HUGH WILLIAMSON, M.D., LL.D. (1735-1819)

NORTH CAROLINA PHYSICIAN, STATESMAN, AND HISTORIAN

By E. A. HINES, JR.

ROCHESTER, MINN. OFF the coast of clothier. We know little of Hugh’s one starless night, an in­ early life except that he was the eldest trepid American physician, of ten children and that he had a good Dr. Hugh Williamson, and cultural education. He was graduated his equally brave friend, slipped over from the College of the side of their captured sailing vessel in 1757 with an a.b. degree, and and dropped into an open boat. They from the same institution in 1760 passed immediately beneath the guns with an m.a. degree. Following the of a nearby British man-of-war and training received in his devout Scotch- rowed for the distant shore and safety. Irish family, as well as his own By this daring maneuver, Williamson inclinations, he entered the ministry; avoided spending the period of the but his liberalism soon brought him American War in the into conflict with the church authori­ hold of a British prison ship, and was ties and he turned from his first love enabled to contribute greatly to the to his second, . cause of American freedom. He sailed for Europe and started Finding no medical office open for his medical studies at the famous him in the army at the time, he University of Edinburgh. There he shipped on a coast-wise vessel for must have met Rush, Bard, Lee, Charleston, . Here the McClurg and other young Americans, dangers and possible profits of coast­ who were to come into prominence wise trade intrigued him, and he later in American medical and political purchased a sloop, manned it, and affairs. After spending some time at set out for Baltimore with a large Edinburgh, Williamson went to the cargo of merchandise. He put in at equally famous University of Utrecht Edenton, on hear­ to finish his medical training, and there ing that Howe, the British general, received his m.d. degree in 1772. had unexpectedly entered Chesapeake He then returned to London where Bay. The presence of such a large he became acquainted with Benjamin British force increased the dangers of Franklin and John Hunter, and with shipping; consequently, Williamson them carried out some important disposed of his ship and decided to experiments on electricity and its settle in Edenton. relation to biological processes. These Hugh Williamson was born in Penn­ were troublesome times in London, but sylvania December 5, 1735. From his the young doctor did not allow his Scotch-Irish parents he inherited a scientific interests to draw him away combination of facetiousness, daring, from what he saw to be his duty. integrity, and sense of moral responsi­ Always a patriot, he was heart and bility for which he was so distin­ soul with the attempts of his country­ guished. His father was a well-to-do men to alleviate the oppression of the royalists. It was Hugh Williamson departments of the English sub-treas­ who, as the mysterious “third party,” ury and, assuming an air of importance secured the now famous Hutchinson and dignity demanded the letters. An

inexperienced clerk, who was on duty at the time, handed them to him without question. Williamson turned the letters over to Franklin and went to Holland. As soon as news of the declaration of independence reached Holland, he returned to his country with much important information for the American cause, and soon settled and Oliver letters for Franklin.* These at Edenton. letters, written by Hutchinson, the With such an excellent medical last royal governor of , training, Williamson soon became attempted to involve prominent col­ widely known around Edenton for his onists in charges of treason by painting medical skill. In the winter of 1779 the British sent a large force into untrue and “odious” pictures of their North Carolina, and a large draft of activities. Showing unusual daring, was put into active service to Williamson went boldly to one of the protect the state. The governor made * Franklin loyally protected the identity of Dr. Williamson the head of the medi­ this “third party,” and the answer to this cal department. He filled this office important historical question was not dis­ closed until Hosack made it public in his ably and evolved rules of sanitation “Memoirs” of Hugh Williamson some forty which are still in use today. He years later. experimented with diets and drew up strict rules for the disposal of sewage and in 1811 he published an extensive and for the handling of food. He even monograph “Observations on the provided milk for sick soldiers at his climate in different parts of America” own expense. As a consequence he (Fig. 1) in which, by a multitude of made the remarkable record of losing facts and by conclusive reasoning, he only two of 1200 men during a period silenced forever these criticisms. of six months. In spite of his change of residence, In 1782 politics beckoned, and he there was no change of his heart became the representative of Edenton toward his Carolina home for, in 1812, in the House of Commons of North there appeared the two-volume “His­ Carolina. In 1786 he went to Annapolis tory of North Carolina.” This was a for the first constitutional convention, result of much research while in and later went as a delegate from Edenton. The work contains a short North Carolina to Philadelphia where account of the discoveries made in he took an important part in framing America by adventurers and of the the Constitution. The many debtors attempt of Sir Walter Raleigh to in North Carolina wanted inflation settle a colony in North Carolina. and opposed the Constitution. Wil­ The narrative continues down to the liamson suffered a great loss in popu­ Revolution. Although there is much larity because of his support of the valuable material and many docu­ more conservative measures of the ments in the two volumes, the work Constitution and, on this account, he does not reach high historical stan­ decided to make his home in New dards. Important details and many York, where he built up a good dates are missing. It is not equal, for practice and lived until the time of example, to the historical works of his his death. neighbor, Dr. David Ramsay, physi­ Well-grounded in the fundamentals cian and historian, of Charleston. of medicine, Williamson was able to Williamson wrote much on canal write authoritative and thoroughly navigation under the pseudonym of scientific articles on medical subjects. “Atticus.” In 1814, with Governor In 1797 he wrote an important paper DeWitt Clinton, he founded the Liter­ on “The Fevers of North Carolina” ary and Philosophical Society of New in which he disagreed with the therapy York, and also became a trustee of of the Rush school and stated that he the College of Physicians and Sur­ knew many patients to have been geons of the University of . “brought to a premature grave” by He became well-known as a classical too vigorous bleeding. scholar and philosopher. He wrote In the period following the Ameri­ in a simple, concise, and correct can Revolution many “libelous” and style and was frequently called, “the untrue reports were circulated in American Cato.” England in an attempt to obstruct the In appearance he was tall, with a upbuilding of the young republic. large frame but with thin, strong Buffon, Raynal, Robertson, and others features (Fig. 2). He had a pleasing wrote of “the inferior, disease-rid­ personality and was an unexcelled wit den people” and of the “unpleasant and conversationalist. climate” in America. Such assertions Although not a giant in the con­ made the patriotic Williamson angry, struction of the American republic, Williamson was an able statesman References who contributed greatly to the sta­ bility of North Carolina during the 1. Hosack, D. A Biographical Memoir of period of the Revolution. As Dr. Hugh Williamson, m.d., ll.d. N. Y., Hosack has said, “Whatever may be Van Winkle, 1820, 91 pp. the merits of Dr. Williamson as a 2. Kelly, H. A., and Burrage, W. L. scholar, a physician and statesman; American medical biographies. Balt., however, he may be distinguished Norman, Remington, 1920, 1320 pp. for his integrity, his benevolence and 3. Packard, F. R. The History of Medicine moral courage,” and, one might add, in the . N. Y., Hoeber, for his bravery and daring. 1931, 542 pp.