John Abraham DeNormandie (226)

John Abraham DeNormandie (13 September 1721–22 September 1805) was a physician and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1768. Little is known of DeNormandie’s youth aside from identifying Bristol as his place of birth. More well-known is DeNormandie enthusiasm for Bristol’s mineral springs, a feature that would become central to the medical practice he opened there. After conducting chemical tests on the waters, DeNormandie concluded they were equal to the much-lauded springs in Bath, England and soon began extolling and prescribing their alleged therapeutic properties for many of his patients. His writings about the spring water would appear in a number of publications, including the first volume of the Society’s Transactions. His work with the water was interrupted, however, in 1772 when he received news of a promised inheritance and traveled to Switzerland to procure it. His time in Geneva proved so pleasant, surrounded as he was by family, that he decided to return to Philadelphia in 1773, divest his holdings, and retire to Switzerland. His return trip proved longer than anticipated with the outbreak of the American Revolution and DeNormandie found himself caring for Continental soldiers rather when fighting arrived in his neighborhood. Resolute, he persisted and was back on his way to Geneva by 1778. His return, however, proved disappointing. His expected inheritance failed to materialize, and he found that he did not like his new home as much as his old one. After passing some time writing on the recent history of Geneva, he returned in 1783 and settled in Burlington, NJ. While he occasionally counseled former patients, for the most part he watched over his investments and the management of his farm while APS member Phineas Bond handled his business affairs in London. Of particular interest for DeNormandie were his experiments in agriculture and watching over the education of his grandchildren. He relocated once again, this time to live with his married children in New York, who cared for him until his death. (PI)