Nervous Diseases (Derangement) Pages 28-31
Here are the sections of Benjamin's Book on Nervous Diseases. You will note the word "Derangement" added on the top of page 29. Click the image to view it larger.
A Sketch of the Author's Life
The second part of Benjamin's Book contains a quick biography of his life. This part of the manuscript has been the most fascinating for me, because it confirms so many things we suspected -- like the fact that he is indeed the son of Abram Moses Mordecai -- but also throws a few wrenches into things -- like the fact that he was born in 1800 and not 1809 as we previously thought.
I've seen disrepancies in birthdates before, but never one as large as 9 years. Still, I have to assume that Benjamin would have known his own birthdate, so I think it more likely the date provided in census data or his death information is wrong.
Here is the transcription of these pages:
A Sketch of the Author’s Life
I was born in the Cherokee Nation, March 20th in 1800. My grandfather was a chief of the Cherokee Nation his name was Doublehead, my grandmother was a white woman her name was Patsy Doublehead. My father was a Dutch Jew, his name was Abram Moses Mordeceai, he came to the Nation in 1793, where he married my mother. They had nine children of which I was the oldest.
In the year of 1812 the war broke out and we were obliged to fly to Georgia for protection from the hostile Creek Indians. After the war ended, we returned to the Nation. After we returned, I went to school to the missionaries where I learned to read and write. After I left the missionaries I went to Mobile to school. When I returned to the Nation I was employed by a Catabawa Indian, whose name was Walking Bear. I dug roots for this Indian two years, he was a very successful man in his practice. All the knowledge he had was gained by experience. It was a curious fact that a man without any guide but his own experience to effect such cures. He cured nearly every one that was brought to him. While I resided with him, he went to the city of Washington after his return I became his student, I staid with him three years.
In the year 1823, I again returned to Mobile, where I staid with a doctor by the name of Shuffield nine months. This man served me many mean tricks, while I was curing his patients, he was pocketing the money. I advise all patients to beware of a Yankee. After being duped by this Yankee, I returned to my own Nation. After this I studied under a Cherokee Indian Doctor for two years, when he was murdered by the white men, this man was very kind and skillful, I hardly thought before this time that the whites were capable of such barbarities. After the death of my old friend I again returned to Georgia and commenced practicing. I did not use any mercurial preparations in my practice and the consequence was I met with opposition on every hand from the old school or calomel doctors. I advise all to beware of mercurial and mineral medicines. These poisons, instead of removing the disorder, for to relief of which they are administered, only tend to confirm the disease more strongly, dooming the victim to slow but certain death. The great God of heaven, in his vegetable kingdom, has provided remedies for the treatment of all manner of diseases, to which the afrail constitution of man is subject. I speak this not from my own alone, but from the experiences of hundreds of others who have been snatched, as it were, from the grave by the use of vegetable medicines. But I have regressed from my subject.
After staying in Georgia about one year, I then returned to Mobile where I found a medicine college had been organized during my absence, there physicians were followers of the celebrate Doctor Thomson. I immediately took a course of lectures which lasted nine months. It may not be amiss to state, that I was very much respected by all classes of community because I was a red man. I shall always be under obligation to Doctors Everett and Clark who took a great deal of trouble to instruct me, both in language and physic.
The Indians who came to this college for instruction were allowed to hear the lectures and verbal instruction free of charge. After finishing my course of lectures at this college, I went to the Creek Nation, where I practiced under a Creek doctor for six months, here I learned a great deal of valuable and interesting knowledge. Ever since that time I have lived among the whites.
I have cured many of all kinds of diseases, and I hope, by the grace of God, to cure many more, the remedies mentioned in the following work, are not conclusions drawn merely from theory, but the result of successful practice of many years. The more a person studies the products of the vegetable kingdom, the more he finds remaining to be learned.
- Benjamin Moses Mordeceai
Here is the transcription of these pages:
In the year of 1812 the war broke out and we were obliged to fly to Georgia for protection from the hostile Creek Indians. After the war ended, we returned to the Nation. After we returned, I went to school to the missionaries where I learned to read and write. After I left the missionaries I went to Mobile to school. When I returned to the Nation I was employed by a Catabawa Indian, whose name was Walking Bear. I dug roots for this Indian two years, he was a very successful man in his practice. All the knowledge he had was gained by experience. It was a curious fact that a man without any guide but his own experience to effect such cures. He cured nearly every one that was brought to him. While I resided with him, he went to the city of Washington after his return I became his student, I staid with him three years.
In the year 1823, I again returned to Mobile, where I staid with a doctor by the name of Shuffield nine months. This man served me many mean tricks, while I was curing his patients, he was pocketing the money. I advise all patients to beware of a Yankee. After being duped by this Yankee, I returned to my own Nation. After this I studied under a Cherokee Indian Doctor for two years, when he was murdered by the white men, this man was very kind and skillful, I hardly thought before this time that the whites were capable of such barbarities. After the death of my old friend I again returned to Georgia and commenced practicing. I did not use any mercurial preparations in my practice and the consequence was I met with opposition on every hand from the old school or calomel doctors. I advise all to beware of mercurial and mineral medicines. These poisons, instead of removing the disorder, for to relief of which they are administered, only tend to confirm the disease more strongly, dooming the victim to slow but certain death. The great God of heaven, in his vegetable kingdom, has provided remedies for the treatment of all manner of diseases, to which the afrail constitution of man is subject. I speak this not from my own alone, but from the experiences of hundreds of others who have been snatched, as it were, from the grave by the use of vegetable medicines. But I have regressed from my subject.
After staying in Georgia about one year, I then returned to Mobile where I found a medicine college had been organized during my absence, there physicians were followers of the celebrate Doctor Thomson. I immediately took a course of lectures which lasted nine months. It may not be amiss to state, that I was very much respected by all classes of community because I was a red man. I shall always be under obligation to Doctors Everett and Clark who took a great deal of trouble to instruct me, both in language and physic.
The Indians who came to this college for instruction were allowed to hear the lectures and verbal instruction free of charge. After finishing my course of lectures at this college, I went to the Creek Nation, where I practiced under a Creek doctor for six months, here I learned a great deal of valuable and interesting knowledge. Ever since that time I have lived among the whites.
I have cured many of all kinds of diseases, and I hope, by the grace of God, to cure many more, the remedies mentioned in the following work, are not conclusions drawn merely from theory, but the result of successful practice of many years. The more a person studies the products of the vegetable kingdom, the more he finds remaining to be learned.
- Benjamin Moses Mordeceai
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