Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/236

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194
MERRIAM
MICHAEL


the hands of a priest, and he afterward studied philosophy at the literary institute of Toluca and Eharniacy in the medical school of Mexico, where e obtained his degree as professor in 1860. In 1864 lie entered the medical academy, choosing us his specialty botany. He published various ar- ticles upon botanical subjects, upon the action of certain drugs and medicines, and upon the analysis of Mexican mineral waters. He became adjunct professor of pharmacy at t he school of medicine in Slexico in 1865, and subsequently was made pro- fessor of analytical chemistry. In 1867 he became chemical and technical professor in the national school of agriculture and in the Escuela nacional de artes y oflcios. He was made director of the Museo nacional de Mexico, holding tlie position until the year before his death. He was a inem- ber of the American antiquarian society and of various Mexican societies. He founded the Ana- les del museo de Mexico, and contributed to it articles on an Aztec idol of the Chinese type, a bronze chisel of the ancient Aztecs, a supplement to the essay of Seiior Oroseo y Berra on the teach- ings of the hieroglyphics, the pyramids of Teoti- huacan, the Aztec cosmogony, comparative stud- ies in the Sanscrit and Nahuatl languages, and on the myths of the Nahuas. With tlie assistance of Dr. Jesus Sanclies, the present director, he com- piled a catalogue of the arclieeological and his- torical collections of the national museum.

MERRIAM, Augustus Chapman, scholar, b. in Locust Grove, N. Y., 30 May, 1843 ; d. in Athens, Greece, 19 Jan., 1895. He was graduated from Columbia in 1866, at the head of his class. Prom 1868 until 1880 he was tutor in Latin and Greek at Columbia, and was adjunct professor of Greek language and literature from 1880 until 1889. In 1887-'8 he was director of the American school of classical studies at Athens, and under his admin- istration the successful excavations at Sicyon and at Dionyso were carried out. When Dr. Drisler became acting head of the college. Prof. Jlerrlam succeeded to the head of the Greek department. In 1889 he was appointed professor of Greek arch;eology and epigraphy, which position he held » until his death. lie was president of the Ameri- can philological association and of the New York section of the Archaeological institute of America; he was also a member of the committee of the School of classical studies at Athens, serving as chairman of its committee of publication in 1888- '94. He was the author of text-book editions of the " Phieacian Episode of the Odyssey " (New York, 1880) and of the " Sixth and Seventh Books of Herodotus" (1885), and was a frequent con- tributor to the "American Journal of Archa'- l ology," to which he contributed many important articles. In vol. x. of this periodical there ap- ^ peared a memorial of Prof. Merriam.

MERRIAM, Clinton Hart, zoologist, b. in Jfeiy York city, 5 Dec, 1855. He received a com- mon-school education, and while visiting Wash- ington became acquainted with Hein'V Baird, of the Smithsonian institution, who encouraged him to study natural history. In 1873 he was ap- pointed naturalist to the Hayden survey, and in 1874 entered the Sheffield scientific soliool of Yale, where he spent three years. Meanwhile he served on the fish commission under Spencer F. Baird in 1875. and spent his summers in other fiehi work. He was graduated in medicine at the Col- lege of physicians and surgeons of Columbia in 1879, and practised that profession in Levden. N. Y., in 1879-'85. In 1883 he visited the New- foundland seal fisheries, and in 1891, us Bering sea commissioner, he visited the Pribilof islands, and there studied the fur seals. Dr. Merriam entered the service of the agricultural department in 1885, and is now chief of the division of ornithology and mammalogy, engaged in a comprehensive study of the geographic distribution of animals and plants in the United States. His bibliography comprises more than 300 papers, and includes " Review of the Birds of Connecticut" (1877) and " Mammals of the Adirondacks" (2 vols., 1882-'4).

MERRIAM, Henry Clay, soldier, b. in Houl- ton, Aroostook co., Jle., 13 Nov., 1837. He was graduated at Waterville college. In August, 1862, he was commissioned captain in the 20th Maine infantry, which position he resigned, 17 Jan., 1863. On 11 March following he was appointed captain of the 80th U. S. colored infantry, and on 21 May, 1864, lieutenant-cohmel of the 85th U. S. colored infantry ; he was transferred to the 73d colored infantry on 3 June, 1864. He was mustered out, 24 Oct., 1865. On 28 July, 1866, he was commis- sioned major in the 38th infantry, and on 15 March, 1869, was transferred to the 24th infantry. He was made lieutenant-colonel of the 2d infantry on 10 June. 1876, and colonel of the 2d infantrv on 10 July, 1885. On 30 June, 1897. he was promoted brigadier-general, and at the outbreak of the war with Spain in 1898 he was made major-general. He is the inventor of the Merriam pack, a device on a new principle combining hips and shoulders as a basis to bear weiglits carried, and to avoid leverage pressure as well as securing ventilation between the pack and the carrier's body. Gen. Merriam received the medal of honor.

MERRILL, Cyrus Strong, oculist, b. in Bridge- port, Vt., 21 Sept.. 1847. He was graduated at Amherst in 1867 and at the New York college of physicians and surgeons in 1871, and subsequently studied at the University of Zurich and in Paris and London, making the diseases of the eye and ear a specialty. He settled in Albany, N. Y., in 1874. became ophthalmic and aural surgeon to St. Peter's hospital and to the Child's hos|)ital, ophthal- mic and aural surgeon to the Albany hospital, and professor of the diseases of the eye and ear in Albany medical college. Dr. Merrill has contrib- uted manv articles to medical literature.

MESSMER, Sebastian Gebhard, E. C. prel- ate, b. at the village of Goldack. Switzerland, 29 Aug., 1847. He began his secular studies at the College of George, near St. Gall, from 1861 to 1806. and studied theology at the University of Inns- bruck, Tyrol, from 1866 to 1871. and was ordained there in the priesthood only in 1871. He came to this country shortly after his ordination, and was installed in the chair of dogmatic theology and scriptural exegesis at Scton Hall college. South Orange, and performed parochial work part of the time at St. Peter's church, Newark. After the opening of the Catholic universiry of America at Washington in 1889, he was appointed professor of canon law. In 1886 he received from Pope Leo XIII. the degree of D. D., and in 1890 he also received at Rome the degree of doctor of canon law at the Apollinaris university. He was ap- pointed bishop of Green Bay. Wis., in 1893, and was consecrated in March of that year.

MICHAEL, Arthur, chemist, b. in Buffalo, N. Y., 7 Aug., 1853. He was educated in Buffalo, and later went abroad, where he studied chemistry at the Universities of Berlin and Heidelberg and at the ftcole de medecine, in Paris. In 1881 he was called to the chair of chemistry in Tufts college, which place he has since held. His investigations in organic chemistry have gained for him a high