army, with the promise of a colonelcy, but he de-
clined. When peace was declared he returned to
Woodstock and was several times elected to the
state assembly. — His grandson, treorg-e, surgeon,
b. in Woodstock, Conn., 23 Dec, 1796; d. in Phila-
delphia, Pa., 9 May, 1847, was graduated at Yale in
1816. A fondness for natural science, developed
under the influence of the elder Silliman, led him
to adopt medicine as his profession, and he began
his studies in New Haven under Dr. Thomas Hub-
bard, but was graduated at ihe medical department
•of thelJniversity of Pennsylvania in 1819. Even be-
fore he obtained his degree he was elected resident
physician to the hospital of the Philadelphia alms-
house. During his first year of practice he per-
formed the most important operations in surgery,
such as lithotomy, extraction of the lens for cata-
ract, and extirpation of the lower jaw. He opened
a dissecting-room, and gave private courses of
lectures, both on anatomy and surgery, and his
class soon became so numerous as to require a
larger room for their accommodation. His success
was so great that he conceived the idea of found-
ing a medical college, and with others he obtained
from the legislature of Pennsylvania, in 1825, a
charter for Jefferson medical college. In 1826 he
began his public lectures as professor of surgery
in the new college, which, notwithstanding the op-
position of the profession and diihculty in obtain-
ing a faculty, grew so rapidly that in ten years the
students numbered 360. In* 1838 the faculty was
reorganized, but without Dr. McClellan's name, and
this action led to his immediately procuring the
incorporation of the medical department of Penn-
sylvania college. His lectures in connection with
the new institution began in November, 1839, and
continued until the spring of 1843. He was the
originator of the extended system of medical edu-
cation as it now exists in this country, and the
clinical instruction of the college was originated by
him. He acquired one of the largest practices
known in the United States, and his reputation ex-
tended to Europe, while he attracted patients from
all parts of this country, the West Indies, and
South America. As a surgeon he performed almost
every capital operation known, together with many
others that were original with himself. He was
especially eminent in ophthalmic surgery and his
operations for cataract and other diseases of the
eye, and he was among the first to extract the lens,
(jther operations, now quite common, were not used
in the United States till performed by him, and he
shares with Valentine Mott, of New York, and
Jonn C. Wai-ren, of Boston, the credit of establish-
ing many procedures new in this country. He did
more than any other surgeon by the number and
success of his operations to establish completely, as
safe and feasible, the removal of the parotid gland.
In earlier years he was a contributor of original
papers to medical periodicals, and was one of the
conductors of the " American Medical Review and
Journal." Dr. McClellan edited Eberle's " Theory
and Practice of Physic " (Philadelphia. 1840), and
left in manuscript "The Principles and Practice of
Surgery," (1847). It has been said of him that, " like
Bowditch, he infused his spirit into his pupils.
There are now hundreds of them scattered over the
country who manifest it in their bold and efficient
surgery, and who will welcome the publication of
these principles which they once heard from his
eloquent lips, and on which their success in practice has so much depended." See "Memoir " by
his son in Gross's "Lives of Eminent Physicians
and Surgeons" (Philadelphia, 1861).— His brother,
Samuel, physician, b. in Woodstock, Conn., 21
Sept., 1800 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa.. 4 Jan., 1853,
was graduated at the medical department of Yale
in 1823, and then entered the office of George Mc-
Clellan in Philadelphia. After a few years he set-
tled in Bristol, Pa., but soon returned to Philadel-
phia, where he renewed his association with his
brother, particularly in ophthalmic surgery. He
was likewise identified with the founding of Jeffer-
son medical college, in which he was demonstra-
tor and afterward professor of anatomy. This
chair he relinquished to accept that of obstetrics.
Subsequently he was elected professor of that
branch in the medical department of Pennsylvania
college, but soon resigned to follow his private
practice, in which he continued until his death. —
George's son, John Hill Brinton, phvsician, b.
in Philadelphia, Pa., 13 Aug., 1823; d."in Edin-
burgh, Scotland, 20 July, 1874, was graduated at
the University of Pennsylvania in 1841, and at its
medical department in 1844. In 1855 he was elected
professor of anatomy in the medical department of
Pennsylvania college, but held that appointment
for a short time only. He was surgeon at St.
Joseph's hospital from 1850 till 1862, and also at
Will's eye hospital for many years. During the
civil war he was connected with the South street
hospital, and afterward was acting assistant sur-
geon at Mower's hospital, where he performed some
notable operations, accounts of which are given in
" The Medical and Surgical History of the War of
the Rebellion " (Washington, 1870). Dr. McClellan
had an extensive practice, both in surgery and in
medicine, and was frequently called on to operate
in different parts of the state. Among the opera-
tions credited to him are the removal of the entire
parotid gland, reported in his fathers " Surgery,"
and the first and only removal of the entire upper
extremity for disease, including the shoulder-blade
and collar-bone. He inherited much of his father's
quickness, and his diagnosis of disease seemed al-
most intuitive, while his extreme delicacy of feel-
ing and genial nature made him a welcome visitor
in the sick-room. Dr. McClellan edited " Princi-
ples and Practice of Surgery " (Philadelphia, 1848),
left in manuscript by his father. His son George
was graduated at the Jefferson medical college in
1870, and now practises in Philadelphia. — The
second Samuel's son, Carswell, civil engineer, b.
in Philadelphia, Pa., 3 Dec, 1835, was graduated
at AVilliams, ]Mass., in 1855, and on 6 May, 1862,
entered the 32d New' York regiment, was Avounded
at Malvern Hill, and on 3 July became topographi-
cal assistant on the staff of Gen. Andrew A. Hum-
phreys. He was present at Fredericksburg, Chan-
cellorsville, and Gettysburg where he was wounded
again, and at the headquarters of the Army of the
Potomac until April, 1864. He was taken ])risoner
in the fight for the Weldon railroad on 19 Aug.,
1864, but was paroled, 16 Nov., 1864. and resigned
on that date. He was engineer in charge of loca-
tion and construction works upon the St. Louis,
Vandalia and Terra Haute, Northern Pacific, St.
Paul and Pacific, and other western I'ailroads, from
1867 till 1881, when he became U. S. civil assistant
engineer, which post he now (1887) holds. He is
the author of the " Personal Memoirs and Military
History of Ulysses S. Grant vs. the Record of the
Army of the Potomac " (Boston, 1887). — Carswell's
brother, Henry Brainerd, soldier, b. in Philadel-
phia, Pa.. 17 Oct., 1840, was graduated at Williams
in 1858. In 1862-3 he was adjutant of the 3d
Virginia cavalry, and from 1863 till the end of the
war served as assistant adjutant-general of the
cavalry corps of the Army of Northern Virginia.
He was chief of staff to Gens. James E. B. Stuart
Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/107
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