Bassett, John Y. (1805–1851)
When looking over the literature of malarial fevers in the South, chance threw in my way Fenner's "Southern Medical Reports," Volumes I and II, which were issued in 1849–50 and 1850–51. Among many articles of interest I was particularly impressed with two by Dr. John Y. Bassett, of Huntsville, Alabama.
Letters lent me by his daughter begin from Baltimore in the last week of December, 1835. He had lost his diploma, for he applied to Dr. James H. Miller, the president and professor of anatomy of the Washington Medical College, for a certificate, which is found among the papers, stating that he is a regular graduate of that institution, but not mentioning the year.
He took passage by the Roscoe, Capt. Delano in command, bound for Liverpool. He sailed on January 6, and in an interesting letter an account is given of the voyage. They reached the English Channel on the twenty-sixth.
The first long letter, descriptive of Manchester, York and Edinburgh, is illustrated by very neat little sketches.
He was very enthusiastic about the museum of the College of Surgeons, and the Infirmary, where he witnessed in the presence of Mr. Syme, an operation by "Mr. Ferguson, a young surgeon."
In Paris he attached himself at once to the clinic of Velpeau at La Charité. On his first day he says he did not understand more than half he said, but he understood his operations. He says there was a gentleman from Mobile, Mr. Jewett, who had been there for three years. Americans were not scarce; there were four or five from New York, two from Baltimore, and several from Boston and Philadelphia. He does not mention their names, but it is pleasant to think he may have attended classes at La Pitié with Bowditch, Holmes, Shattuck, Gerhard and Stille. He began dissections at once; subjects were cheap—six francs apiece— and he secured a child on the first day for forty sous.
He had evidently occupied his time to good advantage, as, early in July he received from Velpeau the appointment of externe at La Charité.
His last letter is from Paris, dated October 16, and he speaks in it of his approaching departure.
I have no information as to the date of his return, but his intention was, he states frequently in his letters, to be back by the first of the year, so that after this date he probably resumed practice at Huntsville.
The two papers in Fenner's Southern Medical Reports are the only ones I see credited to him. They are charmingly written and display in every page the wise physician; wise not only with the wisdom of the schools, but with that deeper knowledge of the even-balanced soul "who saw life steadily and saw it whole."
The report in volume i deals with the topography, climate, and diseases of Madison County. Dr. Fenner states that it was accompanied by a beautiful map drawn by the author, and a large number of valuable statistics.
Very full accounts are given of epidemics of scarlet fever and of small-pox, and a discussion on the cold water treatment of the former disease. Dr. Bassett must have found a well-equipped library, and his references to authors both old and new are not very full, but most appropriate.
Bassett developed tuberculosis, and the last letter in the budget sent to me was dated April 16, 1851, from Florida, whither he had gone in search of health. He died November 2 of the same year, aged forty-six.
To a friend he writes on the date of April 5: "This world has never occupied a very large share of my attention or love. I have asked but little of it, and got but little of what I asked. It has for many years been growing less and less in my view, like a receding object in space; but no better land has appeared to my longing vision; what lies behind me has become insignificant, before me is a vast interminable void, but not a cheerless one, as it is full of pleasant dreams and visions and glorious hopes."