Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/675

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
NAME
653
NAME

KENNEDY 653 KERLIN years, with success both from a scientific and administrative standpoint. He showed his microscopic preparations on the slides in 1876 before the International Con- gress, arousing much interest and appreciation. In 1891 he was a member of a congressional commission for investigating conditions of emigration ; visited Russia to study these con- ditions, also in 1892 visited Turkey, Palestine and Persia, studying the origin of epidemics, which often reached the U. S. from those countries. In 1894, as health commissioner of Milwau- kee, in combating an epidemic of smallpox and enforcing quarantine, he incurred the en- mity of a committee of aldermen who recom- mended his removal. He was ejected from his office by force, brought suit to maintain his rights and was found to have been unjustly and illegally removed and was awarded full compensation. As health officer he made ex- tensive studies of unhygienic conditions in bakeries and candy-factories and in establish- ments where food is prepared. He often served as expert witness in civil and criminal cases. With his former chief, Dr. John P. Gray, he was a leading witness for the prosecution in the historial case of Guiteau, in which Spitzka, Godding and Kier- nan took the other side. His life was one of earnest endeavor after eminence, which he obtained in more than or- dinary measure as a soldier, a brain patholo- gist, state hospital superintendent, and health officer of a great city. His death occurred at Milwaukee, August 21, 1918, in his seventy-seventh year. His memory will be cherished by a large circle of friends. Richard Dewey. Kennedy, Alfred L. (1818-1896) Alfred L. Kennedy, physician and chemist, came of Scotch ancestry, and was born in Philadelphia, October 25, 1818. He was edu- cated in the public schools of Philadelphia, then for three years was with Professor John Millington, civil and mining engineer. Ken- nedy became a chemist and was assistant pro- fessor of chemistry in the Pennsylvania Medi- cal College (Philadelphia) in 1839; lecturer on chemical physics in 1840; lecturer on gen- eral and medical botany and medical jurispru- dence and toxicology in 1842; lecturer on med- ical chemistry in the Philadelphia School of Medicine in 1843. For three years he was in the office of David Francis Condie (q.v.), and studied medicine at the University of Penn- sylvania, graduating in 1848 with a thesis on "Solubility of the Gasses." He went to Europe and studied physiology, physiological chemis- try, geology and botany in Paris and Leipzig, his preceptors being Magendie, Claude Ber- nard, C. G. Lehman, Constant Prevost and Adrien de Jussieu. He returned to America in 1849 and became lecturer on industrial botany in the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia. From 1849 to 1852 he was lecturer on medical chemistry in the Philadelphia College of Medicine ; and in 1852 was appointed lecturer on agricultural chemis- try in the Franklin Institute. In 1842 he had organized the Philadelphia School of Chemistry and was principal from its beginning; in 1853 the name was changed under a new charter to the Polytechnic Col- lege of the State of Pennsylvania with Ken- nedy its president from that time until 1895. He also practised medicine and during the Civil War was volunteer surgeon of the 2nd Army Corps at the Gettysburg hospital (1863), and a colonel of Volunteer Engineers (1863- 1865). He was a founder of the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society ; and was one of the or- ganizers of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Philadelphia. He wrote "Practical Chemistry," Philadel- phia, 1852. Dr. Kennedy was unmarried. He was accidentally burned to death at the age of 77 in Philadelphia, on January 31, 1896. He lived alone in rooms in an office building where he was surrounded with papers and manuscripts. The origin of the fire was un- known, but it was supposed that Dr. Kennedy set fire to the papers while lighting the gas, was overcome by the smoke and was unable to make his escape. Information from Dr. Ewin^ Jordan. Appleton's Cyclop. Amer. Eiog., N. Y., 1888, vol. iii. Phys. and Surgs. of the U. S., W. B. Atkinson, Phila., 1878. Kerlin, Isaac Newton (1834-1893) Isaac Newton Kerlin, pioneer in the care of the feeble-minded, was born in Burlington, New Jersey, May 11, 1834. He was educated in the public schools and in the John Collins Academy in his native town, and studied medi- cine under the preceptorship of Dr. Joseph Parrish (q. v.), graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1856. He was appointed resi- dent physician at Wills Eye Hospital in 1857, and from there went to the assistant superin- tendency of the Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble-minded Children, October, 1858. He enlisted in the army in 1862, but was later