Benjamin+Rush


 * BENJAMIN RUSH...**

[|Benjamin Rush] was born on December 24, 1745 in Byberry Pennsylvania. When he was six, his father died and his mother placed him in the care of his maternal uncle Dr. Finley. The Dr. became his teacher and advisor for many years. In 1759, [|Ben] attended the College of Philedelphia, and then studied medicine with a Dr. Redman for four years. He then continued his medical studies at the Universidy of Edinburgh. He returned in 1769 and opened a private practice in Philedelphia, and was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the College of Philedelphia.

He was a member of the Sons of Liberty and he and some of the other "sons" were the ones who rode out to greet the delegates from New England for the first continential congress. In July 1776, he became a leader in the movement for independence when he was elected to Provincial Congress. About a month later, [|Ben] was made a member of the continential congress when Robert Morris and John Dickinson withdrew from their seats.

He married Julia Stockton, and they had 13 children. After the signing of the Declaration of Independance, Ben did alot of things. He was a surgeon-general for the army, he became a member of the staff of the Pennsylvania Hospital (there he established the first free dispensary), he worked tirelessly and heroically during the yellow fever epidemic, he insisted that the insane had the right to be treated with respect, and much more. Benjamin Rush died on April 19, 1813, at the age of 68, in his home in Philedelphia, Pennsylvania.