Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE REFLECTOR. VOL. 1. MILLEDGEVILLE, G. TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1818. »it'. i t. BIOGRAPHY. 11UIEF MEMOIRS OF DH. VV1STAK. •When men eminent in their day for talent, uireuirnt, and pnblie usefulness, are call-' from4lie widely of this world, it is dcsi- -Je that some memorials of their public ca- er should bo given, to gratify the curiosity those who may survive them. We atv J desirous of receiving information con- rning men who were honored in their lives, d lamented in their deaths not merely by e world at large, but by thoso also, who owing them intimately, best knew their lie to public esteem. Such memorials serve, it to gratify a laudable curiosity, but to fur- sh reflection, on the means by which pub- c eminence has been acquired, and to irn- ■ess the value of public approbation so ear ed as Dr. Wistar earned it, and so chcerful- bestowed by his fellow citizens on this es- mable man during the whole extent of his oful lify, from the commencement of his lie career, to the mournful period of its use. Dr. Wistar was tforn in the yenr 1760 : his ther was a German from Palatinnatc, who ligrated to this country about sixty years ', & settled as a glass manufacturer in N. rsey. He belonged to the society of friends, which society Dr. Wistar remained a metn- as long as be lived. He was educated at grammar school established by William nu in Philadelphia, and early determined the profession of physic as his future pur- it. With this view, he entered as a private upil with Dr. John Redman, and attended it- lectures then given in the medical school f Philadelphia, which was daily rising in ublic estimation. It will not be irrelevant, give a brief history of this school to whose eputation Dr. Wistar so essentially contri- uted. The institution termed, “ The college, ac- demy and charitable school of Philadel- liia,” was first projected in 1749, but not hartered as an incorporation until the year 753. The power of conferring degrees was ! ven to it under the foregoing title, in 1755. In 1764 Dr. William Shippcn and Dr. dim Morgan, projected the plan of a medi al school in Philadelphia : in 1765 the hir er gentleman was appointed professor of -atomy in that school, and Dr. Morgan, ho delivered a discourse on the establish ed!; of medical schools in America, at the mmonccment held in tho college in 1765, as nominated professor of the institutes of edicine. In 1768 Dr. A. Kuhn was ap- inted professor of botany. Dr. B. Rysh, 1769, professor of chemistry, and Dr. T. ond gave clinical lectures at the hospital dependent of the medical institution of the liege. In 1779 Hie legislature of Pennsylvania, ooferred on the college a charter of incor- ration as an university : but as the Rev. W. Smith who had been at the head of e college as provost, was suspected ofo nions unfriendly to the prevailing state of litics, new trustees were appointed, Dr. mith wan removed, and the Rev. Dr. John wing appointed in his place. In the year 1789 a law passed, continuing c university, but reviving the college, and o scmiiiaries of mcdicul as well as of gen- al learning, were established with distinct rofessioa : but this plan was too extended r the limited number of pupils and students t that day to suppoft; and in 1791 the lc- islature incorporated tho two institutions nder the present denomination of tho Uni- ersity of Pennsylvania', with the addition f the professorships of law, of natural his- ry, and of tbo German language. Dr tippen lectured the first year to ten stu nts, while l)iv Wistar studied medicine in o shop of Dr. Redman, ho attended the tures of DrS. Shippen, Morgan, Kuhn, d Rush. In 1783 he left America to pur- o his studies in Europe. Such however as the excellent character of Dr. Wistar that early period, that the trustees of the cdical school in Philadelphia in the spring 1784, soon after his departure, volunta- y conferred on him the degree of bache- r of medicine. In 1786 he graduated at Edinburgh with at reputation, and published his Thesis animo demisso. During his absence from is country, he travelled over a great part England on foot; examining the mining d manufacturing districts of that country, d whatever else was likely to engage the ention of a man of science. In Febrnary 1787 he returned to Phila- Iphia having been absent between three d four year. When tho college of Phila phla was revived, he was appointed pro of of chemistry and physiology, in which artments of instruction, he gave lectures ing the winter sessions of 1789 and 1790. was also appointed soon after his return suiting physician to the Philadelphia dis- sory, and was one of its early attending sicians. He was also appointed physi- n to the hospital. Afterwards he became unct professor to Dr. William Shippcn in the departments of anatomy and surgery ; whose reputation was very high as a dissec tor, and demonstrator, as well as lecturer in anatomy generally. It was as assistant* to Dr. Shippen that lie acquired the practical skill as a dissector and demonstrator, which laid the foundations of his after-reputation. At this time, he practised also .as a physician and surgeon; his surgical studies having huen directed by Dr. John Jones, a practi tioner of great eminence at that day, and whose friendship brought Dr. Wistar early into public notice as a surgeon. “ Dr. Jones (says Dr, HoSack in his late elogium on his friend Dr. Wistar) having oc casion to perform an important operation, invited Dr. Wistar to accompany him. When the patient was prepared Dr. Jones; address ing Dr. W'star, as having better sight than himself, at tho same presenting.him with his knife, requested it as a favour that he would perform the operation. Dr. Wistar imme diately complied : and such was theskill and success with which it was performed, that if atonce introduced him to the confidence of his fellow citizens. The delicate manner in which this compliment was paid to the ta lents of Dr. Wistar, was not lost upon his feeling heart: he over afterwards acknow ledged the patronage of his benefactor by every act of kindness in his power, and by the linceasing expressions oi* filial affection.” Indeed if there was one trait more emi nent in the character of Dr. Wistar than another, it was the kindness of bis feelings, shewn in every part of his conduct, in his voice, and in his manner : and his gratitude for benefits conferred, was only equalled 1m Ids anxiety to confer benefits on those whos' talents ami deportment appeared to merit his attentions, and to give the promise of fu ture utility to their fellow citizens. On the decease of Dr. Shippcn Dr. Wis tar was appointed to fill the chair of his de parted friend : indeed he had long perform ed the duties of this department even while Dr. Shippen was living, and thus contribut ed in no small degree to keep up the merited reputation of the university to which he be longed. To the great and popular talents of himself, of Dr. Rush, and of Dr. Barton, is mainly owing the high standing of tho medical school of Pphilkdelphia ; and though their equals may he found in learning, know ledge, and industry their utilily as the foun ders of the school of medicine, will always place them at the bead of the medical benefac tors of this country. They marked out the Augustnn age of medical science in America; a period which we firmly believe and anx iously hope is not yet likely to pass away ; but which may hereafter soften down into the age of mediocrity, unless great care be taken to keep up the reputation of the institution, by the choice of professors who have public reputation of their own to add to that which ! ho university through these great men, has ilready acquired, In 1815 Dr. Wistar was elected honorary member of the literary and philosophical so ciety of New-York : in 1816 he was unani mously elected president of the American philosophical society, Mr. Jefferson having declined a re-elcctinn to that honorable chair, owing to his advanced age, and the distance of his residence. Dr. Wistar was too actively engaged to appear often in the character of an author : hut his remarks on tho fever of 1793, his memoirs on the Ethmoid bone, and on the remains of an animal of the Bos species, were well calculated to enhance his reputa tion : at the time of his deceaso he was fast rising into reputation aS a comparative ana tomist, and had instituted correspondencies with Cuvier, Summering and other eminent naturalists in Enrope. His system of ana tomy, published in two vols. and comprising the heads of his course, is a most useful com- pend, embracing not merely the anatomy, but the anatomical physiology of the parts noticed, according to the best views at pre sent known of that branch of the subject. Although Dr. Wistar did ndt publish many works, lie was among tho most active con tributors to knowledge of all kinds that we have seen in till- country, by his scientifical meetings at his own house, which was the place of resort of all strangers who had apy information to communicate, as well as of his friends who were engaged in any scien tific pursuit. His house was, a centre from whence the beams of science radiated in all directions, and were transmitted through our country". Dr. Wistar had for some time apprehend ed symptoms of hydrothorax, which however went off; still ho was occasionally troubled with irregularities of the pulse, which indi cated obstructions in the source of circula tion. In fact it was found after his decease, that he had suffered under an ossification of the valve of the aorta. But the immediate cause of his decease appears to have" been a low fever, caught as we have reason to be lieve by visiting a poor family in Southwark in the city, where the apartment was closo, a stove exceedingly hot, and want of due cleanliness in the room. Ho complained of great oppression in coming out of the apart ment, but his charity led him to go again the next day. On ItiS return his complaints in creased. The next day he went to bed after breakfast, but arose to deliver his lecture at tho university. On his return homo ho was too feeble logo up stairs. He was supported to Ills bed, out of which lie rose no more. He di ed on Thursday evening tho 22d of Janua ry, 1818, about half ^nist eight o’clock afti# an illness of six or seven days. We cannot close this account better than by the brief obituary inserted tho noxt d.ry in one of the public papers of this city, drawn up by one of his friends, who well knew his worth, and greatly lamented tho death, of this kind hearted, and most usoful man. “ Died on Thursday evening, at half past eight o’clock, aged 56, at his house in South fourth-street, Philadelphia, Dr. Caspar Wistar, many years a physician of the first eminence in tho city of Philadelphia, anil professor of anatomy in the university of Pennsylvania. “ The lossofthis gentleman will be'severe ly felt in this city, by all classes of the com munity. His great knowledge and attqption is a physician, the kindness of liis tones, AIk- mildness of his manners, his careful attend ance on the poor, who could not reward, e- jually assiduous as upon the rich who could, will long endear him to all who knew' Dr. Wistar in his most useful character. “ As a professor of anatomy, bo hits not teen equalled in this country, and has berti xcelled in no other. Perfect master not on ly of the minutia: of his profession, but of tho most effectual modes of teaching it, his lectures were always crowded.—Those stu dents who were not compelled to attend for lie sake of a degree, were induced to attend for the sake of information. The skill and care with which his subjects wero prepared and brought forward—the simple, neat, in telligible style of his lectures—the kind and friendly character of his voice and manner- ins anxiety to make liis students fully com prehend what they had to learn—and his reat success in these endeavors, have long been admired, and will be long remembered “ As a scientific mans it will bo difficult to replace him in scientific society here. His constant aim was to promote knowledge of all kinds, in all ways. His house was the hospitable resort of scientific strangers from every quarter of the world-^his Weekly con- v<;rsatioii parties through the winter, were the means of concentrating and .diffusing c- very kind of useful intelligence in the philo sophical world, nor will his friends who usu ally met there, ever forget the elegant hos pitality of his parties, or the charms of his own conversation that onliveYiod thenr. “ Dr. Wistar had for some years been af flicted by obstVuctions in the chest, and irre gularities of the pulse. About a week ago, he was seized with a low fever, not distinct ly characterized as a typhus, but which with his constitutional complaints, deprived liis friends of a man whose society will hardly bo replaced, and the community of ope of its brightest ornaments.” T, C. Dr. Wistar was twice married, first in 1783 to Isabella Marshall, by w hom ho left no off spring : the second time about nineteen years ago, to his present widow, Eliza Mifflin, a niece of governor Mifflin, by whom he has left two children.—JmUectic Magazine. DOCUMENT. CASE OF MR. MEADE. Petition of Mr#. Meade and paper3 communicated by her in relation to Kichard W. Meade. To his excellency tho President of tbo U. States, the following case is respectfully sub mitted : Richard W. Meade was born irt Chester county in Pennsylvania, in June, 1778. He went to Spain in 1803, to claim restitution of property detained at Buenos Ayres, in which claim he was unsiicceSsluh He then established a commercial house at Cadiz, where ho has ever since resided, in the char acter of an American citizen ; and having field from 1806 till the present year the sta tion of navy agent of the United States for the port of Cadiz.—Mr. Meade has a wife (tho undersigned) and nine children now re siding in Philadelphia. In theit* late struggles lie rendered essen tial service to the people of Spain as repeat edly and publicly acknowledged. In 1812 being in actual advance to tho government of Spain to the amount of near eight hundred thousand dollafk, and bejng satisfied that the treasurer general, Don Victor Soret, was using the funds; which by contract had been appropriated to repay that advance, he ap pealed to the regcficy against the conduct of tho treasurer ; and receiving no satisfaction published & pamphlet containing a statement of his contracts with the government, and its injustice t i», ards him ; in consequence of which publication he w as imprisioned three months ami then released on hgil. On an appeal to the cortcs, Mr. Meade obtained an ordy for the payment of his advances, which order has been but partially complied with, and that under enormous Sacrifices, amount ing in many instances to olio third of the ca pital, besides several years’ interest for which no allowance has been made. Mr. Meade also appealed to the cortcs against tho unjust proceedings of tho regency in impri soning him : the cortcs reported the procecif- ings as illegal and unjust, and decreed the constitutional penalties against the minister who gave and the judge wHho executed the or der. The dismissal of the regency by tho cortes and the subsequent dissolution of tho cortes itself, on the arrival of king Ferdin and, prevented tho report of the cortes a- gainst the regency being acted on, and tho affair being revived by the supreme council of waif*-, composed of men subservient to tho old rcgeucy, (who are now all in higli offices round the court) it was lately decreed that Mr. Meailo should pay a line of two thousand ducats for the publication which they term a libel on the late regents-. It is to be understood that the affair above related-, of the imprisonment in 1812, is al together distinct front the present confine ment of Mr. Meade and it's causes, though, often erroneously blended with it j it will clearly appear, however; that the rancour produced by the event; related, has operat ed with many now in power in stimulating the present persecution, the circumstances leading to which are aB follows : In 1812, Mr. Meade was appointed as signee to the estate of James W. Glass, of Cadiz, declared bankrupt in England, in consequence of his connection with the house of Hunter, Rainey & : co. of London against whom a commission of bankruptcy had issu ed ; the appointment of Mr. M. was made by the tribunal of commerce of Cadiz, with tho approbation of all the creditors in Cadiz, and was confirmed by the assignees in Lon* dou—the tribunal of commerce having cog nizance of all commercial affairs in Spain, and all persons carrying on trado there (even foreigner) being amenable thereto. Mr. M. gave bonds accordingly, to take charge of the effects of the estate, anil to be respon sible solely to the trihunal for the proceeds, being prohibited, under the penalty of tho bonds, from disposing of the funds without the-sanction pf the tribunal. Having Settled the 'affairs of the estate, and paid all the demands thereon, there re mained in his hands about fifty two thousand dollars, which ho several times petitioned the tribunal to bo permitted to remit to the assignees in London. Tho delays attend ing ail Spanish proceedings prevented the petitions being acted upon, until Mr. Dun can Hunter, one of the principals of the bankrupt house, was sent to Cadiz, and when on the eve of getting tho business settled, Mr. Glass (escaping from his bnil in Eng land) appeared also in Cadiz, and laid am embargo on the funds, under the pretence of having been illegally included in the bank ruptcy., John M‘Dermot was appointed aw the agertt of Huiitcr, and Mr. Meade offer ed to pay to Hufttcror M‘Dcrino't tho amount in his hands', on their giving bonds satisfac tory to the tribunal of commerce, in lieu of his 6Wn ; those persons not bcihg able to pro cure such securities as tho tribunal would accept, that body, suddenly, and of its own accord, declrced that Mr. M. should, on the following morning, place the money in tho king’s trcaSary, until M'Dcrmot or Hunter should give the security Required ; it being declared that all Mr. M’s. property should, be embargoed in case of non payment at tho time limited; In pursuance to the said or der Mr. made the deposit on tho following morning, and presented to the tribunal tho receipt in which the treasurer acknowledged to have received the sum in question by or der of the tribunal; to be held subject to tho future disposition of that body. A question having been made, at the instigation of M‘- Dermot, whether the sum had been paid in to tho treasury in specie, or in treasury notes, the intendant answered, to an official enqui ry of the tribunal, that « the deposit had been made in due form under his inspection, in effective specie, and that whenever tho tribunal should order its payment, his mas jesty would pay it in t.r j same coin.” Notwithstanding this, a suit was brought against Mr. Meade by M‘Dermot,'and the tribunal aw are that it had done wrong in on- dering the depositc, decided that. Mr. Meade should pay the money a second time * An appeal was entered from this decree to the superior tribunal, Called abradas (Mr. M. having a right to that appeal by the 7th and 20th articles of the treaty between the Unit ed States and Spain.) While the cause was there pending, the plaintiff'(through the En glish minister) procured an order for the re moval of the case to the council of war, at. Madrid, where the sentence was confirmed. Mr. Meade had a right to appeal, hut was refused. He petitioned tho king, who com manded that he should be heard by the same court; but, as Mr. M* conceived the judges to have evinced a partiality ip the case, at , Mr. M’s request five new judges were added