Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/288

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CHKEVER


176


CHEW


University in 1863 and M. D. in 1S66, beginning practice in Ann Arbor, and quickly gaining a large clientele. In 1867 he was appointed demonstrator of anatomy at the University; in 1868, lecturer on materia medica and thera- peutics; in 1S69, professor of materia medica and therapeutics and in 1S72, elected professor of physiology at Ann Arbor and also in the Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, New York. During these years he continued his ever-increasing medical practice, but under pressure of superhuman work his health gave way with phthisis pul- monalis, and he went to Colorado, re- turning, however, in 1875 and essaying to resume the broken thread but soon went to pieces and resigned himself to his fate. He joined the Michigan State Medical Society in 1869 and remained a member till his death. He was an original worker and sought to verify book statements by experiment. His graduation thesis of "Catalysis" was based on his own experiments and brought out points not previously made. Later he conducted a series to dem- onstrate the influence of alcohol in modifying body temperature.

Dr. Cheever was about five feet ten inches tall, spare build with long limbs. His face was long and thin, covered by a scanty close trimmed beard of iron-gray color. Utterly wrapped up in his work, he gave to the uttermost to others. He was one of the best products of Michigan, and all who knew him never ceased to regret his early death. In 1863 he mar- ried Sarah E. Bissell of Tecumseh, who with two children survived him when he died at Ann Arbor, March 31, 1877, from phthisis pulmonalis.

His papers included:

"An Anomalous Case of Ovarian Cyst." ("Detroit Review of Medicine and Pharmacy," vol. ii.)

"Abscess of the brain." ("Detroit Review of Medicine and Pharmacy, " vol. iii.)

"Puerperal Convulsion." ("Michigan University Medical Journal," vol. i.)


"Effects of Alcohol on the Animal Temperature." ("Michigan University Medical Journal," vol. i.)

"Colorado as a Sanitarium." ("The Peninsular Medical Journal," vol. ii.) L. C.

Hist, of Mich. Univ., Ann Arbor, 1908. Trans. Mich. State Med. Soc, 1877. Trans. Amer. Med Ass., 1878.

Chew, Samuel (1S06-1S63).

Samuel Chew, born in Calvert County, Maryland, on April 29, 1S06, was edu- cated at Charlotte Hall, and graduated A. B. and M. A. from Princeton Col- lege. Afterwards he studied medicine under Dr. William Donaldson and took his M. D. from the University of Mary- land in 1829, practising in Calvert County for about five years and then moving to the capital. In conjunction with Dr. Joshua Cohen, he established an Eye and Ear Institute in 1840, himself taking the ophthalmological work. In 1S41 he became professor of materia medica and therapeutics in the Uni- versity of Maryland and in 1852 he was professor of the principles and practice of medicine, which 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 1S59 to 1863.

Dr. Chew was a man of classical tastes and scholarly attainments. He was a frequent contributor to periodical litera- ture, and delivered numerous lectures and addresses, many of which were published. His latest and most exten- sive work was a 12mo. volume, pub- lished in Philadelphia in 1864, and intended chiefly for medical students; it was entitled "Lectures on Medical Education." This work was left un- finished at his death but was completed and published by his son, Dr. Samuel C. Chew. The last words which he wrote in it were "Sic itur ad astra." He was also a co-editor of the "Maryland Med-