American Medical Biographies/Chew, Samuel
Chew, Samuel (1806–1863)
Samuel Chew, born in Calvert County, Maryland, on April 29, 1806, was educated at Charlotte Hall, and graduated A. B. and M. A. from Princeton College. Afterwards he studied medicine under Dr. William Donaldson and took his M. D. from the University of Maryland in 1829, practising in Calvert County for about five years and then moving to the capital. In conjunction with Dr. Joshua Cohen (q. v.), he established an Eye and Ear Institute in 1840, himself taking the Ophthalmological work. In 1841 he became professor of materia medica and therapeutics in the University of Maryland and in 1852 he was professor of the principles and practice of medicine, a post he held until his death from pneumonia on Christmas day, 1863.
In addition to his other positions, he was dean of the Medical School, 1842–1844, and vice-president of the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty from 1859 to 1863.
Dr. Chew was a man of classical tastes and scholarly attainments. He was a frequent contributor to periodical literature, and delivered numerous lectures and addresses, many of which were published. His latest and most extensive work was a 12mo volume, published in Philadelphia in 1864, and intended chiefly for medical students; it was entitled "Lectures on Medical Education." This work was left unfinished at his death but was completed and published by his son, Dr. Samuel C. Chew (q.v.). The last words which he wrote in it were "Sic itur ad astra." He was also a co-editor of the Maryland Medical and Surgical Journal, the official organ of the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty in 1843.