Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/249

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DRAPER
DRAPER
227

idency of the medical college, and maintained his relations with that institution until IHl'S. His lectures at the university itself were continued until 1881. During the civil war he was ap- pointed one of the commissioners to inspect hos- pitals after the battles of Antietam and Gettys- burg. Of his many investigations, one of the earliest was in relation to capillary attraction, and in 1834 he published a memoir on that subject. His study of osmose, especially in reference to its physiological relations, dates from 1880. The ap- plication of the principles investigated to the ex- planation of sap in plants and of blood in animals is admirable. His researches on the chemical phenomena of light in both the organic and inor- ganic world include the most valuable work done by him. Daguerre's announcement of his discovery of the action of sunlight on silver, and its appli- cation to the permanent preservation of views, in 1839, was at once taken up by Draper. He made it the subject of special study, and was the first person in the world to apply it to individuals. "Tlie first photographic portrait from life was made by me," he says, and " the face of the sitter," his sister Catherine, "was dusted with a white powder " ; but a few trials showed that this was unnecessary. In March, 1840, he presented the Lyceum of natural history in New York with the lirst representation of the moon's surface ever taken by photography. In the investigation pre- sented to the British association in 1843, on the action of light on chlorine gas, he showed that this gas underwent a decided modification, in conse- quence of its absorption of the chemical rays from sunlight. He also investigated light from the stand- point of its action on the growth of plants, and his results were presented in a memoir read before the American philosophical society on the occasion of its centennial anniversary in 1834. Besides his connec- tion with the development of photography, he was actively engaged with Samuel F. B. Morse in his production of the electro-magnetic telegraph. The series of experiments made by Prof. Draper in the laboratory of the university was the first to estab- lish with certainty the practicability of utilizing electricity for sending messages over long distances. In 1847 he published his " Production of Light by Heat," an important and early contribution to spectrum analysis, and one that is worthy of spe- cial recognition, for it clearly outlines the princi- ples that subsequently were recognized and form part of the brilliant researches of Kirehhoff, who has since specialized the department of prismatic analysis. In this connection he also deserves men- tion as the first to photograph tlie dilfniction spec- trum. His " Production of Light by Chemical Ac- tion " (1848) and his " Researches in Actino-Chem- istry" (1872) were most important contributions to science. He received in 1875 the Rumford med- als from the American academy of science and arts for his researches in " Radiant Energy." In 1860 Princeton conferred on him the degree of LL. D. He was a member of many of the learned societies of Europe, including the Accademia dei Lincei of Rome and the Physical society in London. In the United States he was elected to the Ameri- can philosophical society in 1843 and to the Nation- al academy of sciences in 1877. He was the first president of the American chemical society, and his inaugural address, delivered in November, 1876, was on "Science in America." The titles of his papers exceed 100, and extend from 1832 till 1880. His lectures and addresses, principally delivered at the beginning of the medical course in the univer- sity, also include " Thoughts on the Future Civil Policy of America," before the Historical society of New York in 1864, and before the Unitarian institute in Springfield, Mass., in October, 1877, on " Evolution — its Origin, Progress, and Conse- quences." The most celebrated of his larger works is " History of the Conflict between Religion and Science" (New York, 1874), which has passed through twenty editions in the English language, {xnd has been translated into the French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Po- lish, and Servian languages. Rome placed it on her " Index Expurgatorius," and Draper joined Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Locke, and Mill on the list of those under the ban of the church. His other works are " Elements of Chemistry," by Robert Kane, American edition, edited (New York, 1842) ; " A Treatise on the Forces which produce the Organization of Plants " (1844) ; " Text-Book on Chemistry " (1846) ; "Text-Book on Natural Phi- losophy " (1847) ; " Human Physiology, Statical and Dynamical " (1856) ; " History of the Intellec- tual Development of Europe " (1862) ; " Thoughts on the Future Civil Policy of America" (1865); " A Text-Book on Physiology " (1866) ; " History of the American Civil War" (3 vols., 1867-70); and " Scientific Memoirs ; being Experimental Con- tributions to a Knowledge of Radiant Energy " (1878). See Memoir by Prof. George P. Barker, contributed to the " Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences " (vol. ii.). — His son, John Christopher, physician, b. in Mecklenburg county, Va., 31 March, 1835; d. in New York city, 20 Dec, 1885, entered the University of New York in 1852, but, leaving the classical department, was graduated at the medical school in 1857. From March, 1856, till July, 1857, he held the office of house physician and surgeon to Bellevue hospital, and published at that time papei's on " The Pro- duction of Urea" (February, 1856) and "Experi- ments on Respiration " (July, 1850). The year sub- sequent to his graduation was spent in Europe in travel and study. In December, 1858, he became professor of analytical chemistry in the University of New York, holding that chair until 1871. From 1860 till 1863 he was professor of chemistry in Cooper Union, and in 1862 accompanied the 12th New York regiment to the front as assistant sur- geon, serving for three months. In 1863 he was elected professor of natural sciences in the College of the city of New York, and in 1866 professor of chemistry in the medical department of the Uni- versity of New York, which chairs he held until his death. Dr. Draper was a member of the New York academy of medicine, and in 1873 received the degree of LL. D. from Trinity college. He was an occasional contributor to medical and scientific journals, and, besides twenty-four original papers, published numerous articles on diet, dress, and ventilation, in the " Galaxy " (1868-'71). In 1872-3 he edited the "Year-Book of Nature and Science," and also the department of " Natural Science " in "Scribner's Monthly" from 1872 till 1875. He published "Text-Book on Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene " (New York, 1866) ; " A Practical Laboratory-Course in Medical Chemistry " (1882) ; and a " Text-Book of Medical Physics " (1885). — Another son, Henry, physicist, b. in Prince Ed- ward county, Va., 7 March, 1837 ; d. in New York city, 20 November, 1882, studied at the University of New York, but on the completion of his sopho- more year abandoned the classical course to study medicine, and was graduated in 1858, publishing a thesis on " The Changes of Blood-Cells in the Spleen." Subsequently he travelled in Europe, and visited the great telescope of Lord Rosse in Ireland,