, where George Parkman lived George Parkman's poor health as a youngster led him to want to study medicine. He entered the freshman class of
Harvard University when he was 15 years old, and delivered the "Salutory Oration" in 1809. Despite his assured wealth, a lecture by
Benjamin Rush inspired him to take an interest in the terrible state of asylums for the mentally ill. He spent two years at the
University of Aberdeen in
Scotland obtaining his medical degree. After returning to Boston, he traveled aboard the to Europe and was under the charge of a former Bostonian,
Benjamin Thompson, who introduced him to the Minister to France,
Joel Barlow. Barlow introduced him to many doctors in
Paris. While there, he observed the pioneering and humane treatment methods of two famous French psychiatrists,
Philippe Pinel and
Étienne Esquirol. He studied at the
Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital for his graduate work. "My first knowledge of the Salpêtrière, was with the high privilege of the guidance of its great physician, Pinel, and of his new illustrious associate, Esquirol. Pinel received me kindly, and inquired with much interest after Benjamin Rush, who had lately written his book on Diseases of the Mind," Parkman wrote from Paris. That same interest helped to cement the relationship between Parkman and Pinel. The 70-year-old Pinel's ideas impressed Parkman. Under teachers like Pinel and Esquirol, Parkman practiced at the Parisian Asylum, and learned the history and treatment of mental "diseases." At this time Parkman developed his own path of his career. He spent time in England studying with men of Science, as well. Parkman returned to the U.S. in 1813. The
War of 1812 called for the service of young men and Parkman “received a commission as a surgeon in a regiment of the third brigade belonging to the first division of the Massachusetts militia.” He began in South Boston and simultaneously served as a physician to the poor with a desire to replicate the practices of Pinel and Esquirol. Parkman believed that psychiatric institutions should reflect a residence-like setting, where patients could enjoy hobbies and socializing and participating in household chores, as permitted. Parkman thought Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital was a good model and talked to the faculty of
Massachusetts General Hospital about having a lunatic hospital connected to it. In 1817, he wrote two papers,
Remarks on Insanity and
The Management of Lunatics in an effort to convince the trustees of the Massachusetts General Hospital that he could supervise an asylum they were considering opening. That same year he offered to raise $16,000 for the construction of a full-size institution. Unfortunately, the trustees interpreted the offer as a proposal to fully endow the project. Later, the
McLean Asylum for the Insane was established, but the trustees feared the taint of corruption if Parkman had held an appointment he had endowed.
Rufus Wyman, the father of
Jeffries Wyman and
Morrill Wyman, who both were involved in the
Parkman–Webster murder case, was appointed. Parkman retired, but continued his interest in medicine and insanity. He would visit and entertain them, he bought them an organ, and opened up his own mansions during
cholera and
smallpox epidemics for the treatment of patients. ==Later life==