JOHN W. BRODIE

John W. Brodie was born in the Province of Quebec on March 7, 1853. He was educated in the schools of Montreal and then attended McGill University from which he received his M.D., C.M. in 1877. After graduation he began his practice in Montreal. Subsequently, he went abroad and served as house surgeon in London Hospital and visited hospitals and medical schools in Edinburgh, Paris, Berlin and Vienna.

Poor health brought Dr. Brodie to Honolulu in September, 1880, where he went into partnership with his friend and McGill classmate, Dr. Frank Leslie Miner. Very shortly thereafter, Dr. Miner left for an extended stay in Europe and Dr. Brodie took over his practice. The following year brought an epidemic of small-pox to Honolulu which lasted from March until August, during which time Dr. Brodie was put in charge of the Palama and Kalihi districts of the city.

While the doctor was studying at the University of Vienna he became friends with a Dr. William Briggs. Later he visited Dr. Briggs in Sacramento where he met and fell in love with the doctor's sister, Julia. In July, 1884, Dr. Brodie and Miss Briggs were married in Sacramento, and on August 8, the doctor and his bride returned to Honolulu on the S.S. "Mariposa".

The years that followed were busy ones. Besides a large private practice, Dr. Brodie was appointed Port Physician in 1885, a position he held until 1889 when he resigned. He was also assistant physician at the Queen's Hospital for a number of years, in 1887 was appointed prison physician and the next year became physician for the Lunalilo Home. The pressure of his private practice, in addition to his other duties, undermined his health and forced him to curtail his practice. In line with this, he invested heavily in Halemano Ranch near Waialua where he built a beautiful home and spent as much time as he could. He was especially interested in breeding horses. Unfortunately, the ranch proved to be a non-paying venture, and he was finally forced to sell.

In January, 1892, following the sale of Halemano, Dr. Brodie moved to San Francisco, and by June of that year had opened an office on Sutter Street. Possibly due to his frequent illnesses he had become addicted to drugs and finally his wife divorced him.

His San Francisco practice was soon so successful that again his health was not equal to the demands of his profession, and he was forced to close his office and in July, 1893, returned to the Islands.

Back in Honolulu his services were in as much demand as ever by his former patients, and he soon found himself so busy that the only way he could get any rest or relaxation was to take short trips to the Mainland, usually returning on the same steamer. On November 2, 1895, Dr. Brodie, just returned from a trip to California and so broken in health that he refused to see any more patients, died at his Waikiki residence at the age of 42.

Always interested in target shooting, he was a charter member of the Hawaiian Rifles and served as the group's first president, a position he held for two successive terms. Before his health failed, he took an active part in the social life of Honolulu and in 1882 was elected vice-president of the newly organized Kohala Social Club whose purpose was to "give select entertainments and encourage a good time". During his years in Honolulu he became a naturalized American citizen.

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