Beaumont High School - Caduceus Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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BEAUMONT HIGH SCHOOL

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n the insight, tn the seruire, anh tn the humanitzirianisni ut Hililliam 'BBEIIIIUIJIIT is this first issue nf the Qiahurens hehirateh. '23

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if I: H lg X- CT?LCjjg l 'iw rxgn IP I Y U t' Ja eswa-::.f Q 'C .fr 1 -.3 uf J may fi- H1 Y THE CADUCEUS WILLIAM BEAUMONT By BEATRICE GLUTZ f ILLIAM BEAUMONTI All man- kind has profited by virtue of his having lived and having worked, l '--f :- - ' ' but few of us really appreciate what his name means. To most of us, it is the name of our school, and that is all: and we know little of Beaumont's life and why much honor is due him. He began his eventful career on No- vember 12, 1785, in Lebanon, Connecti- cut. Surprisingly little is known of his boyhood tendencies, excepting that fear- lessness and courage were always predomi- nant qualities. In his puritanical country home, his opportunities seemed few. Farm- ing and church going were not entirely to his liking: so, prompted by restless am- bition to enlarge his field of usefulness and gain a wider knowledge of the world, he left his home when he was twenty-one years old, and went to Champlain, a small New York village. For three years, there in the little red schoolhouse, he taught the lads and lassies the fundamental prin- ciples of readin', 'ritin', and 'rithmeticf' He was a very serious-minded young man. While teaching school, and also tending a store, he found time to study medical books: but there was no physician in Champlain whom he considered worthy of being his preceptor: so he Went to St. Al- bans, Vermont. There he studied under Dr. Benjamin Chandler, a prominent and capable practitioner. Young Beaumont was keenly observant and trulv devoted to the science of medi- cine. With the successful completion of his two years of apprenticeship, he was granted a license to practice. Only three months after the declaration of the War of 1812 he volunteered, and was immediately received into the army as an assistant-surgeon, and he was commissioned by President Madison in December, 1812. He fought in many thrilling battles, and not only displayed his patriotism, but put into immediate practice his medical knowledge. He resigned from the army in 1815 and entered into a successful partnership with Dr. Senter, an army surgeon, in the town of Plattsburg, where he already had hosts of friends and a well-earned professional reputation. When the medical corps of the army was reorganized in 1819, he was offered a position in the surgeon-general's office. He had been offered a 351,000 clerkship, but his ideas of activity turned from the clerkship to the call of the army, He was stationed at Fort Mackinac, and his let- ters describe most interesting experiences. lt is very evident, from references in his diary, that he was deeply interested in something besides his work at Mackinac. His dreams were realized when he wended his way back to Plattsburg, and was mar- ried to Deborah Platt, a beautiful, sympa- thetic young woman of much culture and great strength of character. They estab- lished a little home in the old fort, and in due time a little girl was born to them who brought loving cheerfulness into their lives. big boy. ln 1822 a tragedy occurred that was to its imprint on the pages of history Later this little daughter became sister to another little girl and a leave for all time to come. A throng of voy- agers, villagers, and Indians had gathered Nine