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- Title
Samuel Holden Parsons Lee (1772–1863): American physician, entrepreneur and selfless fighter of the 1798 Yellow Fever epidemic of New London, Connecticut.
- Authors
Mattie, James K; Desai, Sukumar P
- Abstract
Samuel Holden Parsons Lee practised medicine at a time when the germ theory of disease had not yet been proposed and antibiotics remained undiscovered. In 1798 he served selflessly as the only physician in town who was willing to battle the Yellow Fever outbreak of New London, Connecticut. Because he practised at the dawn of the age of patent medicine, unfortunately his name also came to be associated with medical quackery. We argue that his contributions have been grossly underestimated. He compounded and vended medications – including bilious pills and bitters – that were gold standards of the day. Moreover, one preparation for treatment of kidney stones led to his sub-specialization in this field and was met with such success that its sale continued for nearly 100 years after his death. While a talented medical man, Lee also had a knack for business, finding success in trading, whaling and real estate.
- Subjects
UNITED States; LEE, Samuel Holden Parsons; PHYSICIANS; 18TH century medical history; YELLOW fever; BITTERS; TREATMENT of calculi; EIGHTEENTH century; HISTORY; BIOGRAPHY (Literary form)
- Publication
Journal of Medical Biography, 2015, Vol 23, Issue 1, p19
- ISSN
0967-7720
- Publication type
Biography
- DOI
10.1177/0967772013479275