A memoir of Dr. James Jackson, with sketches of his father, Hon. Jonathan Jackson, and his brothers, Robert, Henry, Charles, and Patrick Tracy Jackson; and some account of their ancestry

Front matter

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PART TWO. — Dr. James Jackson

I. General Estimate of his Character 159

II. Boyhood and Youth 186

III. Medical Studies 199

IV. Return from Europe ; Vaccination Moyement . . 220 y. Marriage and Early Years of Practice . . 238

VI. Harvard Medical School 263

VII. Massachnsetts General Hospital; Cholera Report 287

VIII. Domestic Life ; Waltham '298

IX. Memoir of his Son James 307

X. Letters to his Son James 327

XI. Marriage of his Children ; Letters to Miss Anna C.

Lowell 350

XIL Letters to Patients and Friends; Latter Years of Life 384

Xm. Medical Writings 424

Index 443

LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS

Dr. James Jackson (Photogravure) Frontispiece

From the portrait by Ghotter Harding, now in potsenion of Dr. Qiarlea P. Putnam of Boston.

Old Jackson House at Mattapan 18

Thia familiar and yenerable honae, known for many jean past as the HoUingBworth House, was built about 1730 and owned b j Jonathan Jackson, Dr. James Jackson's great-grandfather. It was torn down in 1906 in the course of oonstructing the new Parkway. The estate borders on the Neponset Riyer, whose waters f ormerlj turned the wheels of Mr. Jackson's mills, that stood near by.

In Nathaniel Ames's Almanack for 17G9 is the following : " The old Slitting Mill, formerly owned by Mr. Jackson at Milton, which has been long out of repair, is now in good order, and will out iron in a few days : those persons who will send iron to the Mill may haye it out for £6. Ids. 4d. per ton, which is £4. cheaper per ton than ever it wss cut before. James Boies. The Paper Mill there is still in want of RAGS."

Dorothy Quinct (Mrs. Edward Jackson) 22

From a portrait, artist unknown, in possession of Justice O. W. Holmes.

Dorothy Quincy was the daughter of Hon. Edmund Quincy and wife of Edward Jackson, grandfather of Dr. James Jackson. This picture was the subject of Dr. Oliyer Wendell Holmes's well-known lines entitled '* Dorothy Q."

Hon. Jonathan Jackson of Newburtport (Photogravure) . . 26

From Copley's portrait, in possession of Mrs. James Jackson of Boston.

Commencement Exercises Programme at the Graduation of Jonathan Jackson (1761) 30

This is reproduoed on account of its quaint and -now unfamiliar style. The list of Mr. Jackson's classmates shows many well-known names.

The Nathaniel Tract House at Newburtport 50

This house, now used as the Newburyport Public Library, was built by Patrick Tracy for his son Nathaniel. The photograph represents the house as it was about thirty years ago, without certain additions which hare sinoe been made.

X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

At the time of Oeneral Waahington'i yisit to Newburjport in 1789, one half of thk lioiise was ooevpied by Hon. Jonathan Jaokaon, then i«*»-ii»i lor the diitriot of Miwohneetti, while the other half waa yaoant.

Dr. Jaokaon tells in his " Reminisoenoea ** that the nnooonpied portion was selseted for the nae of General Washington during his Tisit to NewhnryporL " The introdnetion here took place in the erening, and Mr. Jaokaon then requested the honor of the President's company at tea. It had been well settled that the President should not make any priyata yisits, and when Mr. Jackson offered to conduct him across the passage, Washington expressed some surprise and seemed to feel as if he had been . led into a priyate house by some undue influence. But the case was easily explained, and he crossed the passage with the same regard to etiquette which he always showed in small as in great things. The family well understood that this was not intended as an honor to them, but it was indeed a gratification to us children at least, that they passed the night under the same roof with the Father of his Country.'*

Hankah Tract (Mrs. Jonathan Jackson). (Photogramsre) '. 54 From Gopley'i portrait, in possession of Mrs. James Jackson of Boston.

Hon. Jonathan Jackson 64

From a silhouette in possession of Mm. Samuel T. Morse of Boston.

Patrick Tracy of Nbwburtport (JPhotogramtre) 68

From a portrait, artist unknown, in possession of Mr. Patrick Tracy Jackson.

Jonathan Jackson's House on High Street, Newburtport . 72

This house was one of two which were built by Jonathan Jackson and his friend John Lowell, about 1772. It was afterward occupied by the eccentric ** Lord " Timothy Dexter.

Jonathan Jackson's House on High Street, Newburtport . 74 View from the garden in the rear.

Hannah Jackson (Mrs. Francis C. Lowell) 78

From a silhouette in possession of Mrs. S. T. Morse.

Robert Jackson {Photogravure) 82

IVom a miniature, artist unknown, in poosossion of Mrs. J. B. S. Jackson of Boston.

Captain Henry Jackson (Photogravure) 86

IVom a miniature, artist unknown, in possession of Mrs. J. B. S. Jackson of Boston.

Harriet Jackson 90

Fhmi a silhouette in possession of Mrs. S. T. Morse.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi

IVom a mlhoaeite in posetnoo of Mrs. S. T. Mone.

JuDOB Charlies Jackson (Photogravure) 96

• From Healy's portrait, in pceBesion of the Mimm Paine of Boston.

JxjDQR Jackson 100

From a aillioiiette in powewion of Mrs. S. T. Morse.

J.UDOE Jackson (Photogravure) 112

From Dexter's bust, in possession of Mr. John T. Morse, Jr., of Boston.

JuDOB Jackson's House and Gabden, Bedford Place, Boston . 114

The Bedford Place of that day oovered about one half the distance between Bedford Street and Summer Street, the remaining part being occupied by Chaunoey Place, which had been laid out in 1807, almost wholly upon land belonging to the First Church. At first there was no passage from Chaunoey Place to Bedford Place, the further end of Chauncey Place being closed by a brick wall. In 1819 this wall was pierced with a door, for foot passengers, and later it was replaced by an iron fence. In 1856 Chaunoey Place and Bedford Place were thrown together to form Chaunoey Street.

Judge Jackson moyed to Bedford Place in 1820, and lived there until his death. The sketch from which this cut is taken wss made from an old photograph, now in possession of Justice O. W. Holmes. On account of the narrowness of the street, it was necessary to take the photograph in three j>arts, and of course from a point rery much aboye the street. The irregular line of frontage thus giyen wss straightened in the sketch. On the left of the picture is the Second Church of Boston, which was afterwards remoyed to Copley Square.

Mr. S. P. Gardner's House and Garden, Summer Street, Boston 116

On this lot now stands C. F. Hovey & Company^s storo.

The garden is one of the most ancient in Boston, having been planted as early as 1642, and is mentioned in the ** Book of Possessions '* as Wayte*s garden. Tlie house was built by Leonard Vassall in 1727, and some years later was bought by Thomas Hubbard, Treasurer of Harvard Collegre, who married Mary Jackson, sister of Dr. James Jackson's grandfather, Edward Jackson.

After the death of Mr. Hubbard and his widow, the property came into Che possession of Frederick Geyer, a Loyalist, and was therof ore confiscated. In 1791 it was reconveyed to Mr. Geyer, who lived hero till 1800, when it was bought from him by Mr. Gardner.

Patrick Tract Jackson (Photogravure) 128

From Healy's portnut, in possession of Dr. Francis P. Spragne of Boston.

xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

gramire) 158

FrommdagaemotyTpe inponenton of Dr. JamM J. Pntiuun of Boston.

Hus Alznahoiue was built about 1800, to take the place of the one which had stood to long on the comer of Park and Beacon atreeta. Until the Maasaohuaetti General Hoapital waa built, thia inatitution contained the only hoaintal ward in the city,

Massachusbttb General Hobfttal 288

From an old woodcut of unknown authoxahip.

Dr. Jambs Jackson {Photogravure) 292

From the bust by Cleyenger, in the Maasaohuaetta Qeneral Hospital.

Elizabeth Cabot (the first Mrs. James Jackson) .... 298 From a silhouette in possession of Dr. Charlea P. Putnam.

James Jackson, Jr 298

From a silhouette. Dr. Jackson died in Boston, of typhoid feyer, when scarcely more than twenty-four years old, hayinK already given evidence of remarkably fine character, attainments, and power of accomplishment.

Having been graduated from Harvard College at twenty years of age, he studied medicine for two years at the Harvard Medical School, where his father was still teaching, and then went abroad and placed himself mainly under the guidance of Louis, the leading investigator of his day. After two years he returned, the warm friend of his distinguished master and an accepted leader of medicine in America.

Sarah Cabot (the second Mrs. James Jackson) 306

From Cheney's crayon portrait, in possession of Dr. Charles P. Putnam.

From a photograph by Black.

Part One

DR. JACKSON'S ANCESTORS, FATHER, AND

BROTHERS

MEMOIR OF DR. JAMES JACKSON

The following errors were noted by the author too late to be corrected in the text : —

Pages 9, 21, 69. Major-General Gookin was the great-grandfather of Dorothy Quincy and Hannah Gookin.

Page 30. Jonathan Jackson was a member of the Continental Congress for the first time in 1782. In the ** Memorial History of Boston " (vol. iv, p. 155) he is said to have been a member of the Provincial Congress of 1775, but his name does not appear in the list of members.

Page 39. For Livingstone read Livingston ; for Secretary of State read Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Page 115. For Miss Pratt read the Misses Pratt.

Page 389. For Miss Louisa Higginson read Mrs. Louisa Higginson.

A MEMOIR OF

A MEMOIR OF DR. JAMES JACKSON