Turner, Philip

Philip Turner (1740-1815) was a noted surgeon from Norwich, Connecticut, where he trained under his foster father, Dr. Elisha Tracy. He served with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, holding the position of Surgeon General of the Eastern Department. After the Revolutionary War, Turner returned to private practice in Norwich, and moved to New York in 1800. He also served as an army surgeon during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) and the War of 1812, when he was stationed at Fort Columbus on Governor's Island, New York. Turner died in 1815.

Philip and Lucy Turner had seven children, two of whom appear as authors of material in the collection. John Turner (1764-1837) was also a doctor in Norwich, Connecticut. Nancy Turner married Marvin Wait in 1810, and had a son, John Turner Wait (1811-1899), who served as a U.S. Representative from Connecticut and also authored material in the collection.