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==Early life==
==Early life==
Lusk was born and raised in [[Norwich, Connecticut]].<ref name="nyt" /> His parents were Sylvester Graham and Elizabeth Freeman (''née'' Adams), and William Thompson Lusk was in the fifth generations of Lusks in the Americas.<ref name="Luskvii">{{Harvnb|Lusk|1911|p=vii}}</ref>
Lusk was born and raised in [[Norwich, Connecticut]].<ref name="nyt" /> His parents were Sylvester Graham and Elizabeth Freeman (''née'' Adams), and William Thompson Lusk was in the fifth generations of Lusks in the Americas.<ref name="Luskvii">{{Harvnb|Lusk|1911|p=vii}}</ref> Lusk attended Reverend Albert Spooner's school in preparation for attending Yale College,<ref name="Lusk13" /> then for the winter of 1853–1854, he attended Anthon's Grammar School at Murray Street, New York City, because his uncle believed that him learning the old version of grammar from Spooner would get him rejected from Yale.<ref name="Lusk13" /> Then for the winter of 1854–1855, Lusk was sent by mother to Russell's Military School in New Haven so that he could gain physical toughness through gymnastics.<ref name="Lusk13" />

;Notes
*Attended Reverend Albert Spooner's school in preparation for attending Yale College.<ref name="Lusk13" />
*Winter of 1853–1854 – Attends Anthon's Grammar School at Murray Street, New York City, because his uncle believe that him learning the old version of grammar from Spooner will get him rejected from Yale.<ref name="Lusk13" />
*Winter of 1854–1855 – Sent by mother to Russell's Military School in New Haven so that he can gain physical toughness through gymnastics.<ref name="Lusk13" />


==Studies and wartime==
==Studies and wartime==

Revision as of 23:26, 31 July 2009

Captain William Thompson Lusk, Assistant Adjutant-General of the United States Volunteers

William Thompson Lusk (May 23, 1838 – June 12, 1897)[1] was an American obstetrician who was a soldier who rose to the rank of Assistant Adjutant-General in the United States Volunteers during the first three years of the American Civil War, as well as a president of the Bellevue Hospital Medical College. He received much recognition and fame for his 1882 book, The Science and Art of Midwifery, which quickly became a widely-referenced text.[2]

Early life

Lusk was born and raised in Norwich, Connecticut.[1] His parents were Sylvester Graham and Elizabeth Freeman (née Adams), and William Thompson Lusk was in the fifth generations of Lusks in the Americas.[3] Lusk attended Reverend Albert Spooner's school in preparation for attending Yale College,[4] then for the winter of 1853–1854, he attended Anthon's Grammar School at Murray Street, New York City, because his uncle believed that him learning the old version of grammar from Spooner would get him rejected from Yale.[4] Then for the winter of 1854–1855, Lusk was sent by mother to Russell's Military School in New Haven so that he could gain physical toughness through gymnastics.[4]

Studies and wartime

In 1855,[4] he enrolled at Yale University in the class of 1859,[5] but left school at the end of his freshman year and studied medicine in Berlin and Heidelberg from 1858 to 1861.[6] When the American Civil War broke out, he joined the Second New York Volunteers regiment.[6][1] He moved through the ranks from Private to Assistant Adjutant General by 1863.[1] Unusually for his time, Lusk did not practice the usual custom of vilifying of the Southern soldiers; his letters actually indicate that he respected the Southerners and spoke of "Yankee hordes" invading the Southerners' "splendid plantations".[7][8] He was promoted to Captain in February 24, 1862 (retroactive to January 19, 1862), and resigned from the United States Volunteers on February 28, 1863,[6] with the intention of going back to New York to take command of a regiment,[9] but was instead appointed Assistant Adjutant-General (with a rank of Captain) and assigned to the staff of Daniel Tyler on June 26, 1863, but resigned just two months later on September 17, 1863,[9] after his troops were sent to Delaware and marked as inactive.[10]

Returning to Bellevue Hospital Medical College, he finished medical school and received his M.D. in 1864.[6] He was the valedictorian of his graduating class.[9]

Notes
  • Took place in engagements at Blackburn's Ford, First Bull Run, Port Royal, Secessionville-on-James Island, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, many more minor battles.[11]
  • Staff officer of Issac I. Stevens until Stevens' death.[10]
  • Commanded two companies during the Draft Riots of 1863.[10]

After war

A portrait of William Thompson Lusk
Personal life
  • May 4, 1864. – Married Mary H., only daughter of the "Hon. Simeon B Chittenden" of Brooklyn, New York[6]
  • Spent next four years in Heidelberg, Vienna, Paris, Berlin.[1]
    • According to Committee that wrote the introduction to War Letters of William Thompson Lusk, he spent a only a year in Edinburgh, Paris, Vienna, Prague.[9]
    • 4 months in Edinburgh with James Y. Simpson, 6 in Paris, 4 in Vienna with Carl Braun, 2 in Prague with Seifert.[12]
  • Comes back to New York in 1868; establishes practice[6]
    • Contradiction: 1866 – Settles in New York as an assistant to Dr. Barker.[9]
  • September 13, 1871 – Wife dies. Chittenden Memorial Library of Yale University built in her honor. Two sons and two daughters left from that marriage.[13]
  • 1876 – Marries Matilda Thore (née Myer)[14]
  • Eldest son is a professor at Yale at the time of Lusk's death[13]
  • 1890 – Younger son graduates from Yale College[13]
  • 1892 – Matilda Thore dies[14]
  • Leaves one daughter from the second marriage[13]
Professorships and Awards
  • 1862 – Honorary fellow of the Obstetrical Society of London.[15]
  • 1868–1871 – Professor of Physiology at Long Island College Hospital[6]
  • 1871-73 – Co-editor of The Medical Journal[16]
  • Winter of 1871 – Upon invitation of Oliver Wendell Holmes, he lectures on physiology throughout the winter at Harvard Medical School.[9]
  • 1871–Death – Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Bellevue Hospital Medical College[6] after the previous seatholder, Dr. George T. Elliot, dies.[9]
    • Harvard offers a job just a few hours later, which he declines.[12]
  • 1871 – Becomes visiting physician at Bellevue Hospital.[9]
  • 1875 – Elected Vice President of the New York Obstetrical Society[1]
  • 1884 – One of the founders of the State's and County's Medical Associations.[17]
  • 1889 – Serves as a significant president of the State's Medical Association.[17]
  • 1890–Consolidation with NYU Medical College – President of Bellevue Hospital Medical College[18]
  • Election to many other scientific groups[13] Examples:
  • 1894 – Honorary degree of LL.D. from Yale University[13] Examples:
    • President of Faculty and Professor of Obstetrics and of the Diseases of Women and Children at Bellevue Medical College[19]
    • Consulting Physician to Bellevue Maternity Hospital (1870),[16] Foundling Asylum, Emergency Hospital[19]
    • Gynecologist to the Bellevue and St. Vincent Hispitals[19]
    • Honorary Fellow of the Edinburgh and London Obstetrical Societies[19]
    • Corresponding Fellow of the Obstetrical Societies of Paris and Leipsic and Paris Academy of Medicine[19]
    • President of the American Gynecological Society[19]
    • President of the New York State Medical Association[19]
    • 1873 – Vice-President of the New York Obstetrical Society[20]
    • 1879 – President of the New York Obstetrical Society[20]
  • October 5, 1886 – Joined New York Commandery of the Loyal Legion of the United States[19]
  • March 17, 1887 – Joined George Washington Post, No. 103, Dept. New York, G. A. R.[19]
Medical work
  • Many papers[21]
  • 1876 – "Nature, Causes and Prevention of Puerperal Fever" one of the first papers to come out in support of germ theory.[22]
  • 1882 – Publishes The Science and Art of Midwifery.[2][9]
    • Great sales in America and England. Translated into many languages and goes through four editions.[23]
    • Languages: French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic.[22]
    • Fourth edition practically a rewrite; 5th edition in planning stages[22]
Notes
  • One of the few physicians to have successfully performed a Caesarian section.[1]
    • March 1887 – Performed the second one in the United States where both the mother and child survived[24]
    • Sometime in 1888 – Had already done three Caesarian sections with the past year.[24]
  • Recognized authority on gynecology.[1]

Death

Lusk died, very suddenly and unexpectedly, of apoplexy.[6][1] He was survived by five children; two sons and two daughters from his first marriage and a daughter from his second.[13] Apparently, he left a fortune of over three million dollars to his estate.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Death of Mr. WM. T. Lusk; He Was President of the Bellevue Hospital Medical College". New York Times. June 13, 1897. p. 2. Retrieved July 27, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b Gifford & Seidman 1989, p. 437
  3. ^ Lusk 1911, p. vii
  4. ^ a b c d Lusk 1911, pp. 113
  5. ^ Lusk 1911, p. 9
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University Deceased During the Academical Year Ending June, 1897 Including the Record of a Few who Died Previously Hithero Unreported" (PDF). Yale University. June 29, 1897. p. 37. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  7. ^ Watson 2008, p. 188
  8. ^ Lusk 1911, p. 97
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lusk 1911, p. 10
  10. ^ a b c Lusk 1911, p. 15
  11. ^ Lusk 1911, pp. 14–15
  12. ^ a b Lusk 1911, p. 16
  13. ^ a b c d e f g "Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University Deceased During the Academical Year Ending June, 1897 Including the Record of a Few who Died Previously Hithero Unreported" (PDF). Yale University. June 29, 1897. p. 38. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  14. ^ a b Lusk 1911, p. 19
  15. ^ Obstetrical Society of London 1896, p. xi
  16. ^ a b Lusk 1911, p. 17
  17. ^ a b Lusk 1911, p. 22
  18. ^ "Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University Deceased During the Academical Year Ending June, 1897 Including the Record of a Few who Died Previously Hithero Unreported" (PDF). Yale University. June 29, 1897. pp. 37–38. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lusk 1911, p. 11
  20. ^ a b Lusk 1911, p. 26
  21. ^ Lusk 1911, pp. 17–18
  22. ^ a b c Lusk 1911, p. 18
  23. ^ Lusk 1911, pp. 10–11
  24. ^ a b Lusk 1911, p. 31

Bibliography

Possible sources

Life history
  • Axelrod, Alan (2003). "13". The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Civil War (2 ed.). Alpha Books. p. 175. ISBN 9781592571321. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
Midwifery
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