and apply the same in mitigating suffering caused by war, pestilence, famine, and other calamities.” In 1884, as official head ot the society, Miss Barton had charge of the expedition for the relief of the sufferers from the flood in the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and in the same year she was the representative of the government at the red cross conference in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1883 Gov. Butler appointed her superintendent, treasurer, and steward of the reformatory prison for women at Sherborn, Mass. Miss Barton was also delegate to the international peace convention at Geneva in 1884, and was special commissioner for foreign exhibits at the New Orleans exhibition. In 1883, by request of the senate committee on foreign relations, she prepared a “History of the Red Cross,” which was published at the government printing-office, Washington.
BARTON, David, senator, b. about 1785; d.
near Booneville, Mo., 28 Sept., 1837. Of his early
age nothing is known, except that he went from
Waco co., Ky., and was one of the earliest
emigrants to the territory of Missouri. He was president
of the convention that met 19 July, 1820, to
frame the state constitution of Missouri. He was
U. S. senator from Missouri in 1821-'31, serving as
chairman of the committee on public lands.
BARTON, Thomas, clergyman, b. in county
Monaghan, Ireland, in 1730; d. in New York, 25
May, 1780. His family was of English descent,
who, having obtained extensive grants of land in
Ireland, settled there during the commonwealth.
Mr. Barton was graduated at the University of
Dublin, and in 1751 settled in Philadelphia and
became tutor in the academy, afterward the College
of Philadelphia, now University of Pennsylvania.
In 1754 he went to England, and was there
ordained in the Established church. He returned to
America the next year, and was for nearly twenty
years rector of St. James church, Lancaster, Pa.
His death occurred in New York, where he had
returned on account of his unwillingness to take
the oath of allegiance, and he was interred in the
chancel of St. George's chapel in that city. He
married the sister of the celebrated mathematician
and astronomer, David Rittenhouse. — His son,
Benjamin Smith, physician, b. in Lancaster, Pa.,
10 Feb., 1766; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 19 Dec.,
1815. After a course of general studies under Dr.
Andrews, at York, Pa., he followed the instruction
given at the Philadelphia college, now University
of Pennsylvania. Then during 1786-'8 he studied
medicine and the natural sciences in Edinburgh
and London, and received his medical degree from
the University of Göttingen, Germany. On his
return he settled in Philadelphia, where he soon
acquired an extensive and lucrative practice. In
1789 he was appointed professor of natural history
and botany, and in 1795 of materia medica in the
College of Philadelphia. In 1813 he succeeded Dr.
Benjamin Rush as professor of the theory and
practice of medicine in the University of Pennsylvania.
He was elected president of the Philadelphia
Medical Society in 1809, and was some time
vice-president of the American Philosophical
Society, and also a member of many other American
and European societies. He contributed numerous
papers to the “Transactions of the American
Philosophical Society,” and to the “Medical and
Physical Journal,” which was published by him.
His most important works are: “Observations on
Some Parts of Natural History” (London, 1787);
“New Views on the Origin of the Tribes of America”
(1797); “Elements of Botany” (Philadelphia,
1803; 2d ed., 2 vols., 1812-'4); an edition of Cul-
len's “Materia Medica,” “Eulogy on Dr. Priestley,”
“Discourse on the Principal Desiderata of Natural
History” (Philadelphia, 1807); and “Collections
toward a Materia Medica of the United States”
(3d ed., Philadelphia, 1810). See “Biography of
Benjamin S. Barton,” by his nephew, W. P. C.
Bartton (Philadelphia, 1815). — Thomas Pennant,
son of Benjamin Smith, b. in Philadelphia in 1803;
d. there, 5 April, 1869. He married in 1833 Cora,
daughter of Edward Livingston, and in June of
that year was appointed secretary of legation at
Paris. He was a man of cultivated literary taste,
and gathered a Shakespearean library of great
value, comprising 2,000 of the rarest editions, and
forming, with about 10,000 miscellaneous books,
one of the most important private collections in
America. He provided by will that this should be
sold after his death to some institution that could
prevent its dispersion. His widow carried out his
wishes in a liberal spirit, and the collection was
acquired by the public library of Boston, which set
apart a special room for its accommodation. A catalogue
of the Shakespeareana has been issued, and
one is in preparation of the whole collection, prefaced
by a memoir of Mr. Barton. — William Paul
Crillon, nephew of Thomas Pennant, botanist, b.
in Philadelphia, Pa., 17 Nov., 1786; d. there, 29 Feb.,
1856. He was graduated at Princeton in 1805.
While there each member of his class assumed the
name of some celebrated man; that which he took
was Count Paul Crillon, and the initials P. C. were
retained by him through life. He studied medicine
at the University of Pennsylvania under the direction
of his uncle, Dr. Benjamin Smith Barton, and
received his degree in 1808. His thesis was on
“Nitrous Oxide Gas”; it was considered worthy
of publication, and for many years was accepted
as the standard treatise on that subject. After
practising medicine in Philadelphia, he became
surgeon to the Pennsylvania hospital, and soon
afterward he was appointed surgeon in the navy.
The U. S. naval bureau of medicine and surgery
was organized by him, and he was the first chief
clerk of that bureau. He was stationed at various
places on shore, several times at the Philadelphia
navy-yard, and he also saw a great deal of sea
duty. At the time of his death he was senior surgeon
of the navy. On the death of his uncle, Dr.
B. S. Barton, he became professor of botany at the
University of Pennsylvania, and was for several
years professor of materia medica and botany at
Jefferson Medical College. Dr. Barton was a fellow
of the college of physicians in Philadelphia,
president of the Linnæan society, and a member
of the American philosophical society, and other
scientific societies. His published works include
“The Influence of a Change in Climate in curing
Disease,” translated from the Latin of Prof. Gregory
by Dr. Barton (Philadelphia, 1815); “Floræ
Philadelphiæ Prodromus” (1815); “Vegetable
Materia Medica of the United States” (2 vols., 1817-'25);
“Plans for Marine Hospitals in the United
States” (1817); “Compendium Floræ Philadelphiæ”
(2 vols., 1818); “Flora of North America”
(1821-'3); “Outlines of Lectures on Materia Medica
and Botany” (2 vols., 1823); “Letter to the
Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania relative
to introducing the Professorship of Botany
into the Medical Faculty” (1825); “Hints to Naval
Officers cruising in the West Indies” (1830); and
“Medical Botany” (2 vols.).
BARTON, William, soldier, b. in Warren, Bristol co., R. I., 26 May, 1748; d. in Providence, R. I., 22 Oct., 1831. He received a common-school education, and when the war began was work-