were acquired after his death by the Boston Public Library, where they are known as the Barton Collection.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the subject of this sketch came of a family of students, and as a contemporaneous writer has stated: "His forebears were eminently qualified to infuse into his mind the rudiments of knowledge and the principles of virtue."

Dr. William P. C. Barton received his classical education at Princeton, graduating with distinction in 1805. Each member of his class assumed the name of some celebrated character, and Barton chose that of Count Paul Crillon, whose initials he retained throughout life. He began a study of medicine under the direction of his uncle, Dr. Benjamin Smith Barton, and received his degree in 1808. His inaugural thesis was entitled, "A Dissertation on the Chymical Properties and Exhilarating Effects of Nitrous Oxide Gas and its Application to Pneumatick Medicine." This was considered worthy of publication and for many years was accepted as a standard treatise on the subject. Soon after graduation he made a translation from the Latin of Jacobus Gregory's "Dissertation on the Influence of a Change of Climate in Curing Diseases."

After practicing medicine in Philadelphia for about a year during which time he became one of the surgeons to the Pennsylvania Hospital, he received an appointment as surgeon in the Navy, upon the recommendation of Dr. Benjamin Rush and Dr. Philip Syng Physick. He was for several years on active duty on the frigate "United States"; on the "Essex"; at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia; as surgeon to the Marines at Philadelphia; at the Naval Hospital, Philadelphia; on the "Brandywine"; at the Naval Hospital, Norfolk; at the Naval Asylum, Philadelphia; as chief of Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; at the Naval Hospital, Pensacola, and as president of the Board

of Medical Examiners at Philadelphia. He distinguished himself by his professional skill and his scholarly attainments, and particularly by his bold and fearless advocacy of necessary reforms in the medical department of the Navy and the improvement of the status of the naval surgeon. During his periods of shore duty he was not content to pass his time unemployed, but devoted himself with marked professional ardor to the publication of various works, some growing out of his naval experience, like that on "Marine Hospitals" mentioned above, and one entitled "Hints for Naval Officers Cruising in the West Indies," written in 1830, and others mainly on botany. In 1815 he was chosen professor of botany in the University of Pennsylvania succeeding his uncle, and in later years he was connected with Jefferson Medical College in a similar capacity. He was also a fellow of the College of Physicians, a member of the American Philosophical Society, president of the Linnæan Society, an honorary member and surgeon of the First City Troop, and upon the creation of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in the Navy Department, Dr. Barton was tendered and accepted the appointment of chief of this bureau. He was, therefore, the first chief of bureau, though not the first surgeon general of the Navy. This title was not created until 1869, and was first held by William Maxwell Wood. In fact Barton was much opposed to the adoption of the title surgeon general; and in 1838, when legislation designed to create it was pending before Congress, he addressed a pamphlet to the members of the committees on naval affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives, entitled "A Polemical Remonstrance against the Project of Creating the New Office of Surgeon General in the Navy of the United States." This publication reveals that he was also a corresponding member of the Imperial and Royal Academy of Agricul

ture of Florence; a member of the Linnæan Society of Stockholm and a lecturer on materia medica, botany, toxicology and naval therapeutics in the Therapeutic Institute of Philadelphia.

While chief of bureau he introduced many reforms, corrected numerous abuses and received for his services the warm recommendation and approval of the then Secretary of the Navy, the Hon. Abel P. Upshur. His attempts to improve conditions in the Medical Department, however, met with opposition and rendered him very unpopular with those whose interests or hopes were endangered by his efforts. He was not deterred, however, and in spite of resistance accomplished much in the direction of improvement of conditions in the Navy, both medical and nonmedical in character. On March 20, 1844, after holding this office for eighteen months, he addressed a letter of resignation to the President praying for approval of his "earnest wish . . . to retire from the scene of unavailing efforts." He retained his naval commission, however, doing duty at Pensacola Hospital, but chiefly on the Medical Examining Board at Philadelphia, and at the time of his death in 1856, he had been for many years the senior surgeon in the Navy.

In September, 1814, Dr. Barton married Esther, daughter of Jonathan Dickinson. Sergeant, Esq. (a member of the Philadelphia bar), and a granddaughter of Dr. David Rittenhouse.

Of his character, appearance, and personal attributes, I have been fortunate in securing a reflection from several sources. The portrait which appears on the second page of this article was taken from what appears to be an enlarged photograph now hanging in the office of the Surgeon General of the Navy. This came from the Naval Medical School some years ago, but I have not been able to determine anything of its prior history. It is said by one of his descendants

to whom the reproduction was shown to be a good likeness and represents his peculiar manner of dress, which even for the times was considered somewhat elaborate and eccentric. It is supposed to represent him as he looked about the time he was appointed chief of bureau. In a speech delivered in the House of Representatives, early in 1844, by the Hon. Alexander H. H. Stuart of Virginia, Barton was referred to, in connection with an investigation into the expenditures of the newly created Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, in terms which give us an idea of the impression made upon a contemporary by his manner and style of composition. Mr. Stuart stated:

"I, like others, have been somewhat prejudiced by the artificial and involved style of his report submitted to the House; a prejudice by no means diminished by his manner and style of dress, equally unnatural and eccentric. But when I knew him better and heard and saw the improvements which he had introduced into the Bureau, my prejudice vanished and I became satisfied he was a most capable and faithful officer."

The same speaker refers later to his "bold and manly spirit of independence, which induces him to shrink from no responsibility."

In the findings of his court-martial in 1818, a reference was made by the court to "the vehemence of his manner (which) imparted impressions his language and intentions would not warrant."

One of the most valuable comments on his manner and personal qualities appears in an address delivered before the Alumni Association of the Jefferson Medical College, on March 11, 1871, by Dr. Samuel D. Gross, professor of surgery in the college and president of the association. He refers to Dr. Barton in these terms:

"The instruction in materia medica, during the two Winters of my connection

with the College, was delivered by Dr. William P. C. Barton, brother of Dr. John Rhea Barton, the eminent surgeon, and a nephew of Dr. Benjamin Smith Barton, formerly a professor in the University of Pennsylvania. He was, in all respects, a remarkable man: highly educated, learned in his profession, a graceful lecturer, an able writer and one of the most accomplished botanists in America. He abounded in flashes of wit; and a vein of irony and sarcasm was perceptible in almost everything he did and said. He had a passionate love of music and played with consummate ability upon the flute and violin. Many of his acts were marked by the eccentricities of genius. His style of lecturing was conversational, plain, simple and didactic, without any attempt at oratory, and his success as a teacher was all that could have been desired. In his appearance he was a model of neatness and elegance. He seldom wore the same coat, vest, or cravat on two successive days. In his criticisms of contemporaneous writers he was often severe and even bitter, especially when he had occasion to speak of a certain writer on materia medica, with whom he had long been on terms of open hostility. He would then, often with a peculiarly disdainful curl of the upper lip, fly off into the keenest satire and invective, much to the amusement of his young auditors, all of whom, with few exceptions, were warmly attached to him. It was his invariable practice, too much neglected in most of our schools, every morning to ask the class some questions respecting the lecture of the previous day."

"During my first Summer in Philadelphia I was a member of Dr. Barton's botanical class, and usually attended him in his botanical excursions along the banks of the Schuylkill, visiting Bartram's Conservatories or rambling about

in the open field in search of specimens. In these excursions he was always in his happiest mood, skipping merrily, like a humming-bird, from flower to flower. He experienced as great delight in the discovery of a new plant as Audubon did at the sight of an undescribed bird, or John Hunter in the dissection of a strange animal. He was in fact a botanical enthusiast."

In attempting to find Dr. Barton's grave in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, I was fortunate in getting in touch with one of his lineal descendants. This gentleman I met later and obtained from him much additional information, of a character which could not have been secured elsewhere.

Through his kindness I have been able to read a biographical sketch of Dr. Barton which was compiled in 1879 by one of Dr. Barton's daughters. In this she refers to her father as possessing "many personal attractions and accomplishments. He retained, even to advanced years, a great love for music and great conversational powers. His character was a happy combination of qualities which attracted all and repelled none. Of great courage without any bravado, of affability without servility, of true warmhearted benevolence, his qualities of heart and of mind were well calculated to secure lasting friends among the good and true."

I also learned from him that Barton had assembled in his lifetime a very remarkable collection of musical instruments, which he recalls seeing as a child in the home on Chestnut Street. It was here that Barton lived and had his office. The house is still standing, but in reconstruction it has been joined to another, which has been built over part of the plot, formerly the garden of the Barton home.

The facts recorded regarding Dr. Barton's career in the service were found to be few and meagre, particularly with reference to his service at sea, and the chief and most

valuable sources of information regarding him were found in "Officers' Letters," scattered throughout many volumes, covering the years 1809 to 1848, which are filed in the Navy Department Library. These, together with allusions made in his writings to various incidents of his life and work, have constituted the main sources from which the facts of this sketch have been drawn.

The records of the Navy Department show that Dr. Barton was appointed a surgeon on April 10, 1809, to take rank from June 28. His letter of appointment also contained orders to the frigate "United States.' In a letter which was written from the Pennsylvania Hospital, and addressed to the Hon. Charles M. Goldsborough, Esq., secretary of the Navy, he accepted his appointment and requested a delay of six weeks before joining the "United States," explaining that the delay was necessary to enable him to complete his term of service at the hospital, which ran to July first. It is apparent from this letter that he felt a deep sense of obligation to fulfil what he considered an implied contract with the hospital authorities to remain until his period of service was completed, but his request was denied, for the "Sick Reports" of the "United States," show that he was already aboard that vessel on June 7, 1809. On June 10, 1809, Stephen Decatur, Jr., had joined the "United States" and hoisted his broad pennant as commodore for the first time, and then began the friendship with Decatur which lasted throughout life. Very little has been found respecting Barton's service on this vessel, which apparently continued only until about November 10, 1810, for soon after that date he is found on the "Essex."

Practically no medical records relating to the ships of this period are to be found in the Navy Department, but, by a mere chance, two thin volumes of the "Sick Reports" of the "United States," in Barton's own hand

writing were found in the Library of the Naval Medical School, where they had been placed in 1905 by former Surgeon General Rixey, who had discovered them in a secondhand bookstore in New York.

In the early days of the Navy, although the regulations required the commander of a vessel to keep an official log, the government did not furnish the log book. It happened therefore that a book purchased by an officer for this purpose, was often regarded as personal property, and taken away by him when detached from the ship. It is not improbable that a similar custom existed with respect to medical records. This condition of affairs may account for the absence of medical records covering this period and also for the fortuitous discovery at this late day of the "Sick Reports" of the "United States." These reports ran from June 7, 1809, to November 10, 1810, and were entered in Barton's handwriting in two small note books. A reproduction of the first two pages, showing the opening entries, appears in the text of this article. As one scans the pages of these small books it is surprising to note how sparse is the information to be obtained regarding the movement of disease or important daily events. Only one entry is made giving the location of the ship, that occurring on the second page, where it is noted as "Crany Island, Elizabeth River, Vir." Unfortunately, no record of the other ports or places visited is found. The usual day's record shows the name of the disease, complaint or injury, rarely in a scientific nomenclature, which is set opposite the name of the patient, and an entry is made of admissions and discharges for the day. The progress of a patient is sometimes stated in a word or two, such as "improving," "better," or "worse," too often the latter, and deaths are not infrequent. The prevalence of "typhus fever" is noteworthy and by this, of course, is meant the typhoid fever of later days, although the