BEAUMONT
69
BEAUMONT
repass from fort to fort and block houses,
exposed to a cross fire of round and grape
shot in dressing the wounds of the injured,
but none failed to exhibit a soldier-like
bravery. Dr. Beaumont stood actual
test of facing death in caring for the
injured. In 1S15 he resigned and engaged
in general practice at Ogdensburg, New
York. On November 4, 1819, he re-
entered the army as post surgeon and
was assigned to Mackinac Island, Michi-
gan, reporting to Gen. Macomb, June,
1820. While surgeon's mate he won the
confidence of Dr. Lowell, the first surgeon-
general, and was offered but refused a
thousand dollar clerkship in his consult-
ing-room at Washington and many favors
were given him during his army service
helpful in his investigations of stomach
digestion. On June 6, 1S22, occurred the
accident to Alexis St. Martin, which left
the walls of the stomach open by a valve,
permitting a complete study of the pro-
cesses of stomach digestion in both normal
and abnormal conditions. In a mem-
orial to the United States Senate, Beau-
mont describes the wound as "being under
the left breast made by the accidental
discharge of a shot gun at about two feet.
A large portion of the side was blown off,
ribs fractured and openings made into the
pleural cavity and the abdomen, through
which protruded portions of the lungs
and stomach, much lacerated and burnt.
The diaphragm was lacerated and a per-
foration made directly into the cavity
of the stomach through which food was
escaping when first seen." At the end of
ten months the wound was partially heal-
ed, but he was altogether helpless. The
Civil authorities refused to longer provide
for his needs and proposed to send him to
his home in lower Canada more than
fifteen hundred miles distant. Knowing
thai such a journey would be fatal to
St. Martin, Dr. Beaumont took him into
his own home, and for two years clothed,
fed, nursed, doctored, and sheltered the
helpless, suffering, and destitute invalid.
In May, 1S2"), St. Martin \va - al.le Id v alk
and help himself a little, though unable
to provide for his necessities. Now
Beaumont kept him for the purpose of
making observations and experiments.
Two years later (1827) Beaumont com-
municated his studies to the Michigan
Medical Society, of which he had been an
honorary member since June 4, 1825. In
1900 the Michigan Medical Society erected
a monument of stone, hard by the spot
where these immortal studies were begun,
and in a memorial meeting expressed its
appreciation of Beaumont's contribution
to the world's progress. In June, 1825,
Beaumont was ordered to Fort Niagara,
New York, taking St. Martin with him
and continuing his studies. In August
they visited Plattsburg, New York, and
Burlington, Vermont, where St. Martin
took "Dutch" leave of Beaumont.
While at Fort Niagara, June and July,
1S25, Beaumont was principal witness in
the court martial trial of Lieut. E. B.
Griswold, for trying to shirk duty by feign-
ing sickness. Beaumont, suspecting a
fraud, prescribed a mixture of 20 grains of
calomel with 6 grains of tartar emetic.
On hearing the nature of the prescription
ordered for his illness, Griswold returned
to duty. The court found Griswold
guilty but the president reversed the de-
cision and criticised Beaumont. The
doctor's reply to the president is a model
(General order No. 9 of February 18,
1S26). "Whether the plan adopted be
justifiable or not I leave to medical men
and candid judges to decide. It had the
intended effect of returning Lieut. Gris-
wold to his duty without prejudice to his
health. Neither is it of very great
moment to me whether a successful ex-
periment be of more or less doubtful pro-
priety, that .speedily returns a soldier from
a sick report to effective service of the
government, be he private, non-commis-
sioned or commissioned officer; neither do
I think it of very great consequence
pyhi ther it be done secundum arlem, sec-
undum naturam or terrorem, provided
it he well done." In May, 1826, Beau-
mont was transferred to Fort Howard on
i [reen Bay, and in I s - s to Fort Crawford,
on the upper Mississippi. After nearly
two years of constant search, Beaumont
