To The Honorable General Assembly of The State of Connecticut to Be holden at New Haven on The First Wednesday of May 18241
The petition of Doctor Philemon Tracy of Norwich in said state humbly sheweth,
That he the said Philemon Tracy being a practicing physician in said Town of Norwich was requested to visit and afford his medical aid to John Miller, a native Indian of the Pequot (or Stonington) Tribe. He, the said Miller, then residing at the Indian town of Mohegan and on said Tracy visiting said Miller at his place of residence he found on examination the case to be a full-formed and alarming state of dropsy2 which demanded every aid which skill could afford and humanity bestow. And under this convention said Tracy made every professional effort within his capacity to afford said Miller relief.
These exertions were perpetuated and faithfully pursued, as the bill accompanying this petition will plainly show, until every prospect of effecting a cure was lost and by reference to which bill it will be seen that said Tracy, in addition to his frequent attendance and variety of medicine furnished said Miller, had six times to perform the operation of paracentesis abdominis3 (or tapping) to prevent his immediate dissolution. And for these laborious services the charges are made at a lower rate than is ordinarily made by physicians for similar services.
And the petitioner further sheweth that soon after first visiting said Miller and learning to what tribe of Indians he belonged, the petitioner notified the overseers of said Stonington Tribe of said Miller’s sickness and the necessary medical attendance required in his case. In consequence of which said overseers visited said Miller at his residence at said Mohegan and fully recognized him as belonging to the Stonington Tribe of Indians and requested said Tracy to afford him every medical assistance in his power and assuring him that he should be fully compensated for his services from the funds arising from the annual rents of said Indian lands. Relying on which pledge said Tracy continued his assiduous services for said Miller but for which he has never received one cent in compensation and from the declaration of the present overseer it appears that no future reasonable prospect exists of his ever receiving any from the aforesaid source as was originally expected. As the annual Indian funds from the lease of their lands in said Stonington is extremely small and but barely sufficient for the support of the tribe remaining and wholly inadequate for the remuneration of your petitioner, from these facts your petitioner is in danger of being wholly deprived of his just claim for said services except Your Honors in your wisdom founded on the principles of justice and humanity, should provide by a special grant to compensate him for said services. And your petitioner is further encouraged to hope that this his petition may be granted, from having learned that former petitions for similar services rendered native Indians where no funds existed have been granted and payment directed to be made from the State Treasury by former legislatures.
Your petitioner therefore humbly requests that either a portion of said Stonington Indian lands may be directed to be sold to remunerate him for his services or that a special grant on the State Treasury may be made for the same purpose, or that in some other way relief may be granted in the premises to your petitioner as the wisdom of Your Honors may direct.
And your petitioner as in duty bound will ever pray,
Philemon Tracy
Norwich, April 17, 1824
This day put into the hands of Thomas Wheeler, Overseer of the Pequot Tribe of Indians in Stonington, a true and attested copy of the within petition.
Attest, Charles Thomas, an indifferent person
North Stonington, April 21, 1824
Personally appeared Charles Thomas of said Norwich and made solemn oath that he left with Thomas Wheeler a true and attested copy of the within according to the foregoing endorsement by him subscribed before me.
Ebenezer Backus, Justice of the Peace
In the jurisdiction of New London County, Norwich May 3, 1824
Legislative Action:
Philemon Tracy’s Memorial / No. 15. May 1824., [ illegible ], referred, Not Granted / Thomas Welles, Palmer / 15 Laid on Table, 17 [ illegible ] / House of Representatives, May Session 1824, Granted, Attest, Samuel Church, Clerk / In Senate, Not Granted, Attest, William W. Boardman, Clerk / House of Representatives, May Session 1824, Thomas T. Wells and Elisha Tracy, Committee to Conference with Senate, Attest, Samuel Church, Clerk / In Senate, May 1824, Honorable William Young appointed to confer, Attest, William W. Boardman, Clerk / In Senate, On reconsider, Not Granted, Attest, William W. Boardman, Clerk / In Senate, reconsidered and ordered petition on the table, Attest, William W. Boardman, Clerk / In Senate, Not Granted, Attest, William W. Boardman, Clerk
Cataloguing:
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1. The first Wednesday in May 1824 was May 5th.
2. Dropsy or hydropsy is a condition characterized by an excess of watery fluid collecting in the cavities or tissues of the body. The modern medical term for dropsy is edema.
3. Paracentesis is a procedure in which a needle or catheter is inserted into the peritoneal cavity to obtain ascitic fluid for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. Medscape
