visit), some young men, officiously, and contrary to express command of some of the magistrates, fired two small sea pieces of cannon, and being ambitious of making three out of two, by firing one twice, one of the young men, darting in a cartridge of powder before the piece was sponged, had his left hand and arm shot to pieces; upon which a surgeon being sent for from on board a ship then riding, an amputation of the member was quickly resolved on by Dr. Griffith Owen (a Friend), the surgeon, and some other skilful persons present. But as the arm was cut off, some spirits in a basin happened to take fire, and being spilt on the surgeon’s apron, set his clothes on fire, and there being a great crowd of spectators, some of them were in the way, and in danger of being scalded, as the surgeon himself was upon his hands and face, but running into the street, the fire was quenched, and so quick was he that the patient lost not very much blood, though left in that open, bleeding condition.”[1]
In the progress of time, the inhabitants of the thriving and extended colony of Pennsylvania became so numerous as to require a greater number of medical attendants. In the year 1711, Dr. John Kearsley arrived; and in 1717, Dr. Thomas Graeme. Both of these medical men were well educated, and became distinguished citizens. Dr. Kearsley, although throughout his career extensively engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery, was not inattentive to the public interests of the province. He was a favorite of the people, and as a member of the House of Assembly, after advocating their interests in debate, was carried to his home upon their shoulders. From the Rev. Dr. Dorr we learn that “he was for fifty-three years a member of the vestry of Christ Church, and always took an active interest in all its concerns. To him, more than to any other individual, we are indebted for the present beautiful edifice, he having superintended the building from the commencement to its completion, and often was in advance large sums of money to defray the expense
- ↑ Journal of the Life of Thomas Story: printed at New Castle-upon-Tyne; fol., 1747, p. 245. Dr. Owen could not have been the surgeon of the vessel; he probably had gone to Chester to pay his respects to the Proprietary, William Penn, on his arrival.
