- 
 company his departure, bear testimony, that as he 
 was abroad, so he was at home, the kind compan- 
 ion, instructor and friend. 
 
 The life of a man so illustrious as our deceased 
 friend, imperfectly portrayed as it has been, is full 
 of instruction. It teaches the young who are just
 
 25 
 
 entering upon the busy scenes of life, especially you, 
 my young friends, who are preparing to engage in 
 the same arduous profession, the value of enterprise, 
 industry, and benevolence. By the exercise of these, 
 he rose from obscurity to eminence. What hinders 
 that you, by the judicious use of the same means, 
 should not accomplish the same end. All cannot 
 be equally eminent, but all may render themselves 
 highly useful and respected. 
 
 It teaches all the folly of selfishness. He sought 
 nothing for himself, but the reputation of doing 
 good. This he obtained, as all others may, by de- 
 serving it; and with it, received all that he desired 
 of this world's goods, the esteem, respect, and af- 
 fection of a large and enlightened community; the 
 approbation of the wise and the good, wherever he 
 was known; and the assurance that his memory 
 will remain a noble inheritance to his posterity. 
 
 If his life is instructive, not less so is his death. 
 It adds one more lesson to the millions which have 
 preceded it, teaching us the slight tenure by which 
 we hold our mortal existence; and the necessity of 
 preparing for that event, which happeneth unto all. 
 The wise, the great, the good, and the useful, are 
 removed in rapid succession, and why are we suf- 
 fered to remain.-^ Why ! but through the good pleas- 
 ure of him who waiteth to be gracious.
 
 NOTE. 
 
 Although it would have been obviously improper to enter, in tlie body of 
 this discourse, upon a consideration of the medical opinions and the modes of 
 practice of Dr. Smith, a few remarks upon them, may not, in this place be 
 unacceptable. Upon these subjects, I have no means of information at hand, 
 previous to his removal to this city. The few remarks which are made, must 
 therefore be considered as confined to the last thirteen years of his life. 
 
 All who have witnessed the practice of Dr, Smith, must have remarked the 
 rapidity and decision, and, at the same time, the general accuracy, with which 
 he formed an opinion on the cases of disease submitted to him. He appeared 
 to strip diseases of all their adventitious attendants, and to seize, at once, upon 
 their important and essential phenomena. This process was often so rapid, as 
 to resemble more the effect of intuition, than the regular deduction from a 
 train of reasoning. 
 
 With the same rapidity, he saw, as it were with a glance, the course proper 
 to be pursued, and with equal promptness, applied the appropriate remedies. 
 This course of practice, can by no means be held out as an example to the 
 young and inexperienced ; nor is it perhaps the best mode to be pursued by 
 any one. It is justifiable only in those, whose habits of observation and dis- 
 crimination, have been matured, by a long course of enlightened experience. 
 Even such would escape occasional errors, by more careful deliberation. 
 
 The practice of Dr. Smith in the treatment of acute diseases was essentially 
 the same, as that of the other respectable physicians of New England; varied 
 somewhat perhaps, by his notions of the nature of typhus, the prevailing 
 fever of the country. What these notions were, and what his practice found- 
 ed upon them was, he has fully explained, in his treatise upon typhus fever, 
 published a few yeais since. If he had any peculiarities in the treatment of 
 other acute diseases, than pure typhus, they consisted, in discarding the use of 
 remedies comparatively inert, and in employing those which are more power- 
 ful and effective. He often asserted that the use of medicines, which, in 
 common language, if they do no good, will do no harm, is usually the resort of 
 timidity or ignorance ; and that the physician who knows not when and how, 
 to apply or to withhold the more powerful articles of the materia medica, was 
 unfit for his profession. 
 
 In the treatment of chronic diseases, energetic remedies, especially such as 
 acted powerfully upon the stomach and the other organs of digestion, were 
 more especially resorted to by him. To this course, he appears to have been 
 led, partly by his own reflections upon the nature and causes of most chronic 
 diseases, and partly, by the situation in which he was placed, with respect to 
 patients of this class. 
 
 Many of them consulted him after they had employed all the ordinary 
 means of medication. Others still consulted him from such a distance, as pre- 
 cluded him from watching over the tardy effects of ordinary remedies. Both 
 these circumstances combined, led him to the administration of full doses of
 
 28 
 
 the more effective medicines, with the view of producing speedy and great 
 changes in the organs diseased. 
 
 For the duties of a practical surgeon, Dr. Smith was eminently qualified, 
 and upon the manner in which he performed these duties, his reputation must, 
 in a great measure, ultimately rest. To these, he brought a mind enterprising, 
 but not rash ; anxious, yet calm, in deliberation; bold, yet cautious, in opera- 
 tion. His first object was, to save his patients, if possible, from the necessity 
 of an operation ; and when this could be no longer avoided, to enter upon its 
 performance, without reluctance or hesitation. In his operations, he was calm, 
 collected and cautious. 
 
 He manifested no desire to gain the reputation of a rapid operator : a reputa- 
 tion, so ardently, and it is to be feared, so unfortunately sought for, by many 
 surgeons of the present day. He who commences an important operation, with 
 his eye upon the minute hand of a watch, starts in a race against time, in 
 which the life of his patient is the stake, and often the forfeit. The true rule 
 for the surgeon is, sat, citd si sat bend. Neither did he make any display, in 
 the course of his operations, to gain the applause of bystanders. Hence there 
 was no formidable array of instruments ; no ostentatious preparation ; so well 
 calculated to excite the wonder of the ignorant, and to strike a dread into the 
 mind of the patient. Every thing necessary was prepared, while all useless 
 parade was avoided. When engaged in an operation, his whole mind was 
 bent upon its proper performance. Every step was carefully examined, every 
 occurrence narrowly watched ; and if any thing unusual appeared, he would 
 ask the advice of those present, in whom he had confidence. In such cases, 
 his promptness and decision, joined to what Chesselden calls " a mind that 
 was never ruffled nor disconcerted," were of singular utility. By the aid of 
 these, he could look, with a steady eye, upon the varying features of the case, 
 as they rose to his view, and adapt his measures, at once, to every emergency. 
 By this cautious mode of proceeding, calculated to gain, not the applause of 
 those who were present on a single occasion, but the enduring reputation of a 
 judicious, skilful Surgeon, he performed with great success, the most important 
 operations. That his success was great is fully attested by the facts, that of 
 about thirty cases of Lithotomy, only three proved fatal ; and that in the course 
 of his practice, he lost no patient of hemorrhage, in consequence of an opera- 
 tion, either direct or secondary. 
 
 The reputation of Dr. Smith as a Surgeon, it is believed, will rest, rather 
 upon his judgment in deciding upon the propriety of an operation, and upon 
 his skill in performing it, than upon any great improvement in operative surge- 
 ry. The improvements which he made, and they were numerous, consisted 
 in such as facilitated operations already known, rather than in the invention of 
 thodr which were new. The enumeration of these would be interesting only 
 to surgeons, and to these they are generally known. In addition to this, to Dr. 
 Smith i" justly due, the credit of having introduced and diffused over a large 
 partot New England, the most correct practice, of all the celebrated surgeons 
 of thp last and the present century. This, when the extensive and beneficial 
 results are considered, is no mean praise.
 
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