John Brodhead Beck (18 September 1794
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
– 9 April 1851
Rhinebeck, New York
Rhinebeck is a village (New York), village in the Rhinebeck (town), New York, town of Rhinebeck in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 2,657 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie, New York, Poughkeepsie– ...
) was a New York physician who was an authority on miscarriage, abortion, infant physiology, and
associated forensic issues.
Biography
He was the third son of Caleb Beck and Catharine Theresa Romeyn, only daughter of Rev. Theodorick Romeyn, D.D., long principal of the Academy of Schenectady, and one of the founders of
Union College
Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...
.
While yet a child, in 1798,
John Beck lost his father. After that, the care of his education and that of his four brothers,
Theodorick Romeyn, Nicholas,
Lewis Caleb, and Abraham, rested chiefly with his mother.
At the age of 7, John left his home to reside with his uncle, John B. Romeyn, then pastor of the
Reformed Dutch Church in
Rhinebeck, New York
Rhinebeck is a village (New York), village in the Rhinebeck (town), New York, town of Rhinebeck in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 2,657 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie, New York, Poughkeepsie– ...
. Here he began his
classical studies. In 1804, Romeyn moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, his nephew accompanying him, and the young man's education continued. In 1809, Beck entered
Columbia College, of which his uncle was a trustee, and where John M. Mason was provost.
At Columbia, Mason was Beck's mentor throughout his college career. In 1813, Beck graduated with the highest honors of his class, and he was later appointed a trustee of the College. Immediately after his graduation, Beck accompanied his uncle in a voyage to Europe, and spending some time in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, he there applied himself to the study of
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
, under the instruction of a Rev. Mr. Humphries, a grandson of Doddridge. Beck learned enough to later take an intelligent interest in
Biblical criticism
Biblical criticism is the use of critical analysis to understand and explain the Bible. During the eighteenth century, when it began as ''historical-biblical criticism,'' it was based on two distinguishing characteristics: (1) the concern to ...
.
On his return from England, having determined to study medicine, Beck joined the office of David Hosack. Later medical politics would estrange them, though each always retained a high estimate of the learning and ability of the other. In 1817, Beck graduated from the
New York College of Physicians and Surgeons
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded ...
. His thesis was a treatise entitled "On
Infanticide
Infanticide (or infant homicide) is the intentional killing of infants or offspring. Infanticide was a widespread practice throughout human history that was mainly used to dispose of unwanted children, its main purpose is the prevention of reso ...
." The treatise was subsequently incorporated into his brother T. Romeyn Beck's noted work on medical jurisprudence, and became the standard work on infanticide in the
English language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
.
In 1822, Beck, in company with Drs. Dyckman and Francis, established the ''
New York Medical and Physical Journal
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
''. Beck devoted a large portion of his time to this journal, and published many of his own articles in it. Among Beck's papers may be specially mentioned his paper on
laryngitis
Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks.
Laryngitis is categorised ...
and several reviews on the contagiousness of
yellow fever
Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
. Beck continued as the chief editor of the ''Medical and Physical Journal'' for seven years, in later years associated with Dr. Peixotto.
In 1826, he was elected professor of materia medica and botany in the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons. His appointment stemmed from the simultaneous resignation of all the previous faculty. This mass resignation, the crowning act of a long series of dissensions, threw upon the successors a weight of responsibility difficult to bear. Beck was prompt to take on his share of this weight, and his ability as a controversialist was too well known, and had been too sorely felt, not to insure to him a full share in any odium which the friends of the old could throw on the leaders of the new organization. Beck did well as a teacher, and also served the College as a zealous promoter of its interests, and a ready defender of its policy.
In 1835, Beck was appointed as a physician of the New York Hospital, a situation which he filled for ten years. His services at the Hospital had a very favorable effect on Beck's reputation as a practitioner. Hitherto, his brethren had known him only as, for his age, a learned physician, a practised and able writer, and a judicious and attractive lecturer. At the Hospital, he proved himself sagacious in investigating disease at the bedside, and skillful in the application of remedies. Beck aimed to be judicious in the use of a few remedies, rather than to overwhelm disease by a multitude of cures.
As a practitioner, he did not lose the opportunity of giving to the students and young physicians connected with the establishment clinical lessons. His was distinguished by great simplicity of language, clearness, and a devotion to utility rather than show. In 1843, he collected together, and published in a volume, a few of the most important of his contributions to periodical medical literature. In 1849, his work on infantile therapeutics appeared, and was received well
both at home and abroad.
When a very young man, Beck was elected trustee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and censor of the County Medical Society. He later held the offices of vice president and president of the County Medical Society, vice president and then president of the State Medical Society, before which he delivered an inaugural address on the history of American medicine before the
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
, which was afterwards published. He took an earnest interest in the organization of the New York Academy of Medicine, and was early elected one of its vice presidents, and, subsequently, orator. Failing health compelled him to decline the latter duty.
For the last few years of his life he was a martyr to neuralgia and spasmodic disease from which his sufferings were most intense. He continued to visit patients and to lecture in the College till the beginning of the session of 1850–51. His funeral, two days after his death, was attended by almost all the more eminent members of the profession in the city. An address was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Knox, an old friend.
Beck's intellect was characterized by energy: an end being set before him, he pursued it with a vigor, a steadiness of purpose, and a force of will which rarely failed to command success. He also had a clarity of perception: he saw the object presented to his "mind's eye" with all the
distinctness of the most perfect physical vision. This quality was undoubtedly the secret of much of his success as a practitioner of medicine, and a medical writer and teacher. He saw disease just as it was; theories never distorted, nor did prejudice obscure it: all was clear and perfectly distinct from every other object. Having this quality in so eminent a degree, and being both in
English and the classics a thorough scholar, he could not fail, as a teacher, to communicate in words a just and accurate idea of the object before him. So in argument and controversy, he saw the question to be discussed, or the point in dispute clearly; it was perfectly definite to his apprehension, and consequently his arguments neither fell short of, nor flew beyond the point.
Beck's success as a teacher has already been noticed. He united qualities often seen apart, that made him both useful and popular. His lectures were clear, precise, and singularly practical: no merely specious theories, no rash generalizations, no loose assertions, found place there; all
was logical, accurate, true. When the lecture was over, with a ready courtesy he answered the questions and solved the doubts of his pupils, and removed, by repeated and varied illustration, the difficulties in the way of their perfect comprehension of a subject.
In regard to personal character, Beck exhibited a steady adherence to principle, an ardent love of truth, an unhesitating, unwavering, almost instinctive preference of the right over the expedient. He was a member of the
Reformed Dutch Church, the church of his forefathers.
Writings
In addition to his thesis treatise, his major publications include:
*''Medical Essays'' (1843)
*''Infant Therapeutics'' (1849)
*''Historical Sketch of the State of Medicine in the Colonies'' (1850)
Family
Beck's mother lived to be 85 and survive four of her sons.
In 1831, John Beck married Anne Tucker, eldest daughter of Fanning C. Tucker,
who, with five children, survived him. Two of Beck's brothers,
Theodoric Romeyn Beck
and
Lewis Caleb Beck
Lewis Caleb Beck (4 October 1798 Schenectady – 20 April 1853 Albany, New York) was an American physician, botanist, chemist, and mineralogist.
Biography
He graduated from Union College in 1815 with a Master of Arts. He then studied medicine, ...
, were distinguished physicians.
Notes
References
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, John Brodhead
1794 births
1851 deaths
19th-century American male writers
19th-century American non-fiction writers
19th-century American physicians
American founders
American medical writers
American print editors
Columbia College (New York) alumni
Columbia University faculty
Educators from New York City
Magazine founders
Medical journal editors
New York College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni
People from Rhinebeck, New York
Physicians from New York City
Writers from New York City
Writers from Schenectady, New York