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Nathaniel Peabody (March 30, 1774 – January 1, 1855) was an American physician and dentist from
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
and
Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one ...
, having studied at
Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...
in the class of 1800. Peabody was described as an "experimentally minded doctor and dentist". He began his medical practice using "heroic" practices of large amounts of
emetic Vomiting (also known as emesis, puking and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, preg ...
and
purgative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...
medicines. For instance, a patient could become very sick or die from mercury poisoning of a purgative called
calomel Calomel is a Mercury element, mercury chloride mineral with Chemical formula, formula Hg2Cl2 (see mercury(I) chloride). It was used as a medicine from the 16th to early 20th century, despite frequently causing mercury poisoning in patients. The ...
. Upon becoming familiar with the work of Dr.
Samuel Hahnemann Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann ( , ; 10 April 1755 – 2 July 1843) was a German physician, best known for creating the pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine called homeopathy. Early life Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann w ...
, Peabody used botanical medicines in small doses to treat his patients, which reduced the side effects and potential death from the heroic practices. Dentistry was a relatively new field when Peabody became a dentist. He wrote the book ''The Art of Preserving Teeth'' in 1824 and in the 1830s he used hypnosis as a pain management technique for teeth extractions. He was father of three intellectual women:
Elizabeth Palmer Peabody Elizabeth Palmer Peabody (May 16, 1804January 3, 1894) was an American educator who opened the first English-language kindergarten in the United States. Long before most educators, Peabody embraced the premise that children's play has intrinsic d ...
, Mary Tyler Peabody Mann, and Sophia Amelia Peabody Hawthorne.


Early life

Nathaniel Peabody was born in 1774 in
Topsfield, Massachusetts Topsfield is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,569 at the 2020 census. Topsfield is located in the North Shore region of Massachusetts. Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Topsfie ...
, the second of eight children born to Mary Potter Peabody and Isaac Peabody, an illiterate tailor. He was descended from John Paybody of
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
of 1635, and in early Massachusetts records, the name of these ancestors was often spelled Pabodie. Nathaniel Peabody was a member of one of the prominent families known as the
Boston Brahmin The Boston Brahmins are members of Boston's historic upper class. From the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, they were often associated with a cultivated New England accent, Harvard University, Anglicanism, and traditional Britis ...
s. Of his siblings, all but John remained in New Hampshire. Captain John Peabody was a sailor who lived between voyages with his family in
Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one ...
. From the age of nine, he grew up in
New Boston, New Hampshire New Boston is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,108 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 5,321 at the 2010 census. New Boston ...
, where his father established a farm. Peabody helped clear the land and labored on the house, starting with the stonework for the cellar. Peabody planned to get an education so that he was not held down by a life as a poor farmer in New Hampshire like his father, and later siblings. It is unknown how he was schooled in his boyhood to be accepted by an academy and to pay tuition, but Peabody attended
Atkinson Academy Atkinson Academy is a public elementary school at 17 Academy Avenue in Atkinson, New Hampshire. It is a part of the Timberlane Regional School District. Built in 1803, it is claimed to be the oldest standing co-educational school in the United St ...
in
Atkinson, New Hampshire Atkinson is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,087 at the 2020 census. It is located 34 miles north of Boston, and part of the Greater Boston region. History Atkinson's history dates back to the Am ...
operated by Rev. Stephen Peabody. At the school, he gained the reputation of being a man of good character and intelligence. Peabody attended
Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...
and was a member of
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
. He graduated in 1800.


Andover and Billerica

Peabody met Elizabeth (Eliza) Palmer, the granddaughter of Joseph Palmer, a general during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, in early 1800 while he was still at Dartmouth. Eliza encouraged their relationship through letter-writing, sharing her poetry with him, mending his clothes, and giving him handmade gifts. A few residents of
Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was Settler, settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''Encyclopedia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed. ...
, founded a co-educational school, North Parish School, and Rev. Stephen Peabody hired Peabody to teach the boys and Eliza to teach the girls beginning January 1801. Eliza's health deteriorated due to the workload of preparing for and teaching classes and the strain from rumors about the two teachers. She went to the home of her aunt Elizabeth Palmer Cranch in Milton for a couple of months to recuperate and returned to the school in Andover in the summer of 1802. Peabody and Eliza were married on November 2, 1802 in Andover. Eliza realized that her husband had a hard time adjusting to a life off of the farm and what she called his "constitutional timidity" meant that he had a hard time living up to the educational progress that he had made at the academy. In their first year of marriage, Eliza took in her youngest brother George (14) and sister Catherine (11) and opened a boardinghouse for students. In April 1804, the couple moved to
Billerica Billerica ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 42,119 according to the 2020 census. It takes its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England. History In the early 1630s, a Praying Indian ...
, where Peobody was an apprentice to Dr. Pemberton to become a physician. They lived on a farm, where Eliza opened a school. The Peabodys had their first daughter one month after the move.


Cambridge and Lynn

In 1806, the Peobody's moved to
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
, to further Peabody's medical career. He was an apprentice to Dr.
John Jeffries John Jeffries (5 February 1744 – 16 September 1819 using Old Style Dating, 5 February 1745 – 16 September 1819 using New Style) was an American physician, scientist, and military surgeon with the British Army in Nova Scotia and New York du ...
, a well-educated physician and attended lectures at
Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
. Eliza gave birth to Mary and she taught a few children in their home. One year later, the family moved to
Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest List of municipalities in Massachusetts, municipality in Massachusetts, United States, and the largest city in Essex County, Massachusetts, Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line ...
, where Peabody practiced medicine and Eliza was director of a girl's academy, which became difficult to do while also taking care of her daughters.


Salem

In May 1808, the Peabodys moved to
Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one ...
, where wealthy families were potential clients for Peabody's medical practice and Eliza's school. Eliza had entry into society as a member of an intellectual family and granddaughter of General Joseph Palmer of the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
. Salem was a port town with "sleek sailing ships", brick mansions, wealthy merchants, and the
Salem Athenaeum The Salem Athenaeum, founded in 1810, is one of the oldest membership libraries in the United States. The Athenaeum is located at 337 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts in the McIntire Historic District. In 2023, the athenaeum successfully co ...
library. Unfortunately, the
Embargo Act of 1807 The Embargo Act of 1807 was a general trade embargo on all foreign nations that was enacted by the United States Congress. Much broader than the ineffectual 1806 Non-importation Act, it represented an escalation of attempts to persuade Br ...
against France and England stopped most sailing voyages from Salem and reduced revenues for merchants. The family lived predominantly in Salem from 1808 to 1840, with two years in
Lancaster, Massachusetts Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population ...
from 1820 to 1822 and in Boston from 1828 to 1840. Peabody's brother Captain John Peabody, married in 1807 to Elizabeth Manning, lived in Salem. They spent time together, enjoying their growing families and supporting one another. John loaned Peabody money as he built his medical practice. When John was sailing for months at a time, Peabody looked in on his wife. Eliza operated a school and boarding house for girls out of the family's row house along Union Street. She engaged young women who received an education and a place to live in exchange for their domestic work. In 1817 and 1818, Peabody sat on the Salem School Committee. In 1834, he managed the Salem Lyceum.


Medical practice

In 1811, Peabody became a member of the
Massachusetts Medical Society The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) is the oldest continuously operating state medical association in the United States. Incorporated on November 1, 1781, by an act of the Massachusetts General Court, the MMS is a non-profit organization t ...
. Although he had not attained a medical degree, he may have been accepted due to his training under Dr. John Jeffries and having five years experience in his medical practice. Peabody was the secretary for the Medical Society in 1817. In the 1820s, Peabody adopted homeopathic medical practices of Dr.
Samuel Hahnemann Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann ( , ; 10 April 1755 – 2 July 1843) was a German physician, best known for creating the pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine called homeopathy. Early life Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann w ...
of Germany. Rather than leaning on
emetic Vomiting (also known as emesis, puking and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, preg ...
s and
purgative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...
s that were considered "heroic" practices, Peabody adopted the use
sassafras ''Sassafras'' is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia.Wolfe, Jack A. & Wehr, Wesley C. 1987. The sassafras is an ornamental tree. "Middle Eo ...
, belladonna,
henbane Henbane (''Hyoscyamus niger'', also black henbane and stinking nightshade) is a poisonous plant belonging to tribe Hyoscyameae of the nightshade family ''Solanaceae''. Henbane is native to Temperate climate, temperate Europe and Siberia, and natu ...
, horehound,
aconite Aconite may refer to: *''Aconitum'', a plant genus containing the monkshoods *Aconitine Aconitine is an alkaloid toxin produced by various plant species belonging to the genus ''Aconitum'' (family Ranunculaceae), commonly known by the names wo ...
, and snake venom to treat patients. The medicines were administered in small doses so that patients did not have the ill effects and potential deaths from large doses of medicine used in heroic practice.


Dental practice

Peabody also worked in the relatively new practice of dentistry, experimenting with new dental practices. While the family lived in Boston, Peabody kept a dental office in Salem. Peabody published the book, ''The Art of Preserving Teeth'', in 1824. In the 1830s, Peabody used hypnosis as a pain management technique for extractions. By 1837, Peabody had a dental practice and lived on Charter Street, near the Charter Street Burying Point (now in the
Charter Street Historic District The Charter Street Historic District encompasses a small remnant of the oldest part of Salem, Massachusetts that has since been surrounded by more modern development. It includes three properties on Charter Street: the Pickman House, the Gr ...
).


Boston

The family moved to Boston in 1840, living on West Street near
Boston Common The Boston Common is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by five major Boston streets: Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street, Charl ...
. Peabody practiced medicine and his children pursued their own careers in homeopathic drugs, book sales and publishing, and art.


Family life

The Peabodys were a two-income family. Peabody was an apothecary, doctor, and dentist. Eliza advocated for preschool child education and taught school. Eliza believed in the value of educated women, generally and as mothers. She said "the fate of our Country, is in some degree dependent, upon the education of its females." They had three daughters, all intellectual women:
Elizabeth Palmer Peabody Elizabeth Palmer Peabody (May 16, 1804January 3, 1894) was an American educator who opened the first English-language kindergarten in the United States. Long before most educators, Peabody embraced the premise that children's play has intrinsic d ...
, Mary Tyler Peabody Mann, and Sophia Amelia Peabody Hawthorne. They had three sons, Nathaniel, George Francis, and Wellington Peabody. George and Wellington died in their twenties. Wellington studied medicine in
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
when he contracted and died of yellow fever in September 1837. George contracted spinal tuberculosis and was bedridden for two years before he died in November 1839 at the Peabody house in Salem. Nathaniel sold homeopathic medicine to support his wife and children in the 1840s. Later, Nathaniel relied on his sister Elizabeth for his livelihood. Sophia's husband, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote "Rappaccini's Daughter", a short story in 1844. There are several theories about who Hawthorne modeled Rappaccinni, who poisoned his daughter, after. One theory is that Rappaccini was modeled after Peabody. Sophia suffered from teething as a baby and later from migraine headaches. She was said to have been treated by Peabody with his experimental regime of homeopathic medicine that was poisonous. One of the medicines he administered to her was
calomel Calomel is a Mercury element, mercury chloride mineral with Chemical formula, formula Hg2Cl2 (see mercury(I) chloride). It was used as a medicine from the 16th to early 20th century, despite frequently causing mercury poisoning in patients. The ...
, a purgative containing mercury that could cause sickness or death. She was treated by other physicians in the 1820s with
quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to ''Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg ...
,
arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...
, and other medicines.


Death

Eliza died in January 1853. Peabody died on January 1, 1855, in
Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in northeastern Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area, New York Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city' ...
.


References


Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Peabody, Nathaniel 1774 births 1855 deaths 19th-century American physicians 19th-century American dentists American homeopaths People from colonial Boston Dartmouth College alumni Harvard Medical School alumni