Edward Delafield
| Edward Delafield | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
May 7, 1794 New York City |
| Died | February 13, 1875 (aged 80) New York City |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Known for | Founding the New York Eye Infirmary |
| Spouse(s) | Eleanor E. Langdon Elwyn Julia Floyd |
| Children | Francis Delafield |
| Relatives | Richard Delafield (brother) |
Edward Delafield (May 7, 1794 – February 13, 1875) was an American physician, primarily known as an ophthamologist, but also for his work in obstetrics and gynaecology. He was the co-founder (with John Kearney Rodgers) of the New York Eye Infirmary and the first president of the American Ophthalmological Society. From 1858 until his death he was the president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. His son, Francis Delafield, also became a prominent physician.
Delafield was born in New York City, one of the 14 children of John and Anne (née Hallett) Delafield. His father had emigrated to New York from England in 1788 and made a fortune as a merchant. His brother was Maj. Gen. Richard Delafield (1798–1873).
Delafield was educated at Union Hall Academy in the city before entering Yale University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1812. He then studied medicine at the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons while simultaneously training under a prominent New York surgeon, Samuel Borrowe.
His medical studies were interrupted by the War of 1812. He and his brothers Henry, William, and Joseph joined the "Iron Grays", a private infantry company formed in 1814 and charged with protecting New York City from the perceived (but unrealized) threat of a British invasion. Delafield served as the company's surgeon and as a surgeon in the New York company of the Sea Fencibles Battalion.
Delafield graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1816. His inaugural dissertation on tuberculosis was written under the guidance of Samuel Borrowe. Later that year, he and his fellow student at the college, John Kearney Rodgers, went to London for further training. They studied under Astley Paston Cooper and John Abernethy at St Thomas's Hospital and St. Bartholomew's Hospital but focused primarily on ophthalmology, which they studied at Moorfields Eye Hospital (then called the London Dispensary for Curing Diseases of the Eye and Ear). Delafield also spent some months studying in Paris hospitals. His meticulous handwritten and indexed notes of the lectures he attended, primarily those of Abernethy and Paston, consist of over 3000 pages and are preserved in the New York Academy of Medicine.
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