Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/246

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CLARK 224 CLARK largely his own. He was particularly opposed to the theory of brain localization, and was able to keep up his end of the argument with great credit to his powers as a debater. It was unfortunate that he should have com- menced his psychiatric studies when well up in middle life, because he had qualities which would have made him brilliant had he been trained in this specialty in his youth. As it was he did excellent work, and was frequently called as an expert witness in medico-legal cases. In these he gained a well-earned repu- tation, being self-possessed, keen-witted and fully aware of the fact that the average lawyer, no matter how well crammed, is easily put on the rocks by one who has a technical command of the situation. The doctor was of commanding presence, and was in every re- spect an ideal witness, never appearing as a partisan, although he delighted in leading a cross-examiner into metaphysics and psycho- logical definitions. On such occasions he ap- peared at his best. Dr. Clark was a delight- ful companion, possessed of a pawky humor that made him acceptable in any company, while his literary style made his writings wel- come additions to the library. Besides frequent contributions to periodical literature, both medical and general, he was the author of a work, "Pen Photographs" (1873) ; of a novel called, "Josiah Garth," dealing with the Cana- dian Rebellion of 1837 (1878) ; of the "Public and the Doctors in Relation to the Dipso- maniac" (1888) ; and of "Mental Diseases," a synopsis of 12 lectures delivered at the Hos- pital for Insane, Toronto, to the graduating medical classes (1894). Dr. Clark continued in charge of the Toronto Asylum up to 1905, when he retired to a well-earned rest, living in Toronto until his death in September, 1912. Dr. Clark was also for many years an extra- mural professor of mental diseases in the University of Toronto. Institutional Care of the Insane in the U. S. and Canada, Henry M. Hurd. 1917. Clark, John (1598-1664) John Clark, the progenitor of a family of seven physicians, was born in England in 1598, and was probably of Scottish lineage, although little has been learned of him previous to his settling in Newbury, Mass., except that he was the younger brother of a good family in the North of England, had a collegiate edu- cation, and a diploma as a practitioner of medicine. He came to America a bachelor, re- turned and brought over a breed of cattle in several vessels. In the first division of the town lands of Newbury after its incorpora- tion. May 6, 1635, the name of Dr. Clark ap- pears on the town records. Again in Novem- ber, 1637, it is stated in these records that Dr. John Clark was granted a farm "of 400 acres, next to Mr. Sewall's at the mouth of carte Creeke." At a town meeting held in Newbury, September 28, 1638, the following record was made : "It was granted that Mr. Clark in respect of his calling, should be freed and exempted from all publick rates either for the town c>r the county so long as he shall remain with us and exercise his calling among us." From this we gather that he was held in good repute by his fellow townsmen. In Coffin's History of Newbury, the statement is made "that he (Dr. Clark) was the first regularly educated physician who resided in New Eng- land." He was admitted a freeman May 22, 1639. In the year 1649 he executed a deed of land in Newbury. Probably shortly after this time he moved to Boston and was physician to some of the leading families there as shown by the family records. He married Martha Saltonstall, sister of Sir Richard Saltonstall of Boston, and left one child, John. His grandson, the Hon. William Clark, Council- lor (1670-1742), wrote a brief family history for private use in 1731. This first John Clark of the Clark family of seven physicians, had a reputation for cutting for stone, holding for this a separate English diploma, which his grandson, in the above history, said he had seen in parchment with its seal, as well as his medical diploma. Dr. Clark maintained a large farm at Ply- mouth, Mass., where he bred fine horses and cattle. Some of the breeds of horses he in- troduced were long known in New England as "Clark's breed." He died in November, 1664, leaving in his will among other things, stoves for saving firewood, for which the General Court had given him a patent for life in 1652. James Savage remarks : "How much these anticipated Dr. Franklin's invention of a hun- dred years later, I suppose can never be learned." In his will he left to his son, John, besides his books and instruments, "horses, mares, and colts, both in this colony of Mas- sachusetts and in Plymouth colony." A quaint oil painting of Dr. John Clark is now in John Ware Hall in the Boston Medi- cal Library, having been presented to the Library by Sarah W. Pickering and Hepsie S. Howard, of Boston, sole heirs of John Clark Howard, M.D. (1805-1844). The por- trait is referred to in the wills of the Clarks.