Eli Todd
| Eli Todd | |
|---|---|
Dr. Eli Todd
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 22, 1769 New Haven, Connecticut |
| Died | November 17, 1833 (aged 64) |
| Resting place | Old North Cemetery Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut 41°27′21″N 72°24′36″W / 41.4557°N 72.4100°W |
| Spouse(s) | Rachel Hills |
Dr. Eli Todd (July 22, 1769 – November 17, 1833) was a pioneer in the treatment of the mentally ill. His efforts in the medical field of mental care and smallpox treatment had a significant impact on not only the residents of his town, Farmington, Connecticut, but contributed to the establishment of high standards for the rest of the newly formed nation.
Eli Todd was born in 1769 in New Haven, Connecticut. He had two sisters, named Polly and Eunice. His mother was Mary Rowe, and his father, a New Haven merchant, died in 1776, a few months before his 7th birthday. He was then sent to live with his great uncle, Reverend Dr. Todd, who resided in East Guilford, in the same state. He remained with Reverend Dr. Todd until he was ten, when he was then under the care and instruction of Reverend Dr. Goodrich, of Durham, Connecticut, during which time he was introduced to the practice of medicine. He began to attend Yale University at the age of fourteen in 1783, and graduated with honors at the age of eighteen in 1787. His graduation was a significant milestone in his medical career. He studied medicine as an apprentice under Dr. Ebenezer Beardsley of New Haven, and began his own medical practice in Farmington at the age of 21. He soon became the favorite practitioner of the wealthy class in the community. He used gentle treatment methods as opposed to the harsh remedies commonly used at that time. Todd was 23 years old when he established Hospital Rock on Rattlesnake Mountain. He helped found the Hartford County and Connecticut Medical Societies, and was later a member of the Conversation Club. He also founded the Society of Medical Friends in Farmington, where doctors from around Connecticut could share treatments and discuss opinions.
In 1791, working with Dr. Theodore Wadsworth, Todd gained permission to start a hospital near the present-day Farmington/Plainville border for smallpox inoculation. The facility, commonly called Hospital Rock, is found deep in the second-growth hardwood forest of Rattlesnake Mountain in Connecticut and was used from 1792-1794. Though the building is no longer present, the nearby rock ledge upon which patients would socialize remains. It was this rock that lent the facility its name. At this location, they could also receive mail and various packages.
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