SAMUEL BARD
"It is our unfeigned purpose to devote that portion of time thou shalt still permit us to enjoy, to thee, and to the good and happiness of our family, friends, and neighbours: in which resolution, we earnestly pray for the assistance of thy Holy Spirit, without which we can do nothing that is good and acceptable unto thee. Grant these our prayers, O Lord, for the sake of our Saviour Jesus Christ, in whose name, and through whose merits only, we presume to make our supplication unto thee.”
SAMUEL BARD
Samuel Bard, an American doctor, founded the first public hospital in New York City in 1769, now known as New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Bard also founded the second medical school in America, which is now part of Columbia University. He taught and trained medical students as dean of the school.
Bard was the family physician of President George Washington and several of the founding fathers of America, including Alexander Hamilton. He wrote several books about proper medical practice, including the first textbook on midwifery (pregnancy, childbirth, and care of newborns). Bard advocated for a full liberal arts program for pre-medical students. He also urged the state legislature of New York to regulate the practice of medicine.
CENTERED ON CHRIST
Bard was a devout Christian. In his personal letters, Bard often wrote about his faith in God and Jesus, which he referred to as “the most invigorating sentiment of the human heart.” He frequently wrote down prayers when he experienced hard times. Bard and his wife lost four of their six children to an epidemic disease. His writings contain impassioned prayers of him relying on God for comfort and help in his grief.
When his wife became gravely ill, Bard spent a year away from his practice to care for her. Bard wrote this prayer to God, thanking Him for his wife’s recovery: “[I]t is our unfeigned purpose to devote that portion of time thou shalt still permit us to enjoy, to thee, and to the good and happiness of our family, friends, and neighbours: in which resolution, we earnestly pray for the assistance of thy Holy Spirit, without which we can do nothing that is good and acceptable unto thee. Grant these our prayers, O Lord, for the sake of our Saviour Jesus Christ, in whose name, and through whose merits only, we presume to make our supplication unto thee.”
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