Your Story Hour

Guest (Male): Hey everyone, come on! Your story hour's on.

Aunt Nikki: Welcome to Your Story Hour. I'm Aunt Nikki.

Uncle Jon: And I'm Uncle Jon, and we're here to bring you today's inspiring story.

Aunt Nikki: Hello everyone. Uncle Jon and I are happy to be with you again.

Uncle Jon: Yes, we are, Aunt Nikki. And I can't wait to present Aunt Carole's next story.

Aunt Nikki: Well now, let's see if I can guess who it might be about. Will you give me a hint, Uncle Jon?

Uncle Jon: Okay. It's about a man who became known as the patriot doctor because he signed the Declaration of Independence. In addition, he supported free education for everyone, including African-Americans and women.

And he's especially remembered for his dedication to his patients during Philadelphia's great yellow fever epidemic of 1793.

Aunt Nikki: Aha! Say no more, Uncle Jon. You've got to be talking about Dr. Benjamin Rush.

Uncle Jon: Wow, you're absolutely right, Aunt Nikki. You're amazing! I'm really surprised that you came up with that answer so quickly because even though he lived a full life and accomplished many things, most people don't know very much about him. And even the history books about him disagree on some of the details about his life.

Aunt Nikki: Well then, I'm sure the details of his story have been woven together as accurately as possible in our presentation.

Uncle Jon: Oh yes. And there's so much to tell that it will take two episodes to do any justice to the subject. I call this first part Student Doctor.

Aunt Carole: Benjamin Rush was born on a farm outside Philadelphia on Christmas Eve, 1745. The fourth of seven children of John and Susanna Rush.

John, a gunsmith, was well known for his honesty. It was high praise to be called as honest as John Rush. His wife, Susanna, was also notable. Having attended a woman's boarding school in Philadelphia, she had more education than most women of the time. And both were committed Christians.

Susanna Rush: There. The dishes are done and we're now all ready for worship.

John Rush: All right, my dear. Ben, will you bring the Bible, please?

Benjamin Rush: Yes, Papa. Here. Ooh, it's heavy.

John Rush: Don't worry, son. You'll grow. Now, what chapter would you like me to read tonight?

Benjamin Rush: I like the one about the Lord my Shepherd.

John Rush: Ah, the Shepherd's Psalm. That's a good one. Let's see. Ah, here we are. Psalm 23. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down...

Aunt Carole: Unfortunately, the happy family was soon to be broken apart. First by the tragedy of illness. Benjamin's father suddenly came down with an unexplained fever, which was not an uncommon occurrence in those days.

John Rush: Water... please. A little drink.

Benjamin Rush: Mama, may I take some water to Papa?

Susanna Rush: No, Ben. We mustn't open the door. The doctor said disease is caused by a substance within the body, so the body must heal itself. Any outside influence, like water or even a draft of air, could kill him.

Aunt Carole: Of course, in today's world, we know much more about medicine. But the family followed the best advice of their time and, sadly, Ben's father died. Shortly thereafter, Ben's infant brother also died.

And then the family grew even smaller when Ben's oldest sister married and his oldest brother went to sea. In order to help keep the rest of the family together and so they could survive financially, Ben's mother opened a grocery store, which she called the Black Diamond, and she taught the remaining children at home. But as time went on, she looked for another way to educate her two youngest sons.

Rebecca Rush: Ben! Ben! Mama says to stop playing with your hoop and come home right away.

Benjamin Rush: Is someone sick, Rebecca?

Rebecca Rush: No, no. It's just that Aunt Sarah and Uncle Samuel Finley have come to visit.

Benjamin Rush: Oh, all right. Let's go.

Susanna Rush: I have done my best to teach you at home, but you're eight years old now and you should be in a proper school.

Benjamin Rush: But Mama, I like having you teach me.

Susanna Rush: Unfortunately, with all the work of the store, I just don't have the time to give you the education you need. However, your uncle here has invited you to attend his academy.

Samuel Finley: I think you'll like Nottingham Academy, Ben. I'm sure you'll enjoy living in the country and having the company of other boys.

Benjamin Rush: Is Nottingham far away, Uncle Finley?

Samuel Finley: It's 50 miles from here, just over into the Maryland colony.

Benjamin Rush: That's a long way. Would I be able to come home for visits?

Samuel Finley: I'm afraid not. But I plan to keep you too busy and interested to get homesick.

Sarah Finley: We will love you, Ben, and your brother Jacob, and we'll take care of you just like our own sons.

Benjamin Rush: Jacob's going too, Aunt Finley?

Sarah Finley: Oh yes. And the two of you will live in a big room together with all the other students and our own eight boys. Won't that be fun?

Benjamin Rush: Yes! Mama, is Jacob happy to go too?

Susanna Rush: Yes, Ben. And the two of you will need to pack quickly for your journey.

Aunt Carole: So Benjamin and his seven-year-old brother went away to boarding school. This was considered a great privilege, especially since Uncle Finley didn't charge for their education.

Aunt Finley cooked, cleaned, and mended for 30 lively boys. Uncle Finley taught Latin, Greek, philosophy, mathematics, and composition. In addition, he read the Bible to them every morning and evening. It was a tight schedule.

Jacob Rush: Ben, haven't you finished your Latin translation yet? You still have your composition to write.

Benjamin Rush: I know, I know, Jacob. But these Latin verbs are so hard to remember. Let's see. Amo, amas, amat. What about amare? Ah, that's the one I need. There, I'm done with Latin. Now for the composition. That won't take long. I find composition easy. It's Latin and Greek that are hard.

Jacob Rush: Well, just be sure you're ready when Uncle calls us for Bible reading.

Benjamin Rush: I will be. You go on down and help Aunt Sarah. I'll be down soon.

Samuel Finley: There now. Worship is done. And tomorrow...

Benjamin Rush: Yes, Uncle?

Samuel Finley: Tomorrow, we'll do something different. Instead of sitting in the schoolroom, you will be outside getting exercise and fresh air.

Benjamin Rush: Yahoo! A holiday!

Samuel Finley: Whoa, I say nothing like that. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, you know. A boy should be occupied with something useful every minute of the day. And...

Benjamin Rush: Then what will we do, Uncle Finley?

Samuel Finley: As I was about to say, before someone interrupted me, we will be cutting the hay. Now, that's what I call useful. It will feed the horses and the cows all winter, and it will give you boys exercise in the sun and fresh air. Good health is as important as strong minds.

Benjamin Rush: Oh.

Samuel Finley: Come, come, Benjamin. Give it a chance. You will enjoy it, I'm sure.

Aunt Carole: To his surprise, Benjamin did enjoy the haymaking, as well as harvesting vegetables from the garden and picking apples from the orchard. All the boys loved working in the sunshine.

The fresh air and exercise made them happy and healthy. They rarely got sick. And best of all, in a time when sickness and death were common, not one of them died. Uncle Finley was a strict but mild disciplinarian compared to many schoolmasters of the day who beat students severely.

While he demanded absolute obedience and respectful behavior, he often disciplined the boys by telling stories at the dinner table with the characters illustrating good and bad behavior. Benjamin was perhaps the best student at the school, but even he didn't escape his uncle's correction. For example, one day Uncle Finley overheard Benjamin and Jacob talking together.

Jacob Rush: Benjamin, aren't you glad that Uncle Finley lets us eat dinner with his important visitors?

Benjamin Rush: Yes, we get to learn about all sorts of things.

Jacob Rush: I especially liked the story Mr. Fairfax told last night about Colonel George Washington winning against the French and Indians. He had two horses shot out from under him, and four bullets went right through his coat. Virginia Governor Dinwiddie called him the hero of Fort Necessity.

Benjamin Rush: Jacob, you have it all wrong, as usual. Washington was only a major at the time, and it wasn't Fort Necessity. He surrendered to the French at that battle. He won the Battle of the Monongahela. Dinwiddie promoted him after that battle.

Jacob Rush: Oh well, I guess you're right.

Benjamin Rush: Of course I'm right. You have to start paying attention.

Aunt Carole: At dinner that night, Uncle Finley told a story about Johnny Courtly, who was always courteous and polite, and Cedric Know-Everything, who was scornful of other boys who made mistakes. Later that evening, Ben talked with his uncle.

Benjamin Rush: Uncle Finley, you were talking about me in that story, weren't you?

Samuel Finley: Yes, Benjamin, I was. The way you responded to your brother this afternoon was unmannerly and uncivil.

Benjamin Rush: But I was right!

Samuel Finley: Yes, you were right, but your approach was wrong. You crushed your brother. You need to learn courtesy and tact.

Aunt Carole: Unfortunately, that was a lesson Benjamin never completely learned. When he thought he was right, he could be severe toward anyone who disagreed with him.

And this attitude caused him great trouble in later life. However, he did learn a great many things at his uncle's academy that served him well. And when he was 13, Uncle Finley had news for him.

Samuel Finley: Benjamin, you have worked very hard these last five years. I am especially pleased with your progress in writing and public speaking.

Benjamin Rush: Thank you, Uncle.

Samuel Finley: In fact, I have taught you all I can. It's time for you to take the entrance exam for the College of New Jersey in Princeton.

Benjamin Rush: Isn't college expensive?

Samuel Finley: Yes, it costs $90 a year. But your mother received a good price when she sold the Black Diamond, and her new store is doing well. Besides, she has married Richard Morris, the wealthy distiller, so funds will be available for your tuition.

Aunt Carole: Benjamin's test score placed him in the junior class at the college, which was soon named Princeton University. Benjamin excelled at his studies, and at the age of 14, he received his bachelor's degree.

On graduation day, as he left the oldest building on campus, he noticed a toddler crying. Kindly, he picked her up and wiped away her tears.

Benjamin Rush: There, there, poppet. And what part of the world is not functioning to your satisfaction? And what can I do to fix it?

Guest (Female): Mama! Mama!

Ebenezer: Well, well, Benjamin, what's this?

Benjamin Rush: Hello, Ebenezer. I just came across this little lady. Do you know who she is?

Ebenezer: That's Miss Julia Stockton, daughter of Lawyer Stockton. Looks like she got separated from her family somehow.

Benjamin Rush: Well, thank you, Ebenezer. I know where Richard Stockton lives. So, little one, I'll just take you on home. Don't you worry.

Aunt Carole: It would be 15 years before Benjamin met Julia Stockton again. But that second meeting would change his life forever. For now, however, Benjamin had to decide what profession to pursue. His choices were the ministry, the law, or physic, as medicine was called.

At the strong recommendation of Samuel Davies, Princeton's president, Benjamin decided on studying law, and his mother arranged an apprenticeship for him with a lawyer. Before he signed the papers, however, Benjamin visited Uncle Finley.

Samuel Finley: What career have you settled on, Benjamin? Princeton focuses on educating ministers of the gospel. I know you're a dedicated Christian and an excellent speaker. Do you plan to be a preacher?

Benjamin Rush: No, Uncle. I just don't think that's the right future for me. I'm planning to become a lawyer like Richard Stockton.

Samuel Finley: Not the law. The law is full of evil temptation, Benjamin. By no means think of it. Why not study physic?

Benjamin Rush: Become a physician? I have a strong aversion to the sights which accompany the practice of medicine. Running sores, vomit, bleeding. I don't think I could ever do that.

Samuel Finley: But by studying physic, you would be able to help mankind.

Benjamin Rush: Oh, Uncle, I don't think...

Samuel Finley: Pray about this, my boy. Pray hard.

Aunt Carole: That night at the inn where he had stopped on his way home, Benjamin fell to his knees.

Benjamin Rush: Dear Father in Heaven, please show me what I must do. I get an impression that You want me to pursue physic. Make me willing to do Your will. Yes, Lord, I surrender. I will become a physician.

Aunt Nikki: Uncle Jon, has God ever personally told you what to do?

Uncle Jon: Yes, He has, Aunt Nikki.

Aunt Nikki: How did that work?

Uncle Jon: Well, different ways. Sometimes He speaks to me through the wise words of someone I trust. Sometimes He speaks to me through a very strong impression or certain ideas that keep weighing on my heart.

Aunt Nikki: Isn't it wonderful how a specific Bible verse will pop into your mind at just the right moment?

Uncle Jon: It certainly is. Girls and boys, you'd be surprised how many times Aunt Nikki and I have found ourselves in a tight situation, wondering what to do.

And after praying about it, discover there's a Bible verse at the tip of our tongue that applies perfectly to our situation.

Aunt Nikki: Following God's word sure can be an adventure.

Uncle Jon: So we'd like to invite you to join in on the fun of Adventures in the Holy Bible.

Aunt Nikki: These fun Bible lessons are 100% free and can be done completely online at yourstoryhour.org. Or there's also a snail mail version if that's easier for you.

Uncle Jon: To sign up, just go to yourstoryhour.org and click on Kids Corner in the menu. There, you can find Adventures in the Holy Bible, along with Clubhouse Magazine and all the other fun activities for kids on our website.

Aunt Nikki: We could talk about how amazing it is to study the Bible for hours. But now it's time to get back to our story called Student Doctor.

Aunt Carole: Benjamin served a five-year apprenticeship with Dr. John Redman, Philadelphia's leading physician. The doctor had a large practice and kept several apprentices busy.

Benjamin learned to take careful notes on the progress and treatment of disease. The notes he took during the yellow fever epidemic of 1762 would prove valuable 30 years later. He also learned to prepare his own medicine.

John Redman: Well done, Benjamin. Now add the mercury.

Benjamin Rush: How much, Dr. Redman?

John Redman: Oh, a good draft. About the size of a walnut. That's it. Now be sure you have your lancets, your surgical knife, with you.

Today, you'll have your first experience bleeding a patient. Mr. Almond has an inflammatory fever and we need to remove the morbific matters from his system.

Benjamin Rush: Yes sir. How much blood should I take?

John Redman: I believe eight or 10 ounces today. If he's no better by Thursday, we will need to bleed him again.

Benjamin Rush: Yes sir.

Aunt Carole: Benjamin was Dr. Redman's star pupil, and when he was just 16, Redman assigned a group of patients to him over which he had complete charge.

Having his own patients kept Benjamin busy, but in his free time, he often went to a coffee shop where he heard people complaining about the injustices forced on the colonies by the English parliament.

Guest (Male): I tell you, it's not right! The Stamp Act is unjust. No question about it.

Guest (Male): But do you think King George will repeal it? I think not.

Aunt Carole: Because of the unrest that continued to increase in America, Dr. Redman recommended that Benjamin study anatomy in Europe.

And so in 1766, 20-year-old Benjamin and Jonathan Potts, another young medical student, sailed for Scotland to attend the University of Edinburgh. After renting a room from the Galloway sisters, they went exploring and discovered that Edinburgh was considerably more crowded than Philadelphia.

Jonathan Potts: I don't understand, Benjamin. In the colonies, each home has a necessary house in the backyard, but these dwellings are crammed so close together there is no backyard. And some of the houses are 15 stories high. Where are their sanitary facilities?

Benjamin Rush: Well, John, when I picked up our letters of introduction from Benjamin Franklin, who's working as an agent in London, he explained it to me. In the cities over here, the housewife dumps all the household garbage and contents of the chamber pots out of the window and onto the street at about 10 or 11 at night. Early the next morning, a crew comes by and shovels it into a cart to carry it away.

Jonathan Potts: We'd better walk fast then. It's already after 10. We certainly don't want to be on the street when that happens.

Benjamin Rush: Agreed. Ah, here's our lodging.

Miss Galloway: Look out below!

Jonathan Potts: Oh! Ah! Miss Galloway, you dumped it all over me!

Miss Galloway: Is that ye then, Mr. Potter? Bless your lot, you've been naturalized.

Jonathan Potts: Naturalized, Miss Galloway?

Miss Galloway: Aye, laddie, that's what we call it when you get covered with the natural stuff like. Your friend can now consider himself a true resident of Old Reekie. That's what we call Edinburgh, you know.

Jonathan Potts: Old Reekie is right. I'll never get this stink out of my clothes.

Miss Galloway: Off to the community pump with you now. Here's a bit of soap. Catch it!

Jonathan Potts: I've got it, Miss Galloway.

Miss Galloway: Scrub up good, laddie, before you come into the house.

Aunt Carole: For the next two years, Benjamin was busy from 7 in the morning until midnight, making hospital rounds with his professors and attending lectures. He took meticulous notes on everything he learned, since students created their own textbooks from their notes.

In his free time, he worked on Latin, Greek, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. But when it came to attending classes, his favorite professor was Dr. William Cullen, who lectured in English instead of Latin.

William Cullen: Young gentlemen, do not blindly follow a system. You must observe and reason. You must be ready to change your practices to meet with new discoveries in science, and always keep notes on your cases. You never know when these notes will be helpful.

Aunt Carole: Benjamin's studies were important, but so was the influence of fellow student John Bostock. Through their discussions, Benjamin began to develop the revolutionary idea that monarchy, the rule of a king or queen, was neither necessary nor desirable.

And he would take this new attitude back to Pennsylvania with him. Meantime, he hoped to learn even more before returning home.

Jonathan Potts: Our studies are finished. And now we have the degree of Doctor of Medicine. I'm heading for home. How about you, Benjamin?

Benjamin Rush: Not yet, Jonathan. I plan to go to London and study dissection with Dr. Hunter.

Jonathan Potts: But you already attended dissections back in Philadelphia. Why would you want to observe more of them?

Benjamin Rush: A few dissections in a colonial town are hardly enough to teach me everything about the human body. Dr. Hunter is the expert. I have many questions and I hope he can answer them, either during the dissections or when we walk the hospital wards.

Aunt Carole: Before leaving Edinburgh for London, however, Benjamin visited the great theologian Reverend John Witherspoon, who had become one of his new friends.

Benjamin Rush: My dear sir, when Mr. Richard Stockton visited Scotland, he assured me that you would accept the appointment of president of Princeton. Now you tell me you're having second thoughts. May I inquire why?

John Witherspoon: It's my dear wife. The very thought of going to a savage country like America prostrates her with fear. She spends most of her time in bed in a fainting condition.

Benjamin Rush: Might I speak with her, sir? I flatter myself that I may be able to quiet her fears.

Mrs. Witherspoon: Oh, you're a brave young lad, Mr. Rush. Of course America holds no terrors for ye. But I'm of a nervous nature, you see. Every time I even hear the word America, I quake with terror.

Benjamin Rush: But I'm American, Mrs. Witherspoon. Do you find me terrifying?

Mrs. Witherspoon: Nay, you're a most civilized young man.

Benjamin Rush: My whole family's like me. And so are all my acquaintances. I make bold to wager that no harm will befall you in Princeton. It's quite a civilized town.

Mrs. Witherspoon: Well, if it is as you say, then I suppose I'll make no more objection.

Aunt Carole: The Witherspoons did go to Princeton, and they became loyal Americans. In fact, in a few years, John Witherspoon would become one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

But for now, when Benjamin arrived in London, Ben Franklin welcomed him into his home and the two became lifelong friends. Benjamin frequently shared his experiences at St. Thomas Hospital with Franklin.

Benjamin Rush: Of course, sir, I'm most gratified to have this opportunity to observe the methods of the most noted physicians in England. But...

Ben Franklin: But?

Benjamin Rush: But the hospital is filthy. It stinks. Surely that breeds diseases. It's so bad that the hospital governors won't even meet there until the maids spend hours strewing sweet herbs and flowers in the hall and on the staircase.

But the patients have to live in it.

Ben Franklin: Deplorable for sure. Is it well lighted at least?

Benjamin Rush: No, there's only the occasional candle of leftover mutton fat. At night, there is hardly enough light to even see the patients, let alone to determine if they need help.

Anyway, many of the doctors don't even seem to care about the patients in the least. Some won't even touch a patient.

Ben Franklin: Is there no one to admire?

Benjamin Rush: Oh yes. Sir John Pringle is excellent. I especially admire his work in developing medical methods for the military.

Aunt Carole: As Franklin's guest, Benjamin was able to meet many famous people. Franklin also persuaded Benjamin to visit Paris, lending him money for the trip.

There, Benjamin was impressed by the charitable hospitals which provided care for the poor. On his way back to London, he stopped the stagecoach driver to deliver a baby for a homeless woman, leaving her money for food and lodging.

Then in 1769, Benjamin finally returned home to Philadelphia. But his family situation had changed. His mother, now in her 60s, was widowed again. And Rebecca, who had also lost her husband, now lived with her, as did Benjamin's brother Jacob.

Benjamin Rush: Mother, I want to make things easier for you. Why don't you come live with me?

Susanna Rush: Oh no, Benjamin. This house is so convenient, right across the street from my store.

Benjamin Rush: But I know it's a burden on you to have so many people in the house. Jacob, Rebecca, and her two boys?

Susanna Rush: But I love my grandsons!

Benjamin Rush: I'm sure you do, but still, the house is very crowded.

Susanna Rush: Well, why don't you have them live with you? Rebecca could keep house for you and the boys could be helpful.

Benjamin Rush: An excellent idea. I'll ask Rebecca. And Jacob can stay with me too, until he leaves for London to complete his studies. I've already acquired a servant.

Susanna Rush: You bought a slave?

Benjamin Rush: Never. You can't own another human being. God owns all of us. My servant William is a free man. It's a comfort to have you live with me, Rebecca. And Jacob too. I just...

Rebecca Rush: My dear brother, what's the matter? You look as if you just lost your last friend.

Benjamin Rush: Not at all. It's just that I've yet to acquire my first patient. Our family isn't prominent enough. And I don't have the patronage of any of the great men of the colony because Mama is just a storekeeper and Papa was only a gunsmith.

Rebecca Rush: What snobbery!

Benjamin Rush: Worse yet, the Episcopalians and Quakers won't associate with me because I'm Presbyterian. They scorn me. And the poor are scorned as well. So I will serve the poor.

Aunt Carole: Benjamin didn't have long to wait, however, for people who needed his services. When a series of epidemics hit the area, his reputation as a physician quickly grew.

Within six months, he was able to add some paying patients to his practice, and he repaid Ben Franklin's loan. He was also appointed the first professor of chemistry at the College of Philadelphia, which would become the University of Pennsylvania.

As time progressed, Benjamin published numerous articles on health, promoting the ideas of Dr. Cullen, his favorite professor from Edinburgh. This led to the enmity of many other physicians, including Dr. William Shippen Jr., who would become a lifelong thorn in Benjamin's side.

In the summer of 1775, after Rebecca remarried, 29-year-old Benjamin went to Princeton to visit his old acquaintance Richard Stockton.

Richard Stockton: And Benjamin, this is my daughter Julia. She is 16 and just home from boarding school. I believe you two have already met about 15 years ago.

Benjamin Rush: Indeed, Miss Stockton. The first time I saw you, I was compelled to hold you in my arms.

Julia Stockton: Well, you shan't do so today, sir.

Benjamin Rush: I would not dare to offend an educated young lady like yourself.

Julia Stockton: Are you one of those who believe females should not be taught, not even to read?

Benjamin Rush: Not at all, Miss Stockton. My own mother's education has stood her in good stead through the years.

Julia Stockton: I see.

Benjamin Rush: Actually, I believe women should be educated exactly the same as men.

Julia Stockton: I am very happy to hear that. It is a great pleasure to meet you, Benjamin Rush.

Aunt Carole: The courtship between Benjamin and Julia was a short one, but it led to a happy marriage despite the difference in the couple's ages.

Benjamin's friend, the Reverend Witherspoon, performed their wedding ceremony on January 11th, 1776, just six months before America's Declaration of Independence was signed.

The only question now was what adventures and challenges might lie before Benjamin and his bride during this exciting time in America's history.

Aunt Nikki: Wow, Uncle Jon, I guess we're going to have to wait for the second chapter in the life of Benjamin Rush to find the answer to that question.

Uncle Jon: Yes, I'm afraid we will, since our time for this episode seems to have disappeared.

Aunt Nikki: So join us again next time to hear the rest of Dr. Rush's story.

Uncle Jon: Until then, goodbye and remember we love you very much.