A Typical American: Incidents in the Life of Dr. John Swinburne of Albany, compiled and published by The Citizens' Association of Albany (HC, 1888, $11, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
The Citizens' Association titled their biography, "A Typical American", but they also call him "one of Nature's Noblemen". Indeed, the second title served him better. A farmer's son, he graduated from med school as a surgeon just in time for the Civil War. When the Confederates captured his army hospital, he was still there providing care for the wounded of both armies. Jackson was so impressed, he gave the doctor a pass to visit other union prisoner areas.
After the war he became the Health Officer for the Port of New York, where he established quarantine areas to help protect New York City from epidemics. Later he started free clinics in Albany, was Albany's Mayor, and gave some of the first forensic medical testimony. His most amazing accomplishment, though, was the developing revolutionary techniques to treating fractures, techniques that saved limbs from amputation. Wow! Indeed, he was hardly ever "typical", no matter what the book's title says.
Look for this book in the local section, avail. 3/21.
