John S. Griffin, M.D.

Griffin, John S. A DOCTOR COMES TO CALIFORNIA: THE DIARY OF JOHN S. GRIFFIN, ASSISTANT SURGEON WITH KEARNY'S DRAGOONS, 1846-1847 WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY GEORGE WALCOTT AMES, JR. AND A FORWARD BY GEORGE D. LYMAN, M.D. San Francisco: California Historical Society, 1943.
John S. Griffin's diary of his experiences on the old Santa Fe Gila River trail is one of the few descriptive narratives of a journey over a Southwest trail to California. It is first hand information on the "Army of the West" and the conquest of California in 1846-47.  It is also important from a surgical and medical standpoint.   For the greater part of Kearny's march to San Diego, Dr. Griffin was the only surgeon in the column. Finally, the Journal is important because Griffin became one of California's outstanding medical men.  He was one of the three pioneer physicians in the pueblo of Los Angeles.
SPE 979.40082 G853zg 1943 CAL