Federal Vanderburgh
Encyclopedia
Federal Vanderburgh was an American doctor, researcher and a pioneer in the field of homeopathy
during the early-to mid 19th century. One of the pupils of Dr. Hans Burch Gram, Vanderburgh contributed a number of valuable research papers and essays in the field as well being credited for introducing homeopathy in Connecticut. He was one of the oldest and most successful practicing homeopathists in the United States at the time of his death.
on May 11, 1788. He was one of nineteen children born to Revolutionary War
veteran Colonel James Vanderburgh, his father having remarried, and whose family were among the many Dutch-Americans who settled Dutchess County. Vanderburgh was supposedly named in honor of the adoption of the Federal Constitution, suggested by voting lawyer Chancellor Kent, although his mother objected to the full name of Federal Constitution Vanderburgh.
Vanderburgh received a limited and elementary education from public schools, however he was able to study medicine under noted physician Dr. Wright in New Milford, Connecticut
at the age of 17. He remained with Wright only a short time before moving on to New York City
which gave him access to work in major city hospitals and allowed him to attend lectures at medical colleges.
Vanderburgh entered the office of Dr. Stephen Smith, a leading physician in the city at the time, and underwent the usual curriculum of studies graduating before he was 21 years old. While studying under Dr. Smith, he suffered several life-threatening attacks of pulmonary hemorrhage
, believed to have been caused by cardiac obstruction or of a tubercular origin, however this did not interfere with his medical studies. After receiving his diploma, Vanderburgh returned to open his own practice in his hometown.
He married Hester Orinda Boardman, who belonged to a prominent family in New Milford, and together moved to Geneva, New York
in 1812 or 1813. The area's climate was believed at the time to be beneficial for people suffering from pulmonary disease, much like Minnesota
and the Lake Superior
regions, and Vanderburgh enjoyed remarkable health well into old age. He remained in Geneva for ten years until turning over his practice to Dr. Martyn Paine, then living in Montreal, and moving back to New York City.
It was around this time that he began studying under Dr. Hans Burch Gram which led to his interest in homeopathy
. By early-1834, he was involved in the publication of The American Journal of Homoeopathia although the medical journal lasted only four issues. He was also the corresponding secretary of the New York Homeopathic Society. Vanderburgh opened a successful practice, many of his patients belonging to New York high society, and was often requested via telegraph for house calls to country villas during the summer. On a trip to New Milford in 1837, his treatment of the wife of Dr. Charles Taylor encouraged the physician to pursue homeopathy after witnessing her rapid recovery. Taylor eventually became first resident homeopathic physician in Connecticut.
In 1834, Dr. John Franklin Gray
founded the New York Homœopathic Society. Its stated purpose was for the purpose of protecting, enriching and disseminating such of the propositions and testimonies of Homœopathia as upon mature trial they shall find to be sound and available. The first Officers of the society were: President, John F. Gray ; vice-presidents, Edward A. Strong, George Baxter ; corresponding secretary, Federal Vanderburgh ; recording secretary, Daniel Seymour ; treasurer, F. A. Lohse ; registrar, A. Gerald Hull ; librarian, F. L. Wilsey ; finance committee, J. H. Patterson, Oliver S. Strong, L. M. H. Butler, William Bock.
In 1840, Vanderburgh purchased a large tract of land on which he built a home for his family, known as Linwood Hills, and where he would live for the rest of his life. He continued his research into homeopathy publishing a number of valuable papers on the subject and, in 1844, sent a formal letter to Judge Cowen in defense of Dr. Henry D. Paine, outlining the legal rights of homeopathic physicians. He became a noted philanthropist in his later years, especially to the poor, and was consulted in various social issues. Vanderburgh also served as the first president of the Dutchess County Society and held the position until his death.
In 1867, the 79-year-old Vanderburgh came down with severe pleuro-pneumonia as a result of traveling in poor weather performing house calls. His health began to fail and started suffering from paroxysms dyspnoea, with a sensation of impending suffocation, and was described as "utter prostration of all muscular power". Although his condition related to dyspnoea had improved by the following spring, he experienced serious weight loss and other health problems. No apparent cause was found for his condition, with exception to his life-long cardiac hypertrophy affliction, and he died in Rhinebeck, New York on October 25, 1868.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
during the early-to mid 19th century. One of the pupils of Dr. Hans Burch Gram, Vanderburgh contributed a number of valuable research papers and essays in the field as well being credited for introducing homeopathy in Connecticut. He was one of the oldest and most successful practicing homeopathists in the United States at the time of his death.
Biography
Federal Vanderburgh was born in Beekman, New YorkBeekman, New York
Beekman is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area. The population was 11,452 at the 2000...
on May 11, 1788. He was one of nineteen children born to Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
veteran Colonel James Vanderburgh, his father having remarried, and whose family were among the many Dutch-Americans who settled Dutchess County. Vanderburgh was supposedly named in honor of the adoption of the Federal Constitution, suggested by voting lawyer Chancellor Kent, although his mother objected to the full name of Federal Constitution Vanderburgh.
Vanderburgh received a limited and elementary education from public schools, however he was able to study medicine under noted physician Dr. Wright in New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
at the age of 17. He remained with Wright only a short time before moving on to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
which gave him access to work in major city hospitals and allowed him to attend lectures at medical colleges.
Vanderburgh entered the office of Dr. Stephen Smith, a leading physician in the city at the time, and underwent the usual curriculum of studies graduating before he was 21 years old. While studying under Dr. Smith, he suffered several life-threatening attacks of pulmonary hemorrhage
Pulmonary hemorrhage
Pulmonary hemorrhage is an acute bleeding from the lung, especially in the upper respiratory tract and the endotracheal tube. When evident clinically, the condition is usually massive, associated with bleeding in other sites as well as more than one third of the lungs...
, believed to have been caused by cardiac obstruction or of a tubercular origin, however this did not interfere with his medical studies. After receiving his diploma, Vanderburgh returned to open his own practice in his hometown.
He married Hester Orinda Boardman, who belonged to a prominent family in New Milford, and together moved to Geneva, New York
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
in 1812 or 1813. The area's climate was believed at the time to be beneficial for people suffering from pulmonary disease, much like Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and the Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
regions, and Vanderburgh enjoyed remarkable health well into old age. He remained in Geneva for ten years until turning over his practice to Dr. Martyn Paine, then living in Montreal, and moving back to New York City.
It was around this time that he began studying under Dr. Hans Burch Gram which led to his interest in homeopathy
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
. By early-1834, he was involved in the publication of The American Journal of Homoeopathia although the medical journal lasted only four issues. He was also the corresponding secretary of the New York Homeopathic Society. Vanderburgh opened a successful practice, many of his patients belonging to New York high society, and was often requested via telegraph for house calls to country villas during the summer. On a trip to New Milford in 1837, his treatment of the wife of Dr. Charles Taylor encouraged the physician to pursue homeopathy after witnessing her rapid recovery. Taylor eventually became first resident homeopathic physician in Connecticut.
In 1834, Dr. John Franklin Gray
John Franklin Gray
John Franklin Gray was an American educator and physician a pioneer in the field of and the first practitioner of homoeopathy in the United States...
founded the New York Homœopathic Society. Its stated purpose was for the purpose of protecting, enriching and disseminating such of the propositions and testimonies of Homœopathia as upon mature trial they shall find to be sound and available. The first Officers of the society were: President, John F. Gray ; vice-presidents, Edward A. Strong, George Baxter ; corresponding secretary, Federal Vanderburgh ; recording secretary, Daniel Seymour ; treasurer, F. A. Lohse ; registrar, A. Gerald Hull ; librarian, F. L. Wilsey ; finance committee, J. H. Patterson, Oliver S. Strong, L. M. H. Butler, William Bock.
In 1840, Vanderburgh purchased a large tract of land on which he built a home for his family, known as Linwood Hills, and where he would live for the rest of his life. He continued his research into homeopathy publishing a number of valuable papers on the subject and, in 1844, sent a formal letter to Judge Cowen in defense of Dr. Henry D. Paine, outlining the legal rights of homeopathic physicians. He became a noted philanthropist in his later years, especially to the poor, and was consulted in various social issues. Vanderburgh also served as the first president of the Dutchess County Society and held the position until his death.
In 1867, the 79-year-old Vanderburgh came down with severe pleuro-pneumonia as a result of traveling in poor weather performing house calls. His health began to fail and started suffering from paroxysms dyspnoea, with a sensation of impending suffocation, and was described as "utter prostration of all muscular power". Although his condition related to dyspnoea had improved by the following spring, he experienced serious weight loss and other health problems. No apparent cause was found for his condition, with exception to his life-long cardiac hypertrophy affliction, and he died in Rhinebeck, New York on October 25, 1868.
Further reading
- Winston, Julian. The Faces of Homeopathy: An Illustrated History of the First 200 Years. Tawa, New Zealand: Great Awk Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-473-05607-0
External links
- Pioneers of homeopathy: Federal Vanderburgh (1788-1868) by Dr. Thomas Lindsey Bradford