Dr. Benjamin Rush: The Founding Father Who Healed a Wounded Nation

by Harlow Giles Unger

A gripping, often startling biography of the Founding Father of an America that other Founding Fathers forgot--an America of women, African Americans, Jews, Roman Catholics, Quakers, indentured workers, the poor, the mentally ill, and war veterans

Ninety percent of Americans could not vote and did not enjoy rights to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness when our Founding Fathers proclaimed, "all men are created equal." Alone among those who signed the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Rush heard the cries of those other, deprived Americans and stepped forth as the nation's first great humanitarian and social reformer.

Remembered primarily as America's leading, most influential physician, Rush led the Founding Fathers in calling for abolition of slavery, equal rights for women, improved medical care for injured troops, free health care for the poor, slum clearance, citywide sanitation, an end to child labor, free universal public education, humane treatment and therapy for the mentally ill, prison reform, and an end to capital punishment.

Using archival material from Edinburgh, London, Paris, and Philadelphia, as well as significant new materials from Rush's descendants and historical societies, Harlow Giles Unger's new biography restores Benjamin Rush to his rightful place in American history as the Founding Father of modern American medical care and psychiatry.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, American History, American Revolution, Audiobook, Presidents

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 2018

About the author

Harlow Giles Unger is an American author, historian, journalist, broadcaster, and educator known for his extensive work on American history and education. Educated at the Taft School, Yale College, and California State University, Unger began his career as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune Overseas News Service in Paris. He later wrote for newspapers and magazines across Britain, Canada, and other countries, while also working in radio broadcasting and teaching English and journalism at New York-area colleges.
Unger has written over twenty-seven books, including ten biographies of America's Founding Fathers and a notable biography of Henry Clay. His historical works include Noah Webster: The Life and Times of an American Patriot, The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation’s Call to Greatness, and First Founding Father: Richard Henry Lee and the Call to Independence. He is also the author of the Encyclopedia of American Education, a three-volume reference work.
A former Distinguished Visiting Fellow in American History at Mount Vernon, Unger has lived in Paris and currently resides in New York City. An avid skier and horseman, he has spent time in Chamonix, France, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He has one son, Richard C. Unger.

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benjamin Rush was one of the 56 signors of the Declaration of Independence. Dr. Rush was one of the few highly trained physicians of this era. One thing that jumped out at me was that he fought for universal health care through-out this career, and we are still fighting for it all these years later.

The book is well written and researched. H. G. Unger benefitted from the many letters between Rush and his friend, John Adams. Adams was not only a prolific letter writer but he also kept his correspondence. Unger also had access to the prodigious published writings of Rush but also his voluminous correspondence. Unger details Rush’s early life, education, medical and political career. Dr. Rush was an advocate for public health, public sewers(sanitation) and for treating mental illness as a disease. During the Revolutionary War he served as medical officer for the Pennsylvania army. Rush also became involved in politics while fighting for proper care and supplies, etc., for the medical corp. I found the book easy to read and packed with information about medicine and public health in the early years of our country. I highly recommend this book to any history buff.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and four minutes. Robert Petkoff does a good job narrating the book. Petkoff is a stage actor and audiobook narrator. He has received the Audie Award and many Earphone Awards for his narrations.

[Breck Baumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an acclaimed biographer of numerous Founders, Harlow Giles Unger has once again delivered on a magnificent and agreeable account of one of the most measurable and unique signers of the Declaration of Independence—not to mention the medical community as a whole. The reader will be astounded by all of the triumphs held by Benjamin Rush both socially and medically, as well as his opinions and ingenuity that were vastly ahead of both his time and even that of the generations that followed.

He covers a chronological history beginning with Rush’s early years spent graduating at today’s Princeton by the age of 14, and then studying for an M.D. abroad at Edinburgh—where his Enlightenment principles come to fruition. It is also there in his travels that he meets the likes of such liberal thinkers as Benjamin Franklin, John Wilkes, Dr. Samuel Johnson, and Catherine Macaulay. He gains his notoriety as a leading force in the cause for liberty and social justice early on (and these seeds bloom later in life) with his calls for an end to child labor, equal women’s rights, abolition of slavery, and prison reform, to name but just a few. While his lapse in judgment over liberally prescribing bloodletting is discussed, Unger explains that Rush was monumental in his approaches to psychiatric health, as well as his appointment to the Continental Army as surgeon-general and leading reforms in military hygiene:

Not content with simply ending cruel treatment of the mentally ill, Rush established the first standards of hygiene in the hospital, ordering attendants to bathe patients regularly and keep beds and linens spotlessly clean. He dismissed aides who would not or could not respond to patients with care and kindness. He introduced and integrated recreational activities—quoits, chess, checkers, etc.—for his patients, and, for the first time in American medical history, he developed and provided occupational therapy—spinning, sewing, and churning for women; carpentry and other crafts for men—as an integral part of treatment.

Unger has a style that may appear short and to the point based on the average page-length of his current works published, yet all of these have turned out to be consistent page turners—full of fascinating and well-sourced study—and Dr. Benjamin Rush easily takes its place among them. The reader will find both closure and further curiosity as the final chapter comes to an end, as perhaps the only issue to be found is the want of more information on an enlightening Founder, whom accomplished so much in his passions for reform and equality, his advances to the medical field, and even the friendships that he held together. Four fascinating and distinct Appendix sections are provided, as well as over thirty illustrations including that of his boyhood home and the various figures who impacted and shaped his life.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got the impression that Unger fell into the biographer's trap of sympathizing a bit too strongly with the subject, because this biography came off as a bit too effusive. The most telling example of this is that when describing an incident in which William Cobbett campaigned against Rush for advocating bloodletting for yellow fever - something that actually does make things worse - Unger repeatedly describes Cobbett's attacks as irrational or as if they were some sort of personal vendetta. Obviously Rush had the best of intentions, but he lived in an era where doctors were very likely to make you worse rather than better, and he was a vociferous advocate for the very treatments most likely to make you worse!

Other than the fact that he was peddling dubious medicine, Rush's heart seemed to be in the right place, and if Unger is to be believed some of his general approach to patient care seems to have been a decent template for future generations of doctors. Still, I actually do find it a bit hard to believe Unger, who is very obviously painting Rush in a favorable light. I think I will need to read another biography of Rush to try and get a more balanced view.

2 of 5 stars

[Collin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really more of a 4.5 star

This being a historical non-fiction book - it is really, really good. It isn’t dry and my interest was easily kept the entire book.

I am skeptic that Rush genuinely held all of the progressive views that he did but it was impressive to read about how he worked (aside from medicine) to improve the lives of African Americans, women, those suffering from mental illness, and even caring enough to study Native populations and the way they live.

While, yes, Rush comes with plenty of positives and green flags - he does have quite the red flag in that he was a prolific supporter of bloodletting (in which you essentially bleed yourself in the hopes that it rids your body of disease.)

The historical aspect was valuable too because I was always more familiar with independence from Britain bringing sunshine and rainbows, but of course, that only really happened for the rich. Rush mainly tended to the poor, often not charging them fees for medical care.

Definitely worth a read!

[Matthew Richey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rush seems to have been a man of deep convictions, morality, and commitment. He erred on the side of action rather than sitting idly on the sideline (often for the better, sometimes for the worse). Rush was a committed Christian who was an abolitionist, humanitarian, and "ahead of his time" (I hate this phrase, but I'll use it because it'll communicate what I mean it to) in regard to the treatment of women (he advocated for the equal education of women, and was roundly mocked for such a "preposterous idea), the insane (he was the first to see and treat mental illness as a disease), and the treatment of criminals (he advocated for rehabilitation rather than punishment and greatly curbed the use of the death penalty for non-capital crimes).

I found Rush's life particularly interesting to reflect on as a doctor. Rush had a profound mostly positive effect on medical research and training in the United States. But he was an unapologetic advocate for blood-letting. During the yellow-fever pandemics in Philadephia, Rush worked tirelessly at risk to his own life (and almost lost his life in his fight) to save the population of Philadephia by draining quarts of blood from his patients. He was completely convinced of his theories and was often confirmed of the truth of his theories by the recovery of his patients. But, in reality, Rush likely contributed to the death toll by the bloodletting because it A) made people more susceptible to succumb and less likely to recover and B) because he did not sterilize his instruments, likely many were infected with other diseases. When the next summer less people died of yellow fever, he was convinced it was because he had been drawing MORE blood when in actuality it was because more people were immune. There is something sad about someone working so hard and sacrificially to save lives, who was convinced that that was what he did, when he was actually killing people.

The good he did do in the Yellow Fever epidemic was almost accidental. Rush successfully petitioned to have the streets cleaned because he was convinced that the smell of the garbage in the street was contributing to the disease. This was wrong - the real cause was mosquitos - but, happily, the street cleaning led to the removal of standing water thus convincing Rush of his errors and solving the problem at the same time. One cannot help but see perfect examples of confirmation bias at several points in Rush's life.

Much of what Rush did do was effective and contributed greatly to a scientific understanding of medicine. He was a good man with his share of blunders but no shortage of good intentions and a willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of others. Rush has been greatly neglected in proportion to his influence and importance as a founding father.

As a biography, this is first-rate. Short for a biography (250 pages) but interesting and engaging throughout. Well-worth the read.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only doctor to sign the Declaration of Independence, Rush served the young nation in a dizzying number of ways, not the least of which was ultimately healing the rift between fellow founders John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. So what else? Staunch abolitionist, supporter of public schools, prison reform, sanitation and humane treatment of the mentally ill, the "Father of American Psychiatry," fearless doctor to his patients, historian, author and mentor. There's even more in Unger's highly readable, jam-packed bio, including Rush's unfortunate over-reliance on bleeding his patients and occasionally poor political judgment/timing. He did not get it all right, but Rush did an extraordinary amount of good and his story is remarkable.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Benjamin Rush is a Founding Father that I’m happy to finally get to know. Famed historian, Harlow Giles Unger, delivers Rush from his inexplicable obscurity in this fine biography. The subtitle “The Founding Father who healed a wounded nation” is in no way hyperbole. If you love biography, you’re in for some pleasant reading. If you love early American history, you’re going to wonder how you’ve missed Dr. Rush for so long.

What an incredible person was Dr. Rush! He signed the Declaration of Independence, was dear friends with many of the more famous Founders and faced personal danger for favoring independence from Britain. He loved medicine and people and continually damaged his own finances to help the less fortunate. He was “first” in so many categories—humane treatment of wounded soldiers, medical treatment for the poor, prison reform, and psychiatry. He stood up to anyone it took, including Washington, to push these things he felt were right. Every chapter of this biography makes you admire him more.

Beyond just providing great biography, Unger skillfully handled the medical aspects of Rush’s life story. That Unger comes from a long line of doctors was a big help. Rush was involved in a few medical conflicts and was a proponent of “bleeding” patients. This biography will show that though bleeding was a mistaken treatment, it was based on the best medical science available. Rush studied hard and accumulated research that was a great help to later researchers. He was slandered unmercifully, yet never abandoned his medical calling.

Unger also relates Rush’s Christianity. He doesn’t probe it or determine it’s influence on who Rush was, but he doesn’t obscure the fact of it either. The reader can do his or her own analysis. I was fascinated at Rush’s efforts to get to the bottom of Jefferson’s beliefs. It almost amounted to witnessing. Jefferson respected him so much that he opened up to Rush when he usually preferred to keep his religious views to himself. Since Jefferson’s views were not too orthodox, Rush suggested they agree to disagree.

Another nugget of this biography is the relating of how Rush reached out to both Adams and Jefferson to mend their differences and reestablish their friendship. That healing was as profound as his medical work in the young nation. It appears that he was the only man both so respected that he could have pulled this off.

This biography is a treat. If you love early American history, it’s a must-have book. I loved it!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting look into not only the life of the prolific Dr. Benjamin Rush but on the establishment and early practices of medicine in the United States during the founding of the country. There is also a lot of page time devoted to the various diseases that were predominant in the country during this time and the debates on how to treat them as well. There is even commentary as to how history views those methods with hindsight. This is rather far outside my wheelhouse, so I learned a lot about things like the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, how they treated it and where the experts of the time were lacking in their knowledge and research. I found it all fascinating. Unger does an excellent job creating a narrative drive to the book with regular side tangents to expand on key moments in the nation’s history and in the life of Dr. Rush.

[Joseph Adelizzi, Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feared I had just dated Joe Manganiello after I recently finished the excellent Benjamin Rush biography written by Stephen Fried. In a recent commercial Mr. Manganiello’s spouse, Sofia Vergara, warns never to date Joe Manganiello because he ruins all other men forever, and likewise I thought reading Fried’s Rush biography had ruined all other Rush biographies forever. However, I decided to throw caution to the wind and read Harlow Giles Unger’s just released Dr. Benjamin Rush: The Founding Father Who Healed a Wounded Nation.

Stephen Fried’s Rush biography retains its dominance over all other Rush biographies I’ve read to date, including this latest Unger work. However, that is not to say Unger’s work is second rate. Unger’s Rush biography is excellent in its own right and is different by nature than Fried’s fine work. To me Fried’s work is more comprehensive, more representative of the genre “biography” in that it portrays every facet of Benjamin Rush’s life, and presents the life of Benjamin Rush with context and verisimilitude. Unger’s work, on the other hand, feels to be more of an apology (i.e., a defense) or interpretation of aspects of Dr. Rush’s life ranging from his choice of medical techniques and practices, to the influences of his religious affiliations and beliefs, even going so far as to present an interesting, if fleeting, apology of Rush’s purchase of a slave named William* which warrants further research. Unger’s work addresses several questions I’ve had since I began researching the life of Dr. Rush, and Unger’s answers are well reasoned, supported, and thought provoking.

So, is Fried’s biography of Benjamin Rush head and shoulders above Unger’s? The answer depends on what you are looking for in a biography. So, with all due respect to Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello, don’t make the mistake I almost made - don't pass on the Unger biography because you’ve read the Fried biography. Both works are well worth the read.



* Unger never mentions William’s full name. It seems to have been “Gruber” per Alyn Brodsky or “Grubber” per Stephen Fried and David Freeman Hawke.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

American history tends to emphasize the lives of a select group of Founding Fathers and largely ignore others. Benjamin Rush falls into the latter category, but as Unger documents, this neglect is unjustified.

Benjamin Rush was born on December 24, 1745, near Philadelphia. He completed medical training at the University of Edinburgh, and practiced for a while in London, where he became friends with Benjamin Franklin. When he returned to Philadelphia to work, his ties to Franklin helped him establish relationships with many leading thinkers in the American colonies.

Rush encouraged Thomas Paine to write the pamphlet, “Common Sense,” suggested the title to Paine, contributed ideas for its contents, and helped distribute it. Rush was one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, an act of treason at that time that could have gotten him executed.

In 1776 at age 31, Rush married 16-year-old Julia Stockton, with whom he eventually fathered 13 children, although four died shortly after birth. (One of his sons, Richard, born in 1780, later served in the cabinets of James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor.) Since Rush was away a lot on either medical or political duties, much of what we know of his life comes from his voluminous correspondence with Julia.

During the Revolutionary War, Rush clashed with just about everyone in power over the need for better medical supplies and treatment of injured soldiers, but since George Washington couldn’t even get clothes or food for the troops, “luxuries” such as medical care inevitably fell by the wayside.

Rush was a devout Presbyterian, and his religious faith led him to join the abolitionist movement in Philadelphia, and to help raise money for the African Episcopal Church of Philadelphia.

Unger apprises us that Rush made a great deal of innovations in medicine in the early years of America, including a campaign to treat mental conditions as illnesses rather than crimes (Rush was later dubbed the “father of American psychiatry” by the American Psychiatric Association); a push for geriatric medicine; and encouragement of veterinary medicine, inter alia. He fought for better conditions in prisons, more sanitation in city streets, education for women, and free medical care for the poor. He was appointed to a professorship to the Philadelphia Medical School (which later merged with the University of Pennsylvania Medical School), and wrote the first American chemistry textbook (one of over 85 publications, not including letters and essays).

Rush met John Adams in 1774 and they became close friends, despite the fact that Rush was also close to Jefferson - Adams's ideological opposite, whom Rush met in 1775. Late in life, Rush convinced Jefferson and Adams to reconcile and to begin to correspond with one another again.

Unger spends a great deal of time in the book on Rush’s devotion to the practice of bloodletting for the treatment of just about anything, but especially yellow fever, which was particularly a problem in the hot Philadelphia summers. Rush drew an association between pools of stagnant water and the disease, but had no idea it was the mosquitoes drawn to the water that caused the malady; rather, he thought it was due to inhaling the bad air from the stagnant water. Nevertheless, by his advocacy for better city sanitation, he inadvertently helped eliminate some mosquito breeding grounds. But his obsessive push for bleeding as well as purging of the bowels through calomel (a mercury compound) garnered him vociferous opponents. This “depletion therapy” was based on his belief that all diseases were caused by friction between the blood and blockage of bile in the intestines. Rush was dogmatic, determined, and convinced he had been chosen by God to save people.

An article for the Lancaster Pennsylvania Medical Heritage Museum by Eli Schneck notes:

“His excessive bloodletting and heroic purges with calomel were so extreme that his patients died before they showed signs of mercury poisoning, leading him to believe that people were dying of the disease instead of prescription cure.”<

One persistent critic, William Cobbett, published relentless attacks on Rush and his treatment in his newspaper, “Porcupine’s Gazette.” In 1799, Rush brought a successful libel suit against Cobbett.

He thereby survived (however unjustifiably) the attacks on his credibility and continued to teach depletion theory as standard medical practice. Schneck writes:

“As a gifted lecturer and prolific writer, his theory of medicine spread across the United States and Western Europe. He influenced over 3,000 students at the College of Philadelphia Medical School over the course of his 40 years of teaching. His students and writings are responsible for the infamous heroic age of medicine where patients were bled and purged with a ferocity and horror never seen before in medicine.”

Thus, in 1799, when former President George Washington became ill with an acute respiratory illness, his death was hastened by the removal of over eighty ounces of blood (some 40% of the total blood composition) from his body.

Rush died on April 19, 1813, of “typhus,” which in those days was a rather generic term and could have been pneumonia.

Evaluation: Rush’s legacy is interesting and complex. Unger obviously admires Rush a great deal. But as Baylor Medical Professor Robert North opined:

“Benjamin Rush has been hailed as 'the American Sydenham' [Thomas Sydenham was an influential English physician in the 1600s], 'the Pennsylvania Hippocrates,' the 'father of modern psychiatry,' and the founder of American medicine. The American Medical Association erected a statue of him in Washington, DC, the only physician so honored. A medical school is named after him. He was a prolific and facile writer and a very influential teacher. Yet, the only enduring mark he has left on the history of American medicine is his embarrassing, obdurate, messianic insistence, in the face of all factual evidence to the contrary, on the curative powers of heroic depletion therapy. Rush's thinking was rooted in an unscientific revelation as to the unitary nature of disease, which he never questioned. He viewed nature as a treacherous adversary to be fought on the battleground of his patients' bodies.”

It is presumably because of his controversial medical career that his many contributions to the early political development of the country have been overlooked. Thanks to Unger, a prolific historian of the founding fathers, this omission may be remedied.

[Donnis Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! As a physician I’m truly disappointed that I was never taught about this great man. Not only was he a Founding Father of this great country, United States of America, he consider the Father of American Medicine, Father of the field Psychiatry, Father American veterinarian medicine, Father, Occupational Therapy just to name a few. He should be considered one of the greatest humanitarians ever to live.

[Audreyg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent biography of a little-known Founding Father. Had no idea of his place in modern medicine (including psychiatry), let alone his anti-slavery and pro equal rights for women stance.

Considering how he spent most of his time away from his wife, I wonder how they managed to have 13 children!

[Craig Adamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s another thoroughly researched look back at an amazing American. How can it be that such a fledgling British colony could produce so many extraordinary men for the Time?

I knew of several of Benjamin Rush‘s accomplishments as a physician, but I had no idea of the extent of his influence Over the medical community auto in this country buddy in Europe. At a time where no electricity, reliable, transportation, and squalor abounded.

Rush seemingly work 24 hours a day seven days a week. If he slept more than six hours a night, I would be even more amazed at the pace in which he lived his life. The speed and intensity, in which he was able to see so many patients (especially during the Yellow Fever Outbreak) as well as later handwrite his notes is a tremendous feat fee could match. Much of this attention to detail helped his research as well as helping him write numerous medical texts and starting work in fields such as geriatrics and psychiatry.

Again, this is quite a story, and the author did a wonderful job of assembling all sorts of family history to pull the story together. The drawbacks, although minor, do detract from the story at times. Since the author is a doctor himself, and comes from a long line of doctors, there is definitely a doctor-bias through the first part of the book (that eventually seems to be corrected). Eventually the author is able to acknowledge Rush’s limitations and failures as a physician. Granted, there are not many, and as the author points out several serious ones. However, much of this “erroneous work” could be excused for the Time, as technology and scientific discovery of certain things were not to occur for decades into the future. In certain parts of the book, the author goes into “Superfan mode,” and eventually is able to find his way back out to give them more measured view.

Another drawback of the book is these social causes in which Dr. Rush championed. None of those causes could have been promoted much better by a more able and respected person. However the author tries to tie too many things to current day Events. I just think that’s a big stretch for a man who lived 200 years ago. It’s all the more ironic that the author discusses John Adams frustrations with the rewriting of history at that very time, which was only 10 to 20 years in the past. And yet this author 200 years later is trying to influence the past utilizing today’s historical lens. I think that type of analysis is important and a worthy discussion, but the editor should have remove that from this book, or allowed the author space to write more of his personal commentary and opinions in an addendum for authors notes.

Those small drawbacks should not keep somebody from discovering the wonderful life of Dr. Rush. Our country is very fortunate to of had him as a founding father and citizen of not just Philadelphia but of America.

My sideline opinion (that I just criticize the author for) would be that in nearly every single case, a very strong and devoted spouse like Julia rush is found behind the scenes. And while I’m grateful for Dr. Rush’s service in order to do and accomplish all he did his wife and children had to do without. And that’s always a shame that they had to be the ones to sacrifice. And yet in this example, all of his kids turned out well and were high, achieving save for his son, John, who while achieving much, had a mental breakdown. It is unlikely that I have any father home full-time would’ve prevented this. In other cases children may have turned out much different with attention, love, and support which cannot be received from an absent father.

[Elan Garfias]

If you think Ben Franklin was cool, Ben Rush is even cooler. As one of the preeminent physicians of his time, he first stands out as someone who worked constantly, especially when compared to the leisure class of Southern slaveocrats and Northern merchants. His lifelong commitment to providing free medical to Philadelphia's urban poor is truly incredible, a practice he continued at disastrous financial expense and in the midst of a yellow fever epidemic wherein most of the city's doctors fled. An abolitionist before it was cool, he further singled himself out by advocating not only universal public education, but the extension of that system to the nation's girls. In the nascent republic he stands out for his contributions as the father of American psychiatry, leading the movement to reforms Pennsylvania's sanatoria and asylums, and extended that same warmth and compassion to prisoners. In a dramatic stroke of tragedy, he ended up committing one of his own sons (one of 13 like an absolute G). Though loosely affiliated with the Jeffersonian movement, he maintained connections across both sides of the aisle, and instigated the rapprochement ("epistolary intercourse" how cool is that) between Adams and Jefferson that was to last over a decade. This book does a great job of threading the needle through his life by interspersing it with the history of the early Republic. I found particularly interesting the author's account of corruption within the Continental Army's procurement system (when Rush fought an often losing battle to reform the Army's hospitals), and the insane Citizen Genet Affair as it passed through the capital. I vaguely remember that from APUSH but look it up it's actually crazy. Rush also played a role in the Lewis and Clark expedition at the President's request, briefing the expedition on medical procedures and informing their anthropological research. It's so hard to find Founding Fathers who withstand the scrutiny of history, so much so that maybe we just shouldn't. Most often they were either slaveholders (basically all the Southerners), or completely beholden to the financial class (Hamilton, Sam Adams), or just had startlingly bad politics (John Adams). A few of them were genuinely paragons and did walk the walk. Franklin always seems to stand out in that regard, and Rush even more so. All of this makes sense given PA's relatively enlightened foundation compared to most other states. He may have been a little irrationally committed to bleeding as treatment for just about everything, but he exemplified the noblest kind of doctor, and the breadth of his compassion extended even to the animals, the recipient of his advocacy of veterinary medicine, virtually unknown in the country at the time.

[James Vitarius · Rating 4 out of 5]

People afraid to leave their homes or fleeing metropolitan areas for the countryside. In the midst of horrible epidemic, riots in the city, calls to end health care disparities, and fake news abounds. 2020? No. 1793 Philadelphia, during one of America's worst yellow fever outbreaks. File it under, the more things change, the more they stay the same...
Harlow Giles Unger's biography of Benjamin Rush, in addition to its extensive documentation of the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, is an well-written, well-sourced account of one of America's greatest physicians. The only M.D. signer of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Rush was not only a founding father and influential physician, he was abolitionist and advocate for equal healthcare access for the poor, prison reform, and universal public education. While too much space in this book is devoted to reviewing basic American history that has little pertinence to Benjamin Rush's career, I recommend this book to anyone interested in medical history, American history, or the intersection of both.

[Vincent T. Ciaramella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for any book about someone involved with the Deceleration of Independence. When I saw that Mr. Unger was writing a book about Dr. Rush, I was really excited. Harlow Giles Unger is one of my three favorite living historians and his books are always a treat.

I really enjoyed reading about the life of Dr. Rush, although his medical practice today sounds like the the Steve Martin "Barber" character from Saturday Night Live. Stub you toe? Then a good bleeding will cure that!

While we cannot fault Rush for his ignorance on blood letting, there was those during his life that felt he was more butcher than doctor. William Cobbett really had it in for Dr. Rush. That was my favorite part of the book as well, the ongoing battle between the two.

Why 4 and not 5 stars? We'll, it was a cool book but I doubt I would re-read it again. I will keep it though with my collection of books that deal with all things the Deceleration of Independence.

[Dkettmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing work,... I listened to the audiobook version which was excellent.

I had a vague idea whom Dr Rush was from various historical documentaries (Ken Burns' Lewis and Clark and related diaries comes to mind ) which might mention the tablets provided by Dr Rush. This book shines a wonderful bright light on this person who was so key to mindset of revolutionary movers and shakers, yet is hardly studied.

Dr Rush was a friend of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and other heavy hitters of the time. The first part of this book gives the background and early life of Dr Rush. As it hits a wonderful stride halfway through, it brings in his relations with the founding fathers and his influence with them. Here it shines brightest. The book's ability to transport back to a time that seems so alien is noteworthy. To make Mr Rush so relatable, is a great achievement. Highly recommended for fans of historical biography.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this book and found it to be more informative about the reasons for blood letting as a treatment for fevers and other maladies, it was not as good as the other book about Dr. Benjamin Rush by Freid, also published in September 2018. Freid's book focused on the revolutionary treatments that Rush devised for the treatment of the mentally ill. Unger's book does not ignore this aspect of Rush's medical practice, but it was not a focus and I believe that in Unger's book, Rush suffers from the over emphasis on the blood letting and under emphasis on Rush's treatment of the disturbed and insane. Still, if you're interested in learning about this Founding Father from Philadelphia, this is a must read.

[The Logophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Benjamin Rush's name has come up in pretty much every early American biography I have had the pleasure of reading so I was super excited to learn more about him. I actually enjoyed the book, & would've given 3.5 stars if I could, but because he only had a small (albeit significant) role in the founding of our country most of the book focused on his life as a doctor, reformer, abolitionist, etc. (which was pretty amazing). However, there is only so much one can say about the yellow fever epidemics & the creation of schools, hospitals, prisons, etc. I've read a few Unger books & have enjoyed them (I HIGHLY recommend his Lafayette bio) & think anyone who is just getting into history would benefit greatly by reading his books.

[Marc Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid beginning and ending to this biography of an often-overlooked Founding Father. Wish that Unger would have spect more time writing about the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the fighting of the Revolutionary War, when Dr Rush did alot of important work for our burgeoning nation. Most of the book was dedicated to his medical career (which was pretty interesting, overall) but I wanted to learn more about the birth of our nation and not so much about the smallpox epidemic in Philadelphia from 1793 and 1794. Still, a solid 4-star book !!!

[Bob Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and well written, this biography provides insights into the life and contributions of a brilliant man and a key Founding Father of the United States. Rush’s contributions to medicine, humanity, education, politics and much more should be taught in early education to both inform and inspire. I would have like more details of his scientific and medical work, but the references are all provided so there is guidance for self exploration.

[Leah Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the book but still can't like Rush. The book certainly gives you a lot to ponder. Rush being known for his common practice of bleeding probably killed many patients. To me this begs the question "Does good intention make up for negligent actions?". I found it fascinating that he had orcastrated the reunion of Adam's and Jeffersons friendship. So much I didn't know about Rush. He had so many admirable qualities yet so many flaws. Overall a great read!

[Robert Sperduto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Rush wanted to be involved with many areas of medicine, political life and helping others in need. He signed the Declaration of Independence, worked as a doctor in the revolutionary war and helped others with their struggles. His treatment of smallpox with bleeding was so bad it probably killed many, but he was so close to finding out how this disease was transmitted. Interesting person to read about. Enjoy the book.

[Jean Mehochko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew nothing about Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and, more importantly, a passionate, brilliant physician who advocated tirelessly for patients, physicians, the mentally ill, incarcerated and even whole cities. Very interesting insight into early medicine and the beginning of the U.S.A.

[Cora Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book based off the letters of the Doctor. It describes his personal, family, medical, and patriot roles. It also includes his role in supporting the first Two African American Churches in America. It reflects a complex individual who was both friends and foes of various founding fathers.

[Liz Thorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would rate this 4.5. Excellent and informative book. Made me think that it is too bad that the founding fathers couldn’t find a solution to abolishing slavery prior to becoming an independent nation. It would have solved a lot of problems for the next 200+ years! Dr. Rush was an amazing and selfless man.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. Dr. Rush’s involvement in American history is very underrated. He was a committed Christian and tireless social reformer. His service to his nation during the Revolution and afterwards is worthy of respect.

[Paul Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to an overlooked Founding Father. Though there are more thorough biographies of him out there, this one is a good place to start for those who might not be familiar with Dr. Rush.

[Marianne Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful writing about a little-known colonial patriot who should never be forgotten. Because of this story, I strolled over a hidden cemetery in Philadelphia just to see Dr. Rush's grave and to smile.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief, interesting and well-written account of the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Rush signer of the Declaration of Independence, founder of American medicine and psychiatry, abolitionist, advocate for prison reform, and personal helper and physician to the poor.