Benjamin Rush

Benjamin Rush (January 4, 1746 – April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States, a physician, educator, writer, and humanitarian. A signer of the Declaration of Independence and a civic leader in Philadelphia, Rush is considered the "Father of American Psychiatry" and was one of the most influential physicians in American history.

Early Life

Rush was born in Byberry Township in what is now Northeast Philadelphia. He was educated at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), where he graduated at age 14, and later studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, one of the leading medical schools of the era.

Revolutionary Service

Political Career

Rush was an early advocate for American independence. He:

• Signed the Declaration of Independence (1776)
• Served in the Continental Congress
• Served as Surgeon General of the Continental Army
• Was instrumental in reconciling the estranged friendship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in their later years

Medical Service

During the Revolutionary War, Rush served as a military physician. He advocated for improved sanitary conditions in military hospitals and was an early proponent of humane treatment for soldiers.

Medical Career

Physician and Professor

Rush established himself as Philadelphia's leading physician and professor of medicine. He:

• Became professor at the College of Philadelphia (later University of Pennsylvania)
• Helped establish the first medical school in America
• Trained thousands of physicians over his career
• Published influential medical texts

Yellow Fever Epidemic (1793)

During the devastating Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, Rush remained in Philadelphia when many others fled. He treated patients, experimented with treatments (controversially including bloodletting), and himself contracted and survived the disease.

His actions during the epidemic, while controversial medically, demonstrated his commitment to his patients and city.

Psychiatry

Rush is called the "Father of American Psychiatry" for his pioneering work with mental illness. He:

• Advocated humane treatment of the mentally ill
• Published Medical Inquiries and Observations upon the Diseases of the Mind (1812), the first American textbook on psychiatry
• Proposed that mental illness was a disease of the brain, not demonic possession

Humanitarian Work

Rush was involved in numerous reform movements:

• Abolition of slavery (he was a founder of the first American anti-slavery society)
• Prison reform
• Education reform
• Temperance movement
• Advocacy for free public schools

Civic Contributions

• Founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
• Helped establish the Philadelphia Dispensary (free medical care for the poor)
• Treasurer of the U.S. Mint (1797–1813)
• Helped found the Philadelphia College of Physicians

Death and Legacy

Rush died in Philadelphia in 1813 at age 67. He is buried in Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, alongside Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers.

His portrait appears on commemorative currency, and his contributions to medicine, psychiatry, and American independence ensure his place among Philadelphia's most significant historical figures.

See Also

• Declaration of Independence
• Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
• Christ Church
• Pennsylvania Hospital
• University of Pennsylvania