John Conrad Otto
Encyclopedia
John Conrad Otto was a United States
physician
.
. He sat in the senate of New Jersey
, and served during the war as an officer in the Continental Army
. The son graduated from Princeton
in 1792, and in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
in 1796. In 1798 he was elected one of the physicians of the Philadelphia Dispensary, and in 1813, on the death of Benjamin Rush
, he was chosen to succeed the latter as one of the physicians and clinical lecturer of the Pennsylvania Hospital
, which post he held 21 years, and in connection with which he became extensively known throughout the United States.
Otto was physician to the Orphan Asylum for twenty years, and during many years to the Magdalen Asylum. In the cholera
epidemic of 1833 he was one of the twelve physicians that were chosen by the public authorities of Philadelphia to adopt sanitary measures and establish and conduct hospitals in the city, and at the organization of the sanitary board he was chosen its president. He was a fellow of the College of Physicians, in which he held the office of censor, and from 1840 until his death that of vice president, and was for many years a member of the American Philosophical Society
.
in 1752, settled in Philadelphia, where he engaged in the practice of medicine, and during the winter of 1778 had charge of the hospital of the Continental Army at Valley Forge. His son William Tod Otto
was a judge and the eighth reporter of decisions of the United States Supreme Court.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
.
Biography
His father, Bodo Otto, was a physician, and warmly attached to the patriot cause during the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He sat in the senate of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and served during the war as an officer in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. The son graduated from Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1792, and in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1796. In 1798 he was elected one of the physicians of the Philadelphia Dispensary, and in 1813, on the death of Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
, he was chosen to succeed the latter as one of the physicians and clinical lecturer of the Pennsylvania Hospital
Pennsylvania Hospital
Pennsylvania Hospital is a hospital in Center City, Philadelphia, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Health System . Founded on May 11, 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Bond, it was the first hospital in the United States...
, which post he held 21 years, and in connection with which he became extensively known throughout the United States.
Otto was physician to the Orphan Asylum for twenty years, and during many years to the Magdalen Asylum. In the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic of 1833 he was one of the twelve physicians that were chosen by the public authorities of Philadelphia to adopt sanitary measures and establish and conduct hospitals in the city, and at the organization of the sanitary board he was chosen its president. He was a fellow of the College of Physicians, in which he held the office of censor, and from 1840 until his death that of vice president, and was for many years a member of the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
.
Works
He wrote “An Account of an Hemorrhagic Disposition in certain Families” in the New York Medical Repository (1803), and another paper on the same subject in Coxe's Medical Museum (1805). It is said that these papers are the first that appeared on this subject. He was also the author of other medical papers.Family
His great grandfather and grandfather were also physicians. His grandfather came to this country from GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1752, settled in Philadelphia, where he engaged in the practice of medicine, and during the winter of 1778 had charge of the hospital of the Continental Army at Valley Forge. His son William Tod Otto
William Tod Otto
William Tod Otto was an American judge and the eighth reporter of decisions of the United States Supreme Court, serving as reporter from 1875 to 1883.-Biography:...
was a judge and the eighth reporter of decisions of the United States Supreme Court.