Thomas Sewall

Thomas Sewall (April 16, 1786 – April 10, 1845) was an American medical doctor, writer and academic. He gained notoriety for being convicted of body snatching, and later went on to become a professor.

Early life Thomas Sewall was born on April 16, 1786, in Hallowell, Maine. In August 1812, he graduated from Harvard Medical School and began practicing medicine.

Career Sewall commenced his medical practice in Ipswich, Massachusetts. In 1821, Sewall was appointed a professor of anatomy and physiology, as well as doctor at Columbian College (which later became George Washington University). In 1825, the college began its operations and he remained with the college until his death.

Sewell is remembered today for his eight graphic drawings of "alcohol diseased stomachs". Colored lithographs of these were made and widely distributed to promote teetotalism and the temperance movement. He was also an opponent of phrenology, the pseudo-science of studying the size and shape of peoples' heads.

Personal life Sewall married Mary Choate, sister of Rufus Choate from Massachusetts. They had at least one son, Thomas Sewall. Thomas Sewall was a Methodist reverend of Brooklyn and Baltimore.

Sewall died on April 10, 1845, at his house in Washington, D.C. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.