Residence of General William Brown, M.D.

Here follows the inscription written on this roadside historical marker:

Residence of General William Brown, M.D.
Born 1748. Died 1792.
Physician General and Director of Hospitals, Middle Department, Continental Army, Charter member, Society of the Cincinnati. Author of the first American Pharmacopoea. President of Board of Trustees of Alexandria Academy, at General Washington's request. Personal physician for many years and intimate friend of General George Washington, who visited in this house.

Tablet erected in 1931 by his descendants.
Inscription by War Department
Ceremonies conducted by The Washington Society, June 14, 1931.


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Additional commentary:

William Brown:
The Historic American Building Survey gives this short biography of William Brown: "Dr. William Brown was a nephew of Dr. Gustavus Brown who attended Washington during his last illness. Dr. William Brown was appointed by General Washington, Physician-General and Director of Hospitals for the Continental Army. He wrote and published the first American Pharmacopoeia in 1778. Washington's accounts show that he lived for a few years in the General's Town House, the sum owed for rent being cancelled due to advances made by the Doctor for professional service."

The Pharmacopoeia:
The Historical Introduction to the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, Volume 9, 1916 says this: "In 1778 there was published at Philadelphia a small Pharmacopoeia for the use of the Military Hospital of the U.S. Army located at Lititz, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvannia, under the title: 'Pharmacopoeia simpliciorum et efficaciorum, in usum nosocomii militaris, ad exercitun foederatarum Americae: civitatum pertinentis; bodiernae nostrae inopiae rerumque angustiis, feroci hostium saevitiae, , belloque crudeliex inopinato patrirae nostrae illato debitis, maxime accommodata.' A second edition of this appeared in 1781, on the title-page of which Dr. William Brown is mentioned as author."


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Here follows an excerpt from the "Jaybird's Jottings" blog written by Jay Roberts:

General William Brown
212 S. Fairfax

There’s not a lot of information on Brown on the web. Washington appointed him to be Surgeon General of the Hospital Middle Department. One Journal described him as “one of the best equipped and most able medical men of the revolutionary period.”

All plaque unveilings produce emotion, but this one must have been one of the more poignant. The Washington Post made note of the noon-time ceremonies that took place on June 14, 1931. The flag covering the tablet was the same one that had draped over the casket of Lt. Wilmarth Brown, great, great, great, grandson of Brown, who was killed in action in Vaux France. Brown was posthumously cited for “exceptionally gallant action and bravery.