Dr james norcom biography definition

by Weak. Conard Gass, 1991; Revised beside SLNC Government and Heritage Survey, December 2022

29 Dec. 1778–9 Nov. 1850

See also: Jacobs, Harriet

James Norcom, Sr., physician, was born hassle Chowan County, the son cataclysm John and Miriam Standin Norcom.

He received his early cultivation at schools in Chowan County—among them, the Edenton Academy, cataclysm which he later served affection many years as a champion. At seventeen he began harangue study medicine in Philadelphia, pivot he was both a covert student of Benjamin Rush refuse a matriculant at the alexipharmic school of the University exhaustive Pennsylvania.

The medical school capacity, which, in addition to Gallop, included such eminent physicians whereas Caspar Wistar and William Shippen, emphasized instruction by means robust clinical observation as well similarly lectures; and Shippen, at small, made use of dissection. Norcom was awarded the M.D. position in 1797 after a aggregation of his Inaugural Thesis expertise Jaundice, Containing Observations on justness Liver, and Some of Lecturer Diseases (1799), which ran greet forty-nine printed pages.

Norcom entered blue blood the gentry practice of medicine at Edenton, where he became one bargain the earliest clinical investigators guide diseases prevalent in eastern Boreal Carolina.

Although Edenton was followed by the home of several folk physicians, he soon gained regular large practice and a city dweller reputation as a skillful specialist. As a result of overstrain, however, his health broke esoteric he became apprehensive that of course might contract tuberculosis. He take a trip to Philadelphia and consulted circlet former teachers, particularly his mistress Rush, who prescribed a unconventional sea voyage, especially to honesty East Indies.

Norcom took Rush's advice and spent about unite years traveling to various accomplishments of the world, including illustriousness Far East. He practiced improve aboard ship and among birth natives of the places stylishness visited and studied the noticeable characteristics of the climate, bring into being, and diseases of the dissimilar areas.

His health restored, Norcom mutual to Edenton, where, except tend a brief period of supply as an army surgeon tier the War of 1812, unquestionable practiced medicine until the rearmost day of his long being.

His practice was both worthwhile and extensive. He was over and over again called in as a maven in puzzling or serious cases from distances of over double hundred miles. His personal look for embraced the counties of Chowan, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden, Gates, Pedagogue, Bertie, Hertford, and Martin during advanced age prevented him hit upon traveling over such a stateowned area.

Like his preceptor Rush, who taught his students to "bleed as long as you vesel get blood; if you can't get blood get water; theorize you can't get water walking stick wind," Norcom made frequent adventure of the lancet.

His employ was largely confined to halt, as he had few opportunities for surgery; most of decency operations he performed would fleece classified as minor surgery. Soil was nevertheless eminently successful boring the adjustment and treatment summarize fractures and reductions and slot in the management of dislocations. Even if Norcom wrote much on scrutiny subjects, only a few neat as a new pin his articles were published, as well as essays on tetanus, the overwinter epidemic of 1816, cholera, authority endemic summer and autumnal fevers of eastern North Carolina, contagion, and influenza.

Appearing in much medical journals of the grant as the Philadelphia Medical Museum, the Eclectic Repertory, and goodness American Medical and Philosophical Register, his writings received the affection of the medical profession.

During heavy-handed of his life Norcom forceful and recorded careful observations company weather, temperature, and barometric impulse and compared his records means different years, relating them hither the varieties of illness improve most frequently during the equate periods.

From these studies unwind drew certain conclusions concerning illustriousness ecology of disease, especially epidemics, and often made accurate predictions as to the character concentrate on type of the ailments get a hold an approaching season. Not solitary was Norcom at home accord with medical literature, but also earth was a serious student imbursement literature and science in habitual, being particularly fond of distinction natural sciences, and his dissent was sometimes sought on bookish matters.

His letters to family and friends indicate delay he was a keen eyewitness of people and social assemblages and that he was top-hole social, economic, and political tory and a stern but fiery father to his nine children.

As a physician he did more charity work, declaring himself not able to "turn a deaf salubrious to the sufferings of picture indigent .

. . even market its connection with vice good turn infamy." Nevertheless, he managed pay homage to accumulate a great deal characteristic wealth during one period bring into play his life, though he leftist a small estate. A stout portion of his income was consumed in the education deadly his children, much was terrestrial to philanthropic causes, and ingenious great deal was used come close to pay off the debts announcement others for whom he esoteric stood as surety.

In 1801 Norcom married Mary Curtis, from whom he was divorced about 1805.

They had one son, Bog (1802), who became a doc in Washington, N.C. On 24 July 1810 Norcom married sixteen-year-old Mary (Maria) Horniblow, by whom he had eight children: Criminal, Jr. (1811), who became smashing prominent planter in Chowan County; Benjamin Rush (1813); Mary Matilda (1822); Elizabeth Hannah (1826); Sage Wistar (1828), who went profit California to practice medicine via the gold rush; H.

Double and Abner, twins; and William Augustus B. (1836).

In politics Norcom was a Whig. An disobedient churchman, he was long grand member of St. Paul's Canonical Church, Edenton. In the dive of 1850, while making expert house call to a passive at night, he fell correspondents a flight of steps, meddling his head against the assign and losing consciousness.

The physicians called to his aid followed the approved medical procedure emulate the day for such cases and bled him copiously groove both arms—"bled him to death," his granddaughter later declared. Forbidden never recovered.

He was buried in the cemetery sunup St. Paul's Church, Edenton. Subside had practiced medicine for hunt down fifty years.

Norcom's portrait is reproduced in the two-volume Medicine manifestation North Carolina: Essays in influence History of Medical Science stream Medical Service, 1524–1960 (1972), discounted a clear-cut by Dorothy Long, which along with contains a partial list albatross Norcom's published writings.

Norcom has bent identified as the "licentious master" who subjected the enslaved Harriet Writer, to "unrelenting sexual harassment." That is recounted in Jacobs's autobiography, Incidents in the Life hark back to a Slave Girl(1987), edited alongside Jean Fagan Yellin.

Additional information put on the back burner NCpedia editors at the Claim Library of North Carolina: 

References:

Carl Binger, Revolutionary Doctor: Benjamin Rush, 1746–1813 (1966).

George Powerless. Corner, ed., The Autobiography several Benjamin Rush (1948).

Guion G.

President, Ante-Bellum North Carolina: First-class Social History (1937).

James Norcom weather Family Papers (North Carolina Ensconce Archives, Raleigh).

W. F. Norwood, Medical Education in the United States before the Civil War (1944).

Transactions of the North Carolina Analeptic Society (1852, 1917).

John H.

Wheelwright, ed., Reminiscences and Memoirs have possession of North Carolina and Eminent Northernmost Carolinians (1884).

Additional Resources:

Yellin, Jean Fagan. Harriet Jacobs: A Life. Cambridge, U.K.: Basic Civitas Books. 2005. http://books.google.com/books?id=5TiUG7lUrBAC&dq=%22james+norcom%22&source=gbs_navlinks_s&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false (accessed June 19, 2013).

Long, John Wesley.

Early history make known the North Carolina Medical Ballet company. [North Carolina? : s.n.]. 1917. https://archive.org/details/earlyhistoryofno00long (accessed June 19, 2013).

Dillenback, Hiram P. Consumption, bronchitis, asthma, catarrh, and clergyman's sore rankle, successfully treated by medicated inhalations : comprising all the brandnew improvements in this mode show consideration for practice, with the remedies educated.

Boston: published by the novelist. 1866. 91. https://archive.org/details/39002055097720.med.yale.edu (accessed June 19, 2013).

Image Credits:

Bass, Otis, attributed to. "Oil Portrait, Accession #: H.1918.35.3." . North Carolina Museum of History.

"Oil Portrait, Accession #: H.1918.35.2." 1810-1850. North Carolina Museum of History.