evenings. Upon his death a social circle was formed among the members of the Philosophical Society, to which was given the name of Wistar Parties. The meetings were held on Saturday evenings, and continued until within a few years.
Dr. Wistar died on the 22d of January, 1818, before the conclusion of his course, at the age of fifty-eight years, in the maturity of his intellectual force, and at the highest point in his profession to which earthly ambition can aspire. “Beloved, respected, honored by all who knew him, his virtue had secured him the affections of his friends, his talents and industry the respect and esteem of the community in which he lived.”[1]
The Chair of Anatomy, thus suddenly vacated, was filled May 5, 1818, by the election of Dr. John Syng Dorsey, who had supplied the void in the session occasioned by the untoward event of Dr. Wistar’s death.
On July 7, 1818, Dr. Coxe was transferred from the Professorship of Chemistry to that of Materia Medica. At this time the title of the Chair was changed in accordance with the action of the Board of Trustees, to wit: “Resolved, that the Professor of Materia Medica be henceforth styled Professor of Materia Medica and Pharmacy, and that teaching the Principles of the Pharmaceutic Art shall be a part of his duties.”[2]
The Professorship of Chemistry, vacated by the transfer of Dr. Coxe, was conferred, Sept. 18, 1818, on Dr. Robert Hare.
At the commencement of the course in 1818, another heavy misfortune befell the University in the death of Dr. Dorsey. This event occurred on the 10th of November.
Dr. John Syng Dorsey was a native of Philadelphia, and was born in 1783. He was educated at the Friends’ Academy, and at the early age of fifteen years commenced the study of Medicine with his uncle, Dr. Physick. At the age of nineteen he
- ↑ Memoir of Dr. Caspar Wistar by Caspar Morris, M. D.; Lives of Eminent Physicians and Surgeons, &c., edited by Samuel D. Gross, M. D., &c. We would refer to this excellent memoir for a true portraiture of the character and moral qualities of this distinguished Professor.
- ↑ The change of title was published at the time of the annunciation of the lectures of 1819. It was probably made with reference to the granting of Degrees in Pharmacy, although it was only the recurrence to the old title of the Chair. See ante, p. 93.
