Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt

Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt

These Are My Jewels
These My Weapons Are

Ogan Gurel, MD (P&S ’96) November 10, 2008

 Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt

Who were these

Fourteen
Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt
Individuals?
Gorham Beales This My Weapons Are or
These are My Ornaments or
William W. These Reflect Well Upon Us
Cahoon
Names of students (on left)
Henry H. Curtiss
Howard W. STUDENTS
Gridley OF THE
COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS
Henry W. Porter
DIED OF PESTILENTIAL DISEASE
Lefroy Ravenhill WHILE SERVING IN THE
PUBLIC HOSPITALS OF NEW YORK
John Snowden
THIS TABLET
Francis Bullock IS ERECTED BY THE FACULTY
THAT THE MEMORY OF THESE
Francis P. Colton MARTYRS OF HUMANITY
Enoch Green MAY NOT DIE;
AND THAT TAUGHT BY THEIR EXAMPLE,
Elihu T. Hedges THE GRADUATES OF THE COLLEGE
MAY NEVER HESITATE TO HAZARD LIFE
A. Judson Rand
IN THE PERFORMANCE OF
David Seligman PROFESSIONAL DUTY.

Sidney B. Worth
Information about these martyrs is exceedingly sparse.

Dr. Gorham Beales

The book Catalogue of the Alumni, Officers and Fellows, 1807-18801 by the
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons compiled by Alfred E. M.
Purdy and published by Bradstreet Press in 1880 has an entry on Dr. Beales and
several of the others - though not all - listed in the tablet. Dr. Beales died of
typhus fever in 1848 at the age of 29, presumably while serving at the New York
Dispensary.

William C. Calhoon
There is an entry in the Vermont Historical Magazine, No XI, October 1867, pp.
349 – 350 (see also the Rootsweb) which reads:
William W. CAHOON graduated at Dartmouth in 1845, and at the Medical
College of Woodstock in 1848, and subsequently at a medical college in
New York, where he was afterwards connected with the institution, under
Doctor MOTT, as assistant physician, where he made good progress in
science and made himself useful about a year, when he contracted a
pestilential disease and died. None had better abilities and higher
aspirations for excellence and professional usefulness than he had.
Having studied with able and skillful physicians and surgeons, attended
the best lectures in the state, and received his diploma, in pursuit of still
higher attainments, he sought the foundation heads of the profession in
New York, resolved to never unskillfully tamper with human life in the
practice of his profession, if adequate knowledge could be attained, and
1
Referred to herein as the 1880 P&S Catalogue.

Ogan Gurel, MD (P&S ’96) November 10, 2008

 Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt

in his laudable endeavors to make himself more useful by garnering from

the purlieus of the hospital, he became a martyr to the cause of
humanity. The following tribute erected in New York City to him and
thirteen others speaks for itself: Haec mea ornamenta sunt (these are my
jewels). Gorham BEALS, William W. CAHOON [and twelve others whose
names are not given], students of the College of Physicians and
Surgeons, died of pestilential disease while serving in the Public Hospitals
of New York. This Tablet is erected by the Faculty that the memory of
these Martyrs of Humanity may not die, and that taught by their
example, the graduates of the College may never hesitate to hazard life
in the performance of professional duty." The editor of the newspaper
from which the foregoing is taken adds: "Many of our readers will
remember one whose name is given above, W. W. CAHOON, of Lyndon, a
young man of much promise, whose sun went out ere it had reached the
meridian." He was the son of the late William CAHOON, and died 31
August 1848, aged twenty three years and six months. He was a favorite
of the family, and wherever known was appreciated. [The name or date of
the newspaper is not given, and the editor is not named.]
There is no mention of William Cahoon in the 1880 P&S Catalogue and this would
seem to indicate that he was a student at the time of his death. He is also listed
here as an ‘assistant physician’ which when reading the obituary for Sidney
Worth (below) would also substantiate Calhoon’s position as a student.

Henry H. Curtiss
Not listed in the 1880 P&S Catalogue; presumably died as a student. No other
information available.

Howard W. Gridley
Not listed in the 1880 P&S Catalogue; presumably died as a student. No other
information available.

Henry W. Porter
Not listed in the 1880 P&S Catalogue; presumably died as a student. No other
information available.

Dr. Lefroy Ravenhill

One account of Dr. Lefroy Ravenhill was found in the book “An Account of
Bellevue Hospital with a Catalogue of the Medical and Surgical Staff from 1736 to
18942” edited by Robert J. Carlisle, MD and published by the Society of the
Alumni of Bellevue Hospital, New York, 1893. Dr. Ravenhill apparently died of
typhus fever in 1851 “contracted while on duty in the hospital” apparently as a
“house physician” – the equivalent of a medical resident. If one interprets the
dates correctly, he died at the age of 26. Of interest, he was librarian of
Columbia College while a medical student (and afterwards) from the age of 22 to
26. He was a precocious individual indeed, although it would appear that he
graduated from college (Columbia) at the age of 24. Perhaps he was too busy
with other things to have graduated early.

He was also listed A compendium of houses and inhabitants in Brooklyn Heights

indicates that Dr. Ravenhill lived at 116 State Street n. Court in 1848. The 1880
P&S Catalogue lists Dr. Ravenhill as follows:

2
Herein referred to as the Account of Bellevue Hospital.

Ogan Gurel, MD (P&S ’96) November 10, 2008

 Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt

Dr. John Snowden

The 1880 P&S Catalogue has an entry on Dr. Snowden.

He apparently also died of typhus fever in 1848. æt stands for Anno Aetatis
Suae (Latin: In the Year of His/Her Age). Hence, Dr. Snowden died at the age of
32 while on duty at the Emigrant’s Hospital on Ward’s Island.

Francis Bullock
The 1880 P&S Catalogue has an entry on Dr. Bullock:

This would place the timing of the tablet until after 1853.

Dr. Francis P. Colton

The 1880 P&S Catalogue has an entry on Dr. Colton:

Enoch Green
Not listed in the 1880 P&S Catalogue. He is, however, listed in the Account of
Bellevue Hospital and the entry below seems to indicate that he was a student.

Elihu T. Hedges
Not listed in the 1880 P&S Catalogue; presumably died as a student. He is,
however, listed in the Account of Bellevue Hospital and this would seem to
indicate that he was a student.

Dr. A. Judson Rand

Not listed in the 1880 P&S Catalogue. However the front page of the New York
Times from Wednesday, March 11, 1852 writes the following:

Note that ‘Ship Fever” is an archaic term for epidemic typhus.

David Seligman

Ogan Gurel, MD (P&S ’96) November 10, 2008

 Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt

Not listed in the 1880 P&S Catalogue; presumably died as a student. No other
information available.

Sidney B. Worth
Not listed in the 1880 P&S Catalogue. However, there is an obituary in the New
York Journal of Medicine, Vol II (May 1849) stating that he died on March 18th of
Typhus fever. The text below clearly indicates that he died as a student.

Other interesting facts:

The following alumni are also listed as having died around the same time.

Dr. Edward Delafield was Vice President of the College from 1855 – 1858 and
President of the College from 1858 to 1875. Edward H. Delafield may have been
his son although a brief review of the Delafield family genealogy seems to
indicate no such connection. In any case, for some reason, Edward Delafield is
not included in the tablet; perhaps he did not die of ‘pestilential disease.’ There
is likely an interesting story here.
The following two alumni also died in the same year of 1849 but are not listed.
The most likely to have died of typhoid is Dr. Ravaud Kearny who would have
succumbed as the tragic winter of 1848-49 was coming to a close – around the
same time as Dr. Sidney Worth (see above) Dr. Josiah Dwight Stickney may have
died of other causes, albeit at a relatively young age.

Were all fourteen Of the fourteen individuals, seven were students at the time of their deaths while the other
individuals listed seven were graduates of the college.
in the Ornamenta
tablet students?

Ogan Gurel, MD (P&S ’96) November 10, 2008

 Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt

Gorham Beales,
MD Physician
William W. Cahoon Student
Henry H. Curtiss Student
Howard W. Gridley Student
Henry W. Porter Student
Lefroy Ravenhill,
MD Physician
John Snowden, MD Physician
Francis Bullock,
MD Physician
Francis P. Colton,
MD Physician
Enoch Green Student
Elihu T. Hedges Student
A. Judson Rand,
MD Physician
David Seligman Student
Sidney B. Worth,
MD Physician

What is the date Of the fourteen listed on the tablet, there are only seven for whom a definitive date of
of the Ornamenta death could be obtained. Three others have a year of death and the remaining four are
tablet? unknown.

Enoch Green 1848

Elihu T. Hedges 1848
Dr. Gorham
Beales 1-9-1848
Dr. John
Snowden 1-22-1848
Dr. Sidney B.
Worth 3-18-1849
Dr. William W.
Cahoon 8-31-1848
Dr. Lefroy
Ravenhill 5-24-1851
Dr. Francis P.
Colton 2-24-1852
Dr. A. Judson
Rand 3-11-1852
Dr. Francis
Bullock 1853 From this it would seem to indicate that
most of the students and physicians listed in the tablet died during the typhoid
epidemic of the winter of 1847 – 1848.

A graph of the graduates of the college would seem to indicate that a number of
students died in the class of 1849. The arrow in the graph below points to a
clear decrease in the graduating class of 1849.

Ogan Gurel, MD (P&S ’96) November 10, 2008

 Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt

Graduates of the College of Physicians & Surgeons (1845 -

1858)

75

70

65

60

55

50

45

40

35

30
1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858

Given Dr. Bullock’s death in 1853, this would date the tablet no earlier than
1853. This was also during a period of declining enrollments and perhaps the
stigma (and fear) of dying dissuaded many from applying to the school. The
tablet would have been a way to honor those who had die and at least clear the
stigma of dying of typhoid which (see below) was a regarded as a poor man’s
disease and hence a pauper’s death.

Of the fourteen, seven are listed in the historical record as having died of typhus. William
W. Cahoon is described as having died of ‘pestilential disease.’

Enoch Green 1848 Typhus

Elihu T. Hedges 1848 Typhus
Dr. Gorham
Beales 1-9-1848 Typhus
Dr. John
Snowden 1-22-1848 Typhus
What was the Dr. Sidney B.
‘pestilential Worth 3-18-1849 Typhus
disease’ William W. Pestilential
described in the Cahoon 8-31-1848 Disease
Ornamenta Dr. Lefroy
tablet? Ravenhill 5-24-1851 Typhus
Dr. Francis P.
Colton 2-24-1852 Typhus
Dr. A. Judson
Rand 3-11-1852 Typhus
Dr. Francis
Bullock 1853 It would seem, then,
that most of the deaths occurred during the New York City typhoid epidemic of
the winter of 1848 – 1849.

Where did those Of the fourteen listed, only seven have information pertaining to where they died.
listed in the
Ornamenta tablet
die?

Ogan Gurel, MD (P&S ’96) November 10, 2008

 Haec Mea Ornamenta Sunt

Elihu T. Hedges Bellevue Hospital

Enoch Green Bellevue Hospital
Dr. Lefroy
Ravenhill Bellevue Hospital
Dr. Sidney B.
Worth Bellevue Hospital
Dr. John Emigrant’s Hospital,
Snowden Ward’s Island
Dr. Gorham
Beales New York Dispensary
Dr. A. Judson
Rand Physicians at Quarantine An article in the Journal of Infectious
Diseases describes the typhoid epidemic in New York City in 1847. It was associated with
the massive immigrations from Ireland at that time and the fact that Dr. Snowden died at
Emigrant’s Hospital on Ward’s Island would support that concept. See: Gelston, AL, Jones
TC, “Typhus fever: report of an epidemic in New York City in 1847,” J Infect Dis. 1977 Dec;
136(6):813-21.

Abstract

An epidemic of thyphus [sic] fever in New York City in 1847 that was associated
with massive immigrations from Ireland is described by review of the records of
138 cases admitted to The New York Hospital during a seven-week period.
Medical understanding of epidemic diseases, of typhus, and of therapeutics is
examined. Most patients (80%) acquired the disease during passage, but 20% of
the cases resulted from secondary spread in New York. The illness was
characterized by high fever, headache, myalgias, and loss of appetite.
Complications, most commonly central nervous system dysfunction and
secondary bacterial infections, occurred in 29% of the cases. The mortality rate
was 11%. Therapy was directed at cleansing the bowel and diaphoresis. Bleeding
was not employed. In spite of mistaken concepts about epidemic diseases,
measures were employed that controlled spread of the disease.

Also of interest, the 1847 typhoid epidemic was described by Charlotte Bronté’s Jane Eyre.
This is actually quite significant as the use of disease in the novel had thematic
significance. In particular, typhoid – requiring unsanitary conditions for its transmission - is
associated with the lower classes. See Prof. Jonathan Smith’s discussion (University of
Michigan).

Ogan Gurel, MD (P&S ’96) November 10, 2008