PARRENO, Jose Julian (par-rain'-yo), Cuban clergyman, b. in Havana in 1728; d. in Rome, Italy, 1 Nov., 1785. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1745, and taught rhetoric and philosophy in Mexico, and theology in Puebla de los Angeles. He afterward devoted himself to missionary labors, giving special attention to the negroes. The decree expellino: the Jesuits from the Spanish colonies forced him to leave his native country and take refuge in Italy. He published "Carta a los Seiiores Habaneros, sobre el buen trato de los Negros" (Rome): "De scribendi Cacohete"; and "Anales de cuatro anos desde 1783 hasta 1785."
PARRIS, Albion Keith, senator, b. in Auburn, Me., 19 Jan.. 1788; d. in Portland, Me., 11 Feb., 1857. His father, Samuel (1753-1847), was an
officer of the Revolution, and for several years judge of the court of common pleas and a member of the legislature of Maine. The son engaged in
farming until the age of fourteen, and was graduated at Dartmouth in 1806. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1809, and began practice at
Paris, Me. He was prosecuting attorney for Oxford county in 1811, a member of the state assembly in 1813, state senator in 1814, and a member of con-
gress in 1815-'19, having been chosen as a Democrat. He was appointed judge of the U. S. district court in 1818, at which time he removed to' Portland,
and in 1819 he was a delegate to the State constitutional convention and a member of the committee for drawing up the constitution. In 1820 he was
appointed judge of probate for Cumberland county. He was governor in 1821-'6, U. S. senator from 1826 till 1828, when he resigned, judge of the supreme court of Maine in 1828-'36, and second comptroller of the U. S. treasury in 1836-'50. He retired to Portland in 1850, and in 1852 was elected mayor.
PARRIS, Samuel, clergyman, b. in London, England, in 1653; d. in Sudbury, Mass., 27 Feb., 1720. He studied at Harvard, but was not graduated,
and after engaging in mercantile business in Boston was ordained, and became the first minister of Danvers, then a part of Salem, Mass. He held this charge from 19 Nov., 1689, till June, 1696. The Salem witchcraft delusion originated in his family in 1692. His daughter and his niece, Abigail Williams, girls about twelve years of age, accused Tituba, a South American slave, living in the house as a servant, of bewitching them. Mr. Parris beat Tituba until she was forced to confess herself a witch, and John, her husband, became, through fear, the accuser of others. The delusion
spread, many were apprehended, most of whom were imprisoned, and others accused, among the latter being the wife of Gov. William Phips. During the sixteen months' prevalence of the delusion at Salem nineteen persons were hanged, and one, Gyles Cary, pressed to death. As Mr. Parris had been an active prosecutor in the witchcraft cases, his church, in April, 1693, brought charges against him. He confessed his error, and in 1696 was
dismissed and left the place. After preaching two or three years at Stow, he removed to Concord, and he also preached six months in Dunstable in 1711. See “Life and Character of Rev. Samuel Parris, of Salem Village, and his Connection with the Witchcraft Delusion of 1692,” a sketch read before the Essex institute by Samuel Page Fowler (1857).
PARRISH, John, preacher, b. in Baltimore
county, Md., 7 Nov., 1729; d. in Baltimore, Md., 21
Oct., 1807. He was a member of the Society of
Friends, and followed Anthony Benezet in pleading
the cause of the African race. He published
“Remarks on the Slavery of the Black People”
(Philadelphia, 1806). — His nephew, Joseph,
physician,
b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 2 Sept., 1779; d. there,
18 March, 1840, followed the business of a hatter
until he was of age, when, yielding to his own inclinations,
he became a student under Dr. Caspar Wistar,
and was graduated at the medical department
of the University of Pennsylvania in 1805. He was
appointed resident physician of the yellow-fever
hospital in the autumn of that year, and in 1806 one
of the physicians of the Philadelphia dispensary,
which post he held until 1812. He was also surgeon
to the Philadelphia almshouse from 1806 until 1822,
of the Pennsylvania hospital in 1816-'29, and
consulting physician to the Philadelphia dispensary in
1835-'40. Dr. Parrish achieved reputation by his
scientific attainments, which were somewhat
unusual in that time. Among his experiments were
a series that led to a proof of the harmlessness of
the “poplar worm,” supposed at that time to be
exceedingly venomous. In 1807 he began the
delivery of a popular course of lectures on chemistry,
which he subsequently repeated at various times.
Notwithstanding his large practice, he also
received medical students, and at one time had thirty
under his instruction. Dr. Parrish was associated
in the organization and subsequent management of
the Wills hospital for the lame and blind, and was
president of the board of managers in that institution
from its beginning until his death. He was
active in the proceedings of the College of physicians
and in the medical society of Philadelphia.
He contributed largely to the medical journals,
and was one of the editors of “The North American
Medical and Surgical Journal.” His books
include “Practical Observations on Strangulated
Hernia and some of the Diseases of the Urinary
Organs” (Philadelphia, 1836), and an edition of
William Lawrence's “Treatise on Hernia,” with an
appendix. Says Dr. George B. Wood in his
“Memoir of the Life and Character of Joseph Parrish”
(Philadelphia, 1840): “Perhaps no one was personally
known more extensively in the city, or had
connected himself by a greater variety of beneficent
services with every ramification of society.” —
Joseph's son, Isaac, physician, b. in Philadelphia,
Pa., 19 March, 1811; d. there, 31 July, 1852, was
graduated at the medical department of the
University of Pennsylvania in 1832, after studying
under his father. He became one of the surgeons
of Wills hospital in 1834, and also acquired an
extensive practice. He was active in the Philadelphia
college of physicians, and in the state and national
medical societies, contributing papers to their
transactions. Dr. Parrish also wrote largely for
the medical journals of his time. See “Memoir
of Isaac Parrish, M. D.,” by Dr. Samuel Jackson
(Philadelphia, 1853). — Another son, Joseph,
physician, b. in Philadelphia, 11 Nov., 1818; d. in
Burlington, 15 Jan., 1891. He was graduated at the
medical department of the University of Pennsylvania,
and went to Burlington. He returned to
his native city, and in 1856 was called to fill the
chair of obstetrics in Philadelphia medical college,
but soon resigned to go abroad. While he was in
Rome his attention was directed to the imperfect
management of the insane hospital, and by addressing
the pope he succeeded in rectifying the abuse.
On his return in 1857 he was appointed superintendent
of the Pennsylvania training-school for
feeble-minded children, and this institution, with
its buildings, grew up under his management. At
the beginning of the civil war he entered the service
of the U. S. sanitary commission, for which,
under orders from the president, he visited many
hospitals and camps with orders for supplies and
hospital stores. Dr. Parrish also had charge of the
