| Samuel Thomson. Samuel Thomson, founder of the Thomsonian system of medicine, was born in Alstead (NH), February 9, 1769. He remained on his father's farm during minority, and then kept a hotel in Alstead for a time; but later purchased and located upon a farm in the northern part of Surry; married and reared a family. Frequent illness in the family led him to engage Dr. Abner Bliss of Gilsum, a retired physician, to move into a vacant house on his farm that he might be in ready access in time of need. He took an interest himself in the medicinal properties of roots and herbs, consulting Dr. Bliss as to the same, and finally, becoming dissatisfied with the doctor's treatment of one of his children, dismissed him and took charge of the case himself, and was subsequently his own family doctor with such success that his neighbors ultimately employed him to some extent. He prepared various remedies, got the same patented, and sold family rights for the use of his system and medicines at twenty dollars each, doing considerable business. He was coarse and unlettered, but possessed of considerable natural talent. He was the first man in America to oppose the current method of his day among physicians, such as bleeding, cupping, leeches and blistering. He gained many followers, and in the first half century Thomsonian practitioners were numerous in this part of the country. Their remedies in most cases were lobelia emetics, sweating, capsicum, composition powder and "hot drops." Thomson traveled about for some years, and then located in Beverly, Mass., subsequently removing to Boston, where he had an infirmary. Among his disciples was Benjamin Thomson of Andover, who studied with him in Boston about 1832, and subsequently himself opened an infirmary in Concord, NH, which flourished for some years. This Benjamin Thomson is credited by some with being the founder of the Thomsonian and Eclectic schools of practice; but he was but a mere boy when Samuel Thomson had inaugurated his system. From the book Wayside Jottings or Rambles Around Concord, NH
by Howard M. Cook On the north corner of Concord Street, standing on the spacious grounds now owned by Hon. B.A. Kimball, was a long wooden block, which at first was occupied as the "Thompsonian Infirmary"; afterwards it was converted into tenements. Hon. J.H. Gallinger, in his interesting chapter, in the new History of Concord, on the "Medical Profession," gives an account of the peculiar course of treatment that was practiced at this "infirmary," to cure the ills that flesh is heir to. The methods mainly seemed to be to steam the disease out of the patient, and were successful, either in curing or killing him. It was one of the fads of that day; a course of treatment, the antithesis of the "water cure," practiced in later years in the establishment of that name, located on the corner of North Main and Center Streets, now known as the Commercial House. Doctor Gallinger, in his article, relates the story of a good old orthodox minister, who resided in a neighboring town, and who made an exchange with one of his Concord brethren, arriving at the infirmary one Saturday night, suffering from a severe cold. He asked Doctor Thompson if he could get it out of him, so that he would be able to preach the next day, and was somewhat shocked when Doctor Thompson informed him that he "could steam hell and damnation out of him." Where Mr. Kimball lives in his beautiful and commodious home, which has been completely remodeled, dwelt George B. Chandler, who, in the fifties was one of Concord's prominent bankers; next was the home of Peter Sanborn, for some years state treasurer, filling that position, in the years of the Civil War, and at a time when large sums of money passed through his hands; and on the south corner of Thompson Street, probably named after Doctor Thompson, lived John F. Brown, who was the proprietor then of the Franklin book store.
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