Allen, Peter (1787–1864)
Peter Allen, of Norwich, Connecticut, was born on July 1, 1787, the son of John Allen and Tirzah Morgan. He was descended from Samuel Allen, who came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony from England in 1630. His preliminary education was received at the Academy in Norwich, and he later conducted this school as a teacher for two years, obtaining his medical education with Dr. Phineas Tracy, of his native town. In 1838 Jefferson College conferred upon him her honorary M. D.
Dr. Allen removed from Norwich, Connecticut, in 1808 and became one of the early pioneers in Kinsman, Ohio, having made the journey thither on horseback by way of Philadelphia and Pittsburg. The nearest point at which medicines could be obtained was Pittsburg, and here he secured the supplies with which to begin practice. It was from this source he also ordered medical books.
In 1812, being appointed surgeon in the Western Army, under General Simon Perkins, he served in the regiment of Colonel Hays in the campaign on the Maumee River. In passing through Cleveland, General Perkins desired to secure for Dr. Allen a case of instruments belonging to the United States Government. Finding it impossible by any requisition to secure these, he sent a squad of soldiers and seizing them delivered them to Dr. Allen to be used in the campaign.
A necessary result of Dr. Allen's pioneer position was of course the endurance of many hardships, on account of his extended practice. There were no roads and the paths were often marked only by blazed trees. Sometimes at night he was piloted through the forest by torches made of hickory bark.
His son, who was born in 1814, remembers to have heard him prophesy that the time would come when there would be no grass or stumps in the roads between the wagon tracks.
Dr. Allen in his practice covered twelve townships in Northeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, and he was called largely in consultation and for operation over a much wider territory. Among the operations which he performed without an anesthetic were ligation of the femoral artery for aneurysm, tracheotomy, amputations of leg, thigh, arm and shoulder-joint, together with operations for strangulated hernia and the removal of tumors. The casualties incident to pioneer life requiring his attention were numerous. Dr. Allen kept well up to date, and the position as student under him was much sought, and he had usually three or four with him. It was his custom to assign to them regular reading, and to spend a portion of every evening in questioning them upon what they had studied.
He was a censor in the medical college at Willoughby, which was the first medical college in Northern Ohio, and later in the Cleveland Medical College, which was its successor.
In 1835 he was elected first president of the Ohio Medical Convention, which was the parent society of the Ohio State Medical Society. He was elected president of the latter society in 1856.
In his address, delivered at that time, he speaks of having made a journey to Columbus in the latter part of 1826, for the purpose of organizing a state medical society. The journey was made on horseback and required a week in going, another in returning, and a third in Columbus, the journey being made over roads which were well nigh impassable except for a man on horseback.
In 1840 he was elected a member of the state legislature, but absolutely refused further political honors.
Dr. Erastus Cushing characterizes him as one of the most prominent medical men in the Western Reserve, and Dr. Delamater wrote, "I would rather have Dr. Allen's influence with the Cleveland Medical College than any physician in Northern Ohio."
May 13, 1813, Dr. Allen married Charity Dudley, who was born in Bethlehem, Connecticut. She died in 1840. Their only child was Dudley Allen, who succeeded his father in his practice.
Dr. Peter Allen died in Kinsman, Ohio, September 1, 1864, of cholera morbus.
His writings were confined to addresses and papers read before the various medical societies of the state.