American Medical Biographies/Griffith, Robert Eglesfeld
Griffith, Robert Eglesfeld (1798–1850)
Robert Eglesfeld Griffith, physician, botanist, educator, was born in Philadelphia, February 13, 1798. His father was Robert Eglesfeld Griffith, and his mother was Maria Thong, daughter of John Patterson and Catharine Livingston, his wife.
In 1820 he graduated M. D. from the University of Pennsylvania with a thesis on the "Stomach and Its Functions." He practised in Philadelphia and from 1833–1836 was physician to the Board of Health. In 1835 he was elected professor of materia medica in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy; he gave but one course, leaving the next year to become professor of materia medica, therapeutics, hygiene and medical jurisprudence in the University of Maryland, remaining there until 1838 when he was appointed professor of practice, obstetrics and medical jurisprudence at the University of Virginia. In 1839 he resigned because of ill-health and returned to Philadelphia.
He was a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences, vice-president in 1849, succeeding Samuel George Morton (q. v.), who became president; of the Franklin Institute, and the American Philosophical Society. He won four prizes from the "United Bowmen," an old association of Philadelphia.
Griffith was the author of "Chemistry of the Four Seasons" (1846); "Medical Botany" (1847); "Universal Formulary" (1850), and editor of "Ballard and Gerrod's Elements of Materia Medica and Therapeutics" (1846); Christison's "Dispensatory or Commentary on the Pharmacopoeias of Great Britain" (1848); Taylor's "Medical Jurisprudence" (1845).
He was editor of the Journal of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy 1831–1835; American Journal of Pharmacy 1835–1836.
Dr. Griffith became noted as a botanist and conchologist and gave a large collection of shells to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, when he was vice-president in 1849– 50. At the time of his death he had begun an extensive work on conchology, and had planned one on "The Botany of the Bible," which he was urged to write by Prof. Asa Gray (q. v.) and other noted botanists.
In 1829 he married Mary, daughter of Manuel Eyre, of Philadelphia, and had three children; Robert Eglesfeld, Anne Louisa, and Manuel Eyre. A nephew, Robert Eglesfeld Griffith, graduated in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1855.
Griffith died in Philadelphia, June 26, 1850.