Druggist and merchant who lacked formal medical training but adopted the title of doctor to market his highly successful proprietary medicine, “Dr. Isaac Thompson’s Celebrated Eye Water.” Introduced in 1795, the ophthalmic preparation was widely distributed for decades.
| When Burke met | 1802 |
| Where Burke met | New London, CT |
| Occupation | Commerce |
| Interaction with Burke | Burke collected payments for him |
| Identity Status | Confirmed |
| Genealogy | WikiTree |
| Memoir Pages | 75 |
Notes
Isaac Thompson (August 24, 1775 – March 2, 1852) was a druggist and merchant who resided primarily in New London, Connecticut. Born in Stratford to Lt. William Thompson and Mehitable Ufford, he lacked formal medical training but adopted the title of doctor to market his highly successful proprietary medicine, “Dr. Isaac Thompson’s Celebrated Eye Water.” Introduced in 1795, the ophthalmic preparation was widely distributed for decades. In 1830, Thompson sold the formula and drug business to his son-in-law, John Leland Thompson of Troy, New York, dedicating his remaining years to various mercantile pursuits, including partial ownership in a New London whaling vessel. Thompson married three times: first to Catherine Mumford in 1800, with whom he had eight children; next to Sarah Christophers in 1817; and finally to Huldah Thompson. He is buried in New London’s Cedar Grove Cemetery.
Sources
Burke, William. Memoir of William Burke: A Soldier of the Revolution, Reformed from Intemperance, and for Many Years a Consistent and Devoted Christian; Carefully Prepared from a Journal Kept by Himself; to Which Is Added, an Extract from a Sermon Preached at His Funeral, by Rev. Nathaniel Miner. Hartford, CT: Case, Tiffany, 1837.