Benjamin Rush

Rush, Benjamin (1745–1813), U.S. physician and political leader. Signer of the Declaration of Independence and member (1776–77) of the Continental Congress, he established the first American antislavery society and was treasurer (1797–1813) of the U.S. mint (Philadelphia). Among his scientific accomplishments, he was the first professor of chemistry in the colonies (College of Philadelphia), established (1786) the first free dispensary in the United States, and was a pioneer in psychiatry. He held the conviction that insanity is a disease. His Medical Inquiries and Observations upon the Diseases of the Mind (1812) was the first U.S. book on psychiatry.

See also: Psychiatry.