Oct. 5, 2009-University of Nashville Medical Faculty 1855

I spent a little time yesterday looking for some additional information about the faculty members of the Medical Department of the University of Nashville in 1855 when Dr. Thomas Jefferson Manning graduated. I learned that in 1855, 294 students were matriculated and 93 graduated. I was very impressed with the information I found about the Professors. The information demonstrates the quality of education the students received in 1855. I am including just a little of what I learned about the men who taught Great Great Grandfather Thomas Jefferson Manning.

Paul F. Eve, MD- Taught Principles and Practice of Surgery

Paul Fitzsimons Eve was the President of the American Medical Association in 1857. He lectured widely about surgical techniques. He spoke at several AMA meetings about the history of surgical procedures and wrote many articles in medical journals about his experiences in surgery and medicine. Below is a photo of Dr. Eve.

John M. Watson, MD-Taught Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children. He also lectured at numerous meetings and various Schools of Medicine. Dr. Watson was born in 1798 and died in 1866.

A. H. Buchanan, MD-Taught Surgical and Pathological Anatomy and Physiology. He was the Vice President of the AMA in 1847 and 1848.

W. K. Bowling, MD- Taught the Institutes and Practice of Medicine. He wrote many articles. One was entitled "Cholera as it Appeared in Nashville in 1849, 1850, 1854 and 1860". I could not access a journal to read this article. Apparently, during those years there was a huge outbreak of cholera in Nashville. Dr. Bowling was Dean of the Medical Department in 1860. He also founded the journal, Nashville Journal of Medicine and Surgery. He was a Vice President of the AMA in 1856-1857 and again in 1867. At this link, you can see an ad for the Nashville Journal of Medicine and Surgery.

http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-9259:767?search=ols

C. K. Winston, MD- Taught Materia Medica and Medical Jurisprudence.

Charles Kimbrough Winston (1811-1882) was the first president of the University of Nashville.

Robert M. Porter, MD-Taught General and Special Anatomy.

Robert Massengal Porter (1818-1856) had a Law Degree, a Doctor of Divinity degree and a Medical Degree. He died at a very young age, 38. His eulogy describes that he died from a blood poisoning that he was believed to have gotten after completing a demonstration in human dissection. He was overcome by stench and perhaps became infected from the excrement he encountered during the dissection. There is a lengthy eulogy for him given by John Berrien Lindsley, MD and it can be read on google books.

http://books.google.com/books?id=sqMaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA2&ots=zM530KdIQJ&dq=%22Robert+M.+Porter,+MD&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html

John Berrien Lindsley, MD- Taught Chemistry and Pharmacy. For a period of time he was Chancellor of the University and another time period he was the Dean of the Medical Department. He held degrees in Medicine, Theology and Philosophy. In his eulogy for Dr. Robert Porter in 1856, Dr. Lindsley stated that the University of Nashville Medical Department was 1 of 3 leading schools in the United States.

William T. Briggs, MD- He was the Demonstrator of Anatomy. He served as the President of the Americal Surgical Association in 1884. With Dr. Bowling, he edited the Nashville Journal of Medicine and Surgery.

I am sure if I spent more time, I could find much more about these esteemed Professors. I can however get some idea of Dr. Mannings training by learning about his mentors.