GUNDRY
368
GUNDRY
Dr. Coverton, Toronto, graduating in
1851 at Harvard Medical School. At
Harvard he had the advantage of in-
struction from and personal contact
with such men as Oliver Wendell
Holmes, Jacob Bigelow, John Ward and
James B. Jackson, taking an excellent
stand in his class and graduating
with honor. He settled in Rochester,
New York, but before he had been
long engaged in practice he was able
by a fortunate legacy to realize his de-
sire to travel abroad. Returning in
1853, he settled in Rochester, New
York, again, but during the year, in
company with Dr. E. M. Moore, an
eminent surgeon of Western New
York, removed to Columbus, Ohio,
where soon after he was appointed
demonstrator of anatomy in Starling
Medical College. In 1S55 he received
a provisional appointment as second
assistant physician in the Central In-
sane Asylum at Columbus, Ohio. His
fitness for the work was so apparent,
the temporary appointment soon be-
came a permanent one. From 1855
to 1857 he was one of the associate
editors of the "Ohio Medical and Sur-
gical Journal." In 1857 he was trans-
ferred to the Southern Ohio Asylum at
Dayton as assistant physician, of which
asylum he became medical superin-
tendent in 1861. This position he
filled with signal ability until 1872, when
he was transferred to the Southeastern
Asylum at Athens, Ohio, then in pro-
cess of erection, to complete and pre-
pare the buildings for occupation. Sub-
sequently, on the completion of the
asylum in 1874, he was appointed its first
medical superintendent and retained the
position until 1877, when he was trans-
ferred to Columbus, Ohio, to complete
and make ready for occupation the very
extensive buildings of that asylum.
After twenty-three years of most faithful, devoted and self-sacrificing service to the insane of Ohio in three of the asylums, he was forced to resign because his political affinities did not correspond with those of the newly
elected governor. To a sensitive, high-
minded physician like Dr. Gundry the
blow was a severe one, and he felt the
injustice of this treatment to the day
of his death. He was immediately ap-
pointed medical superintendent of the
Maryland Hospital for the Insane at
Catonsville, and held the position until
he died. In 1880 he received the appoint-
ment of professor of mental and nervous
diseases in the College of Physicians
and Surgeons of Baltimore, and in the
following year, upon the sudden death
of Prof. Howard, was appointed
professor of materia medica in the same
• college, and there lectured with great
acceptance during the remainder of
his life. In January, 1890, he suffered
severely from influenza, and for a time
was very seriously ill; but he subse-
quently rallied and apparently gained
his usual health. Although he lectured
as usual, his duties cost him much
effort. In March, 1891, the trustees
of the Maryland Hospital perceiving
his condition, voted to give him a long
leave of absence, with the hope that his
health would be restored. He went
to Atlantic City and for a time seemed
to improve. Subsequently, however,
severe symptoms of Bright's disease
developed, and it was evident that his
days were numbered. In accordance
with his earnest desire he was brought
home where, four days later, he pass-
ed away, surrounded by his family
and devoted friends.
Dr. Gundry's career as chief medical officer of an institution for the insane was most successful. The literature of alienism was familiar to him, and his speeches and writings upon all matters touching insanity showed an intimate knowledge of the work which others had done. He was also an expert in asylum construction, and the asylums at Dayton, Athens and Columbus were in turn built by him. He was an om- nivorous reader, a ready writer, a clear and pleasant speaker, with rare gifts of expression and vast stores of knowl- edge at instant command. His mem-
