This physician was somewhat primitive in terms of his medical approaches, but he authored the first American textbook in a field of science and is considered to be a pioneer in psychiatry. He also assisted with preparations for a famous expedition and provided powerful pills that have been a boon to archaeologists investigating the route. Who was this man and for what, besides medicine, is he well known? And what were those pills?

teash

The physician was Dr. Benjamin Rush. The expedition was Lewis and Clark. The pills were laxatives made of more than 50% mercury, which the corps called "thunderclappers". Their meat-rich diet and lack of clean water during the expedition gave the men cause to use the pills. The high mercury content provided an excellent tracer for archaeologists trying to determine the corps' actual route to the Pacific. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Rush He was also famous because he signed the Declaration of Independence. Aug 03 06, 6:46 PM

lanfranco

Excellent, teash, so you get the silver mace. Nice Peale portrait on the Wiki site, isn't it? I can just imagine those archaeologists analyzing the "Corps of Discovery" coprolite. Aug 03 06, 7:08 PM