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Samuel Dickson was born in the village of New Scotland, in the town of Bethlehem, (now Scotland) in the County of Albany, on the 29th of March, 1807.
His father, William Dickson, was by birth a Scotchman, and when a boy entered the British Navy under the command of Admiral Cochrane, but soon after emigrated to this country, and having acquired a competency at the wheelright's trade, he purchased a farm in the village of New Scotland, where Dr. Dickson, his only son resided, until the time of his decease, May 5th, 1858.
Dr Dickson pursued his academic studies under the instruction of the learned Dr. O'Donnell, who formerly practiced medicine in this city. When sixteen years of age, he entered the junior class in Union College, and graduated at that Institution, the youngest and one of the most promising members of the class of 1825.
Soon after leaving college, he commenced the study of medicine in this city, under the able instruction of Dr. William Bay, and in May 1829, he received a diploma from the Censors of the Medical Society of the State of New York. The following autumn he commenced the practice of medicine in his native town, and soon acquired the confidence of the community and considerable reputation as a judicious and skillful physician.
He became a member of this Society in Nov. 1834, and largely contributed to the interest of its meetings when professional engagements did not prevent his attendance.
In the autumn of 1856 he was elected to represent the County of Albany in the 34th Congress of the United States; and his integrity of character and unyielding firmness on all questions of principle and duty soon won for him the respect of his associates.
It was near the close of the first session that he met with an accident, which, though at first apparently trivial in itself, was ultimately the occasion of his death.
The accident occurred in his own room, during a temporary recess of the house, under the following circumstances:
being desirous of consulting a book in his library he hastily arose from his chair, which he inadvertently overturned, and in attempting to resume his seat without looking around he fell with considerable force upon the floor.
From the concussion of the spine, occasioned by this fall, he soon partially recovered so as to be able to resume his seat in congress and afterwards to engage in his professional labors to some extent. But his strength gradually declined, until within about three months of his decease, when his lower extremities became completely paralyzed.
His mind however, remained clear and undisturbed, and though conscious that his days on earth were numbered, he was enabled to rejoice in the unfailing hope and consolation which is alone imparted by a Christian faith. His age was 51 years.
