History of Wilmington, (Windham County) Vermont United States of America

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Frank Hastings Hamilton, surgeon, was born in Wilmington, Vt., Sept. 10, 1813. His parents removed to Schenectady, N.Y., and he was graduated at Union college in 1830. He studied medicine under Dr. John G. Morgan of Auburn, N.Y., and at the College of physicians and surgeons, Fairfield, N.Y., 1831-32; practised his profession in Auburn, N.Y., 1833-34; attended lectures at the medical department, University of Pennsylvania and was graduated M.D. in 1835. He conducted a class in anatomy and surgery in his office in Auburn, 1835-39; and professor of surgery at Fairfield, 1839, and at Geneva medical college, 1840-43; studied in Europe, 1843-44; and removed to Buffalo, N.Y., in 1844. With Drs. James P. White and Austin Flint he organized the Buffalo medical college in 1846 and was professor of surgery there, 1846-58. He then removed to Brooklyn, N.Y., and was professor of the principles and practice of surgery in the Long Island college hospital, 1858-68; professor of military surgery, fractures and dislocations and professor of clinical surgery in Bellevue hospital medical college, New York city, 1861-68, and succeeded Dr. James R. Wood as professor of the principles and practice of surgery with operations in the latter institution, serving 1868-75. He was surgeon of the 31st N.Y. volunteers; and had charge of the general field hospital, Centerville. Va., July 21-22, 1861. He was promoted brigade-surgeon in 1861 and became medical director of Franklin's division. General McClellan appointed him medical director of the 4th corps, army of the Potomac, and in September, 1862, he organized and took charge of the U.S. general hospital in Central Park, New York, and in February, 1863, was made medical inspector of the U.S. army with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In September, 1863, he resigned his commission and returned to New York, and after 1875 was visiting surgeon to Bellevue hospital, consulting surgeon to St. Elizabeth hospital, to the hospital for ruptured and crippled and to various city dispensaries. He was consulting surgeon to President Garfield and after approving the treatment pursued early in the case was retained to the end. He was elected president of the New York state medical college in 1855; of the Erie County medical college in 1857; of the New York pathological society in 1866; of the New York medico-legal society in 1875 and 1876; of the American academy of medicine in 1878, and president of that organization in 1877, of the New York society of medical jurisprudence in 1878 and 1885, and was vice president of the New York academy of medicine 1880-84. He was made an honorary associate member of the College of physicians and surgeons in 1868, and received the honorary degree of M.D. and LL.D. from Union college in 1869. His more important medical works are: Treatise on Strabismus (1844); Treatise on Fractures and Dislocations (1860, 7th ed., 1884); Practical Treatise on Military Surgery (1861); and The Principles and Practice of Surgery (1872, 2d ed., 1873). He edited The Surgical Memoirs of the War of the Rebellion (1871). He died in New York city, Aug. 11, 1886.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Wilmington, (Windham County) Vermont

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