Physicians And Medical Societies.

Dr. Isaac Davis, son of Gen. John Davis, was born in Chester County, July 27, 1787, and in 1806 became a student of medicine under Dr. Joseph Shalcross, of Darby, graduated in 1810, when he began practice in Edgmont, but on the breaking out of the war of 1812 was appointed surgeon of the Sixth United States Infantry. He died at Fort Jackson, Miss., July 21, 1814.

Dr. Jacob Tobin seems to have practiced in Chester about the beginning of this century, as did Dr. Richard Tidmarsh. Dr. ----- Brown had a number of patients in the same locality, but I have been unable to learn his first name or the place of his residence. I do not know anything more of Drs. Tobin and Tidmarsh than their names. Dr. George W. Bartram was a practicing physician, residing in Chester, where he kept a drug-store in the house which formerly stood on the site of Brown's Hotel. He was a justice of the peace, chief burgess of the borough for a number of years, and customs officer at the Lazaretto. Previous to 1818, Dr. Edward Woodward was in practice in this county, and resided in Middletown. In 1808 Dr. Nathan Hayes was a practicing physician in Edgmont.

Dr. Job H. Terrill came to Chester early in this century, and in October, 1809, purchased the house on Market Street where Maurice Beaver lately had his tin-store, the grounds extending to Fourth Street. The doctor was a man of fine conversational powers, possessing a ready vocabulary, and was rapid in his utterances. He was a noted lover of horses, and always kept one of the best, if not the best, in Chester. He would have his negro man, Ike, train his horses on Welsh Street, and would stand and watch them speeding along from Edgmont road to the Porter house and back. He always rode in a sulky, and in getting in one day his horse started, threw him against the vehicle, and injured his thigh so severely that it brought on a disease which ultimately proved fatal. He died Jan. 20, 1844, aged fifty-nine years.

Dr. Samuel Anderson was not a native of this county, but his career therein was one of much honor and public usefulness. In early life he entered the United States navy as assistant surgeon, but after holding the commission a few years he resigned the service and located in Chester, when he began the practice of his profession, securing in a short time a prominent position. During the war of 1812 he raised a company of volunteers, - the Mifflin Guards, - became its captain, and served with his command in the fall of 1814 at Camp Du Pont for three months. In 1815-18 he represented Delaware County in the Legislature, and was elected sheriff in 1819. In 1823 he was again appointed assistant surgeon in the United States navy, and assigned to the West India station, then commanded by Commodore Porter, but he was compelled to resign therefrom on account of his health. Returning to Delaware County, he was elected, 1823, 1824, and 1825, to the Legislature, and the following year represented the district composing Delaware, Chester, and Lancaster Counties in Congress. In 1829-33 he was a member of the Legislature, and the last year the Speaker of the House. In 1834-35 he was again the representative from this county, and made the report of the joint committee of the two houses relative to the alleged abuses in the Eastern Penitentiary, at that time one of the most important questions before the people of the State. Dr. Anderson then resided in Providence, on the farm now owned by Samuel Lewis. He subsequently removed to Rockdale, where he practiced his profession until 1841, when he was appointed inspector of customs at the Lazaretto. In 1846 he was elected justice of the peace in Chester, an office he held at the time of his death, Jan. 17, 1850, in his seventy-seventh year. Dr. Anderson was a tall, slender, conspicuous personage, of fine mind, an agreeable speaker, and a ready, fluent debater. For many years he was president of the Delaware County Bible Society. He married Sarah Moore (she was then a widow), daughter of Jacob Richards, and her sister, Susan, was the wife of Dr. Caleb S. Sayers, of Marcus Hook. Mrs. Anderson survived the doctor nearly twenty-one years, dying Nov. 4, 1870, in the ninety-fifth year of her age.

Among the physicians who practiced in Delaware County from 1800 to 1850 (at which latter date the Delaware County Medical Society was organized, and a list of the doctors then practicing was made and has ever since been regularly kept) I find notice of the following:

Ellis C. Harlan was in practice and resided at Sneath's Corner, Chester township, early in this century. He, with Dr. William Gray and several other physicians, on Friday night, Dec. 17, 1824, made an autopsy of Wellington's body (he had been hung about noon of that day) in the old pole well-house, as it was then known, which, modernized, still stands on the north side of Third Street, below Franklin Street, Chester. Dr. Jesse Young succeeded Dr. Harlan about 1825, and continued at Sneath's Corner until his death, Aug. 29, 1852. Dr. Young, however, a short time previous to his decease, had associated with him Dr. James Serrell Hill, at any rate, the office of the latter being at Dr. Young's residence. Dr. David Rose succeeded Dr. Young at Sneath's Corner, and still resides there practicing his profession.

Dr. Benjamin Rush Erwin practiced in Upper Providence until the fall of 1829, when he removed to Philadelphia, and Dr. Joseph Leedom succeeded