THE THREE MEIGS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO PEDIATRICS By A. LEVINSON, M.D. CHICAGO MOST interesting medical trio is paper “The History of American Pediatrics that of the three Meigs, father, before 1800” by Jacobi,3 and from the follow- son, and grandson. The name ing paragraph in Garrison’s “History of Meigs is intimately associated with Pediatrics”2 in Abt’s System. Garrison’s the history of American pediatrics. Howstatements- are based on Samuel S. Adams’ Aever, most writers on the history of pedia- analysis of American pediatric literature up trics usually make mention only of the to 18961: contribution of John Forsyth Meigs, and The outstanding items are the post-mortem pass over the other members of the Meigs sections of cholera infantum by James Stuart family. I should like to call attention to the (1806), James Jackson (1812), William E. fact that not only John Forsyth Meigs, but Horner (1829), and J. Lewis Smith (1858); his father, Charles Delucena Meigs, and his Edward Miller’s advocacy of cold bathing in son, Arthur Vincent Meigs, also contributed fevers and cold clysters in tormina and tenesmus in great measure to our knowledge of (1814), the pioneer brief for school hygiene by pediatrics in general, and of infant feeding Edward Reynolds (1833), W. W. Gerhard’s in particular. papers on smallpox (1832), measles (1833), tuberculous meningitis (1833), and pneumonia Ameri can Pedi atri cs in the Middl e of (1834) in children, Samuel Jackson’s paper on the Nine te ent h Cent ury cold water in malignant scarlatina (1833), John Watson’s letter on surgical diseases of childhood It is interesting to note that both Charles (1853), Joseph O’Dwyer’s device of intubation Delucena, and John Forsyth Meigs, father in diphtheritic croup (1879-86), and the pedia- and son, published their books on pediatrics tric treatises of “An American Matron” (1810), within an interval of two years, the son, in George Logan (1825), William P. Dewees 1848, and the father, in 1850. If one takes (1825), which combats swaddling, the abuse of into consideration the status of pediatrics in cradle-rocking, and the chewing of infant’s America during the middle of the nine- food by the nurse, John Eberle (1833), who teenth century, one cannot but appreciate follows Dewees, James Stewart (1843), D. the great contributions made to pediatrics Francis Condie (1847), J. Forsyth Meigs (1848), by the books of the two Meigs. Charles D. Meigs (1850), J. B. Beck on infant Pediatrics was still taught in the Amer- therapeutics (1849), and the later books of ican medical schools as part of the course in Jacobi, Smith, Keating, Starr, Rotch, and obstetrics. Jacobi, who, a few years later, Holt. was to become the first professor of pedia- In addition to the names mentioned trics in America, was a student at that time above, some of which are of minor impor- in the University of Gottingen. Rotch, who tance, one should add the outstanding con- was destined to play a great role in Ameri- tributions made to pediatrics by Benjamin can pediatrics, was born in 1849, a Year Rush in his paper, “An Inquiry into the fter the publication of the book of John Cause and Cure of Cholera Infantum” Forsyth Meigs. (1773), Hezekiah Beardsley’s report of a An idea of the status of American pedia- case of hypertrophic congenital stenosis of trics up to the middle of the nineteenth the pylorus (1788), which escaped attention century may be gleaned from the well-written until recently, when it was unearthed by William Osler and John Foote, and Samuel it is here unnecessary to mention in detail, have Bard’s paper on Angina Suffocativa (1771). also been consulted and quoted. It can be seen from the above-mentioned facts that some isolated contributions had Arthur V. Meigs, the son of John Forsyth, been made to pediatrics by American physi- made more use of German literature than cians before and during the middle of the his father and grandfather. His main refer- nineteenth century, but that there was no ences, however, are English and French. American pediatric literature to which one A biographic sketch and an evaluation of could refer. An American in search of pedia- each of the Meigs follows.* In giving an tric literature about the middle of the evaluation of their work, we shall lay most nineteenth century, either had to resort to stress on their pediatric views as compared the writings of Armstrong, Underwood, and with pediatric thought and practice of Dewees, the only standard books on pedia- today. We shall, however, also throw some trics, written in English, or he had to have light on their general medical views and recourse to French or German literature. human characteristics, as gleaned from Both Charles Delucena and John Forsyth their writings. Meigs seem to have drawn very little on I German sources, for they make constant reference to French authorities. The follow- Charl es Delucen a Meigs ing excerpt from John Forsyth’s book Charles Delucena Meigs (Fig. 1) was “Diseases of Children,”18 gives a bird’s-eye born in the Island of St. George’s, Bermuda, view of the most available English and February 19, 1792. He was the fifth of ten French references: children born to Josiah Meigs, a descendant of Vincent Meigs who came to this country The work from which the author has drawn from England and settled in East Guilford, most largely, is that of MM. Rilliet and Barthez, Connecticut about 1647 or 1648. which was originally intended to have formed Josiah Meigs, somewhere about 1789 or the basis of the present treatise. This plan was, however, abandoned very soon after the com- 1790, went to St. George’s, Bermuda, to mencement of the work, from the impossibility, practice as a proctor in the courts of admir- with proper justice to these writers, of intro- alty. It was there that Charles Delucena was ducing either the personal experiences of the born. Charles’ father soon became tired of author, or a great amount of very useful his work in Bermuda, returned to this material to be derived from other sources. He country and settled in New Haven, where desires, however, distinctly to acknowledge his he was soon after elected professor of mathe- great indebtedness for valuable assistance matics and natural philosophy at Yale obtained from their work, especially in regard College. It was there that Charles D. passed to the symptomatology and morbid anatomy of his early childhood, from the second to the several diseases brought under consideration. eighth year. In the ninth year of his life the In addition, the author has constantly con- sulted the works of Underwood, Dewees, * The biographic data presented here was obtained Eberle, Stewart, Condie, Billard, Barrier, Ber- from the report of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the ton, Bouchut, Brachet, and Valleix, on the year 1897; from the Transactions of the Philadelphia diseases of children; the portion of the Biblio- College of Physicians, containing memoirs of the theque du Medecin Praticien, devoted to the Meigs, and from various members of the Meigs family. I hereby take the opportunity to express my same subjects; Tweedie’s Library of Practical gratitude to Dr. Edward B. Meigs, Mr. Wm. M. Medicine, Copland’s Medical Dictionary, the Meigs, Mr. Arthur I. Meigs, Mr. Daniel D. Test, Guide du Medecin Praticien of M. Valleix, and Superintendent of the Pennsylvania Hospital, and the Dictionnaire de Medecine Pratique. Various to Dr. Francis R. Packard, for the many kindnesses treatises on the practice of medicine, and they showed me in furnishing the desired informa- different articles in the medical journals, which tion and photographs. family moved to Georgia, and it was there addresses.8 He was elected to the Lying-in that Charles D. attended the university Department of the Pennsylvania Hospital from which he received the degree of a .b . in 1838; he resigned this position in 1849. in 1809. In the same year he commenced the He was connected with a large number of study of medicine under Dr. Thomas Han- medical organizations. He was also a mem- son Marshall FendcII of Augusta, to whom ber of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and he was apprenticed for three years. At the of the American Philosophical Society. expiration of this time he returned, in 1812, On February 25, 1861, he delivered his to his home. last lecture at the Jefferson Medical College, He removed to Philadelphia and matricu- and retired from further active duties of his lated at the University of Pennsylvania in profession. He died June 22, 1869, aged seventy-seven years. Charles Meig’s literary works were very numerous. He was one of the original editors in 1826 of the “North American Medical and Surgical Journal”; he translated and published Velpeau’s “Elementary Treatise on Midwifery”10; he also translated Colom- bat de L’lsere’s “Treatise on the Diseases and Special Hygiene of Females” (1845). He is author of “Females and Their Diseases” (1848) which passed through several editions under the title “Woman, Her Diseases and Remedies”15 (1851, 1854 and 1859). “Obstetrics; the Science and the Art”12 (1849) which passed through four editions; “Observations on Certain Diseases of Children”13 (1850); “Memoir of Dr. Samuel G. Morton” (1851); “Memoir of Dr. Daniel Drake” (1853); “Treatise on Acute and Chronic Diseases of the Neck of the Uterus”14 (1854). His Cont rib uti on to Pedia tric s From a pediatric standpoint, his book 1812, and received the degree of Doctor of “Observations on Certain Diseases of Young Medicine in 1817.