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237
FALLEN
and although not ambitious enjoyed with
complacency his unrivalled success. His
access to the best medical Ubrary in New
England, that of Dr. Benjamin Vaughan
in Hallowell, helped him largely. He
made no display of his talent, he did not
pretend to be learned, but always filled
the exigency. A leader in medicine, he
was cautious rather than adventurous
and his long experience enabled him to
compete successfully with younger men.
He was excellent in the management of
fevers and injuries, and his success in
fractures was noted. He avoided calo-
mel and bleeding when they were every-
where carried to excess. Better not used
than abused, was his opinion. He was
a remarkable obstetrician and is said to
have brought into the world three
thousand children without losing a
mother or a child. In this branch of
medicine he displayed wonderful tact and
skill. He rarely used the forceps. Ow-
ing to his great diagnostic skill he was an
unrivalled physician for children. An
epidemic of spotted fever raged in Maine
in 1812-14, during which he saved a large
proportion of lives. Thacher says that
almost all of the cases were attended
personally by Dr. Page, and that he is
entitled to the greatest honor for liis
indefatigable industry at this time.
He was well versed in Latin and French, and after attending Talleyrand and other distinguished Frenchmen who were journeying through Maine, Dr. Page was able to discuss their symptoms in their native language. It is averred that Talleyrand was so much pleased with his physician's treatment that he thanked him in French in a letter and enclosed five times the fee suggested. For many years this remarkable physi- cian was at his best, had a very large practice in Central Maine and travelled extensively round about Hallowell. He sometimes went as far as Canada on con- sultations. His standing with his pro- fessional brothers was of the highest, as is proved by the numerous letters received by him asking his advice in emergencies.
He was very communicative to his
pupils, many of whom rode with him dur-
ing his practice. He received from
Bowdoin the honorary degree of M. D.
in 1843. He was a member of the
Massachusetts Medical Society, and
Maine Medical Society, and had an
excellent medical library. He was a
philosopher as he advanced in age,
lived economically yet was generous to
the poor. A man without rebuke in
his own town, he never discussed politics
or religion. Dr. Benjamin Page was
large in stature, well formed, mild and
benignant in countenance, lovely in
intelligence and very cheerful. His head
was small, his eyes sparkling and his face
extremely vivacious. He was very
suave, much given in later years to
society, and a man very fond of company.
Dr. Page died indirectly from small- pox, January 25, 1844, during an epi- demic of this disease, after he had saved all the patients who went to the hospital.
He left a son. Dr. Frederick Benjamin
Page, who distinguished himself as a
physician in the South. J. A. S.
From Documents furnished by G. S. Rowell. Boston M. and Surg. Jour., 1845, xxxiii.
Fallen, Montrose Anderson (1836-1890).
This gynecologist was born in Vicks- burg on January 2, 1836, and had for father a professor of obstetrics in the St. Louis Medical College. Briefly summed up the appointments and writings of the son included: professor of gynecology in the University of the City of New York; the same in the Humboldt Med- ical College, 1866; the St. Louis College of Physicians and Surgeons, in 1869; in 1873, surgeon-general of Missouri, and during the Civil War medical director.
He took prize essays in 1858 and 1867 for "The Ophthalmoscope" and "Uter- ine Abnormities," read before the American Medical Association, and wrote also on "Faulty Implantation of the Vagina," "Ovarian Cysts," "Atresia of the Vagina," etc., etc.
Anne Ehze, daughter of Louis A. Benoist, was his wife and he had two children.
iMed. Rec, N. Y., 1890, vol. xxxviii.
