Albert Vander Veer
, M.D.
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Albert Vander Veer
, M.D.was born in Root, New York, USA, the son of Abraham Harris Vander
Veer and Sarah Martin. After attending Union Free School, Palatine and
the Canajoharie Academy, he began to study medicine under the direction
of Dr. Simeon Snow, of Currytown, New York, and later under Dr. John
Swinburne, a physician and surgeon of renown in Albany, New York. (July 10, 1841 -
December 19, 1929), was a pioneering American surgeon, accredited with
performing the first thyroidectomy.
In 1861 he attended a full course of lectures at Albany Medical College,
and in 1862 a second course at the National Medical College, medical
department, Columbian University, now the George Washington University,
from which he was graduated on December 23, 1862.
Vander Veer served during the
Civil War as surgeon in the 66th Regiment, New York Volunteers.
In May 1862, he enlisted in
the United States Medical Corps, one of the original One Hundred Medical
Cadets called to service by the Surgeon General of the United States
army, they having studied medicine two years and attended one full
course of lectures and passing a satisfactory examination, to act as
interns in the military hospitals. After taking the examination he was
assigned to Columbia College Hospital, and was soon informed by Dr.
Crosby, surgeon-in-charge, that if they (he and two or three other
cadets) would arise early and attend to all their dressings they could
have from 2 to 8 in which to attend lectures, graduate, and get their
diplomas.
After passing a New York state
examination he was commissioned in December, 1862, assistant surgeon of
the Sixty-sixth Regiment New York Volunteers, and ordered to join his
regiment at Falmouth, Virginia. Soon after he was detailed as assistant
to one of the chief operators at brigade hospital, Third Brigade, First
Division, Second Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. In June 1864, on the
recommendation of every officer in the regiment, he was appointed by
Surgeon-General Quackenbush and New York Governor Horatio Seymour,
surgeon in charge of the regiment, with the rank of major. Soon after he
was appointed one of the surgeons of the First Division Hospital, Second
Army Corps, and placed in charge of an operating table. Here he gained
his first actual experience in operative surgery that was henceforth to
be his specialty. He was with his regiment in all their battles after
the first Fredericksburg except Ream's Station, when ill, up to the
surrender at Appomattox. At that historic event he had the pleasure of
witnessing the meeting between General Ulysses S. Grant and General
Robert E. Lee. He was mustered out of the service in September 1865.
Dr. Albert Van Der Veer
was appointed Medical
Cadet at the Ira Harris
Hospital in June, 1861.
The following year he
was made Medical Cadet
in the
army, being one
of the original one
hundred. He served in
this capacity at
Columbia College
Hospital, Washington,
until December, 1862,
when he was appointed
Assistant
Surgeon, 66th New
York Volunteers, joining
his regiment at Falmouth, Va. .In August,
1864, he was promoted
surgeon of the
same regiment. For over
two years he was
surgeon in charge
of one of the operating
tables of the First
Division Hospital,
Second
Army Corps,
during the time also
having charge of
locating the hospital
supplies, building
winter quarters, etc. He
was mustered out with
his regiment, which had
participated in many of
the battles of the
Army of the
Potomac, August,
1865,
and returned to
Albany, where he has
since been engaged in
active practice. Since
1876 he has been a
member of the Medical
College Faculty as
Professor of Surgery, in
which department he is
pre-eminent in the
annals of Albany,
besides having a very
extensive general and
consulting practice in a
large region about this
city. He is a frequent
contributor to medical
literature, and is a
member of many home and
foreign societies, being
at this time President
of the State Medical
Society.
After attending a full course of lectures at the College of Physicians
and Surgeons of New York, he returned to Albany, New York, in May 1866,
and entered upon the practice of his profession.
He served as member and president of the Albany County Medical Society,
the Medical Society of the State of New York the American Association of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and is a member of the American Medical
Association. He was a delegate to the International Medical Congress,
held at Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1884, and was elected honorary president
of the Fifteenth International Medical Congress held at Lisbon,
Portugal, in 1906, having been appointed one of the commissioners from
the United States government.
In July 1905, he was elected president of the American Surgical
Association, having been a fellow since 1882, a member of the nominating
committee, of the council, and twice president. In 1909 he was appointed
by the United States government delegate to the International Medical
Congress meeting at Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Empire, but was unable to
attend owing to the illness of his wife.
He is the author of:
"Cleft Palate and Hair Lip" in Wood's Reference Hand Book of Medical
Science
"History of General Surgery" in Encyclopedia Americana
"Injuries and Diseases of Abdomen" in International Encyclopedia of
Surgery
as well as numerous articles in the leading medical journals at home and
abroad.
In 1867 he was attending surgeon to the Albany Hospital Dispensary as
assistant to Dr. Alden March; 1869, attending surgeon (with exception
1874-75, while abroad studying) until 1904, when appointed
surgeon-in-chief; 1873 to 1903, attending surgeon St. Peter's Hospital;
1898 onward, attending surgeon South End Dispensary; consulting surgeon
New York State Hospital for Crippled and Ruptured Children, West
Haverstraw, New York; consulting surgeon Benedictine Hospital, Kingston,
New York; consulting surgeon Champlain Valley Hospital, Plattsburg, New
York.
He has always manifested the deepest interest in the Albany Medical
College, where he listened to his first course of medical lectures. He
has filled the following important chairs in that institution:
1869-1874, chair of general and special anatomy; 1875-1882, chair of
didactic, abdominal and clinical surgery; 1882 onward, chair of surgery;
dean from 1896 to 1904. Dr. Vander Veer applied in Albany the first
plaster paris jacket for curvature of the spine; performed the first
Bigelow's operation for litholapaxy; first Kernochan's operation for
removal of infra orbital nerve and Meckel's ganglia, reporting a number
of cases.
In 1895 he was elected a regent of the University of the State of New
York, serving for six years; then by act of legislature the board was
changed, he drawing the shortest period of one year; re-elected in 1902
a third time for a full term, the first regent to be elected three times
by the legislature. At the expiration of this term he was elected for a
full term of twelve years, being the only instance of any regent being
elected a fourth time. In 1915 he was elected vice-chancellor of the
board. On May 27, 1921, he was elected chancellor, but by reason of
impaired hearing, resigned on September 22, 1921.
He was a trustee of the National Savings Bank many years; resigning
January 1, 1910; trustee of Albany Cemetery Association, and president
of the Holland Society of New York. While vice-president of the latter
society he, with other members of Albany, entertained the officers of
the "Van Speyk" when visiting this country, received from Queen
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands the order and decoration of Oranje Nassau.
He was a life member of the New York Historical Society. Through his own
military service as an officer in the Civil War he became a companion of
the Military Order of the Loyal Legion and Grand Army of the Republic.
He was a member of Philip Livingston Chapter, Sons of the American
Revolution, the Albany Institute and Historical and Art Society, and of
Albany social clubs — Fort Orange and University. In his nearly fifty
years of professional life Dr. Vander Veer received proof of the esteem
in which he was held by his peers:
Albany Medical College conferred an honorary degree of M.D.
Williams and Hamilton College conferred an A.M. (1882)
Union College (now University) Ph.D. (1883)
Columbian University (now George Washington University, Washington,
D.C.) in 1904 conferred LL.D.
From Wikipedia
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ALBERT VANDER VEER
A N ALBANIAN who stands at the head of his profession as a surgeon, and
whose fame is extended far beyond the limits of the city, is Dr. Albert
Vander Veer. Born in the town of Root, Montgomery County, NY, on the
10th of July, 1841, his earliest days were quietly passed amidst
pleasing scenes of rural life. He is a son of Abram H. Vander Veer, who
in 1828 erected for tannery purposes the first building at what is now
called Rural Grove. He comes from good old Holland stock, a race which
has done so much in the interest of colonization, civilization and the
development of moral and intellectual powers.
His ancestors on his father's side came from Alkmaar, Holland, in 1639,
just nineteen years after the Pilgrim Fathers landed on Plymouth rock,
where -
They settled first on Long Island, then in New Jersey. His ancestors on
his grandmother's side were also Hollanders of the name of Vancovenhoven,
a name which was gradually abbreviated into that of Conover; and this
was his grandmother's maiden name. This estimable lady lived amidst
stirring times in our country's history. When she was a little girl the
battle of Monmouth was fought on the 28th of June, 1778, on her father's
farm in New Jersey. She witnessed the terrible conflict on that hot June
day, and in the evening heard the groans of the wounded and dying as
they were gathered and sheltered in the house and out-buildings of her
father, where she carried water to cool their parched lips. In after
years she loved to repeat to her children the story of that battlefield,
impressing upon them the inestimable blessings of civil liberty.
The Vander Veer family has also been noted for their lofty, undying
patriotism. William Vander Veer, a relative of the present doctor, was
an officer in the Revolutionary army, and a surgeon in the war of 181 2.
In the war for the Union Col. Frederick Vander Veer, a cousin of the
doctor, conimanded a brigade under Hooker, at Lookout Mountain, and was
one of the first to scale its rugged sides and plant the " stars and
stripes " on its heights. General William Vander Veer, another relative
of the doctor, originally settled in Iowa, where he became a member of
congress, and also a general in the civil war. He now resides in
California. Captain Garret Vander Veer, a brother of the doctor, was one
of the bravest young men who died upon our country's altar. The thunder
of Sumter's guns stirred his young patriotic spirit into action, and he
could not rest till he enlisted in the service, raising a company by his
own efforts. He made a splendid officer, but his career was cut short.
In the fierce fight at Olustee, Fla., in 1863, he was wounded three
times during the day, but refused to leave the field or turn his back
upon the foe. He fought with desperate bravery, and after the conflict
was over, he was removed to Beaufort, where he died of his wounds three
days afterward, at the age of thirty-two. Had he lived a few days longer
he would have received his commission as lieutenant-colonel of the 115th
N. Y. Vols. Three years later his remains were brought back to his home
in the north and consigned to their last resting place, at Fultonville,
N. Y., with martial honors, and amidst the tears of loved ones and the
friends of his youth. The G. A. R. post at Fultonville is named after
this young man of Spartan courage.
Dr. Albert Vander Veer, the subject of our brief memoir, was sent at a
tender age to the public school at Palatine. From a child he loved his
books, and consequently his progress in the first lessons of education
was not slow. In the old school-house at Palatine he was fitted for the
Canajoharie academy, where he became a diligent and successful student,
laying the foundation of a substantial intellectual fabric.
But there was one subject that from boyhood engaged his special
attention. It was that of medicine, and his inclinations were so strong
in this direction that when a mere boy he found great interest and
satisfaction in dissecting birds and various small animals. The choice
of his profession being now fully decided upon, at the age of eighteen
he commenced the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Simeon Snow, of
Root, N. Y., the father of Mrs. Vander Veer, and also of the late
lamented Dr. Norman L. Snow, of Albany. He was now in his proper
element, and for a year studied the various medical text-books with all
the enthusiasm and devotion of a genuine student. He was desirous of
learning all that was worth knowing within the range of his profession.
To continue his education in a larger sphere he came to Albany and
entered the office of Dr. John Swinburne, the well-known surgeon. It was
even then his early ambition to rise to eminence in surgery, his chosen
field of labor, and how successfully he attained this object his later
career has fully shown.
In the autumn of 1861 he attended a course of lectures at the Albany
Medical college. The civil war was now raging, and the call for surgeons
as well as for soldiers was urgently made. Young Vander Veer, filled
with ardor for his professional work, desired to go to the front, and
prepare himself to attend to the wounded in the field or hospital. He
first served at the Ira Harris hospital as a state medical cadet, and in
May, 1862, was one of the original " one hundred," commissioned as a
United States medical cadet, and ordered to report for duty at Columbia
College hospital at Washington, D. C. While performing his regular
duties at his post he also attended a course of lectures at the National
Medical college there, where he had a wide field for study and
observation, and where his attainments in his profession were soon so
high that at the close of 1862 this institution conferred upon him the
degree of M. D. He was immediately, on examination, commissioned by
Surgeon-General S. O. Vanderpoel as an assistant surgeon of the
Sixty-sixth regiment of New York volunteers, and in the following year
was advanced to the grade of surgeon with the rank of major. In the army
he performed most efficient service in behalf of the wounded soldiers,
working day and night, and trying by all possible means to alleviate
their sufferings and save their lives. He served thus faithfully with
the Sixty-sixth regiment until the close of the war, and was mustered
out in September, 1865. His medical record during the war was a splendid
one. His experience as a surgeon was of inestimable advantage to himself
as well as to his regiment, the fruits of which he "has ever since been
gathering with abundant success.
Dr. Vander Veer is one of those physicians whose thirst after knowledge
pertaining especially to his profession can never be satisfied, and to
perfect as far as possible his attainments in medical science he
attended a full course of lectures in the autumn and winter of 1865 and
1866, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York city. In the
spring of 1866 he returned to Albany - the scene of his earlier studies,
and established himself in the general practice of his profession, where
the passing years ever since have witnessed his remarkable success as a
most skillful surgeon.
In the summer of 1869 Dr. Vander Veer was appointed to the chair of
general and special anatomy in the Albany Medical College, from which,
about the same time, he received the honorary title of M. D. He now
became attending surgeon in the Albany hospital, and in 1874, was
appointed to the same position in St. Peter's hospital.
With a view of studying the various modes of treatment adopted by the
great surgeons of the old world Dr. Vander Veer visited Europe in the
fall of 1874, and there, during the winter, found time to gratify his
special taste and to further enrich his stores of medical learning.
Returning home in the following spring he was prepared to resume his
professional work with renewed zest. On the re-organization of the
Albany Medical college, in 1876, he accepted the professorship of the
principles and practice of surgery. In 1882 he was appointed to the
position which he still holds in the college that of professor of
surgery.
Dr. Vander Veer has been president and a member of both the county and
state medical societies. He is moreover a member of the Boston
Gynaecological society; the British Medical association; the
International Medical congress held at Copenhagen in 1884; the British
Gynaecological society; the American Surgical association; the Holland
society of New York, of which he is now vice-president for the Albany
district: the American Medical association: the New York Medico-Legal
society; the Albany institute, and the American association of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Dr. Vander Veer is already a prolific writer on surgical subjects, of
which the following are among the principal contributions: * The
Operation for Stone as observed in some of the London hospitals,
together with a report of cases from private practice; " " Operation for
Closure of Cleft of the Hard and Soft Palates: "' " Report of three
cases of Excision of the Rectum: " "Report of eight cases of Uterine
Fibroids: " " Report of ten cases of Gastric Ulcer, one case Malignant
Ulcer of the Stomach, and two cases Perforating Ulcer of the Jejunum :'"
"Defective Drainage," a paper read at the Albany institute, October,
1882: •* Report of cases of Trifacial Neuralgia: " " Some Personal
Observations on the work of Lawson Tait. together with a report of five
cases of Abdominal Section;" ** Case of Subcutaneous Section of Femur
above Trochanter Major;" " Cleft Palate and Hare Lip." for Wood's
Reference Handbook of the Medical Science; " Stone in the Bladder," read
before the American Surgical association; and among the latest of these,
a pamphlet on " The Operation for Ovarian Tumors," published for the
benefit of the profession. Necessity for Complete Removal of Uterine
Appendages whenever Operation is called for;" "A case of Infantile
Menstruation;" "Intestinal Obstruction; " " The Relation of the
Abdominal Surgeon to the Obstetrician and Gynaecologist; " " To what
extent can we classify Vesical Calculi for Operation ? " " Concealed
Pregnancy - Its Relation to Abdominal Surgery; " " The Medico-Legal
Aspect of Abdominal Surgery;" introductory address of the course of
1879-80 at the Albany Medical college, delivered October 7, 1879; "
Water Supply of Cities and Villages,'' the anniversary address before
the Medical Society of the State of New York, dehvered at Albany,
February 3, 1886;" " Obituary Notice of Alden March, M. D., LL. D.,"
delivered at University Convocation, 1870. We may state here that the
doctor is now paying the very closest attention to abdominal diseases at
the Albany hospital and in his private practice, and that he has just
given to the public a " History of Abdominal Section in Albany," with a
report of seventy-five cases.
Besides his work in his study and in the lecture-room, and his
attendance at the hospital, Dr. Vander Veer carries ®n his daily
private practice at his office, corner of State and Eagle streets. The
poor as well as the rich receive the same careful attention at .the
doctor's hands, while many of the former have only their gratitude to
return for services rendered. The doctor cannot turn a deaf ear to the
calls of the suffering, and many a long trip does he make in response
for medical aid. He is a member, and since the death of Judge Hand has
been president of the special water commission. Has been for many years
a member of the board of health of Albany. With a commanding presence, a
large, and wonderfully active brain, a sound constitution and an iron
will, and consummate skill in his chosen work. Dr. Vander Veer, now in
the very prime of life, is pursuing his calling with his entire former
ardor, and with the earnest wish among thousands of Albanians and
others, that many more years may be added to his useful and notable
career before he is called from his earthly labors.
