Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Ruschenberger, William S. W.

RUSCHENBERGER, William S. W., naval surgeon, b. in Cumberland county, N. J., 4 Sept., 1807; d. in Philadelphia, 24 March, 1895. After attending school he entered the navy as surgeon's mate, 10 Aug., 1826, was graduated in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1830, and was commissioned surgeon, 4 April, 1831. He was fleet surgeon of the East India squadron in 1835-'7, attached to the naval rendezvous at Philadelphia in 1840-'2, and at the naval hospital in Brooklyn in 1843-'7, when he organized the laboratory for supplying the service with unadulterated drugs. He was again fleet surgeon of the East India squadron in 1847-'50, of the Pacific squadron in 1854-'7, and of the Mediterranean squadron from August, 1860, till July, 1861. During the intervals between cruises he was on duty at Philadelphia. During the civil war he was surgeon of the Boston navy-yard. He was on special duty at Philadelphia in 1865-'70, was the senior officer in the medical corps in 1866-'9, and was retired on 4 Sept., 1869. He was president of the Academy of natural sciences of Philadelphia in 1870-'82, and president of the College of physicians of Philadelphia in 1879-'83. He was commissioned medical director on the retired list, 3 March, 1871. Dr. Ruschenberger had published some of the results of his investigations during his cruises, by which he had acquired a wide reputation. Among his works are “Three Years in the Pacific” (Philadelphia, 1834; 2 vols., London, 1835); “A Voyage around the World, 1835-7” (Philadelphia, 1838; omitting strictures on the British government, 2 vols., London. 1838); “Elements of Natural History” (2 vols., Philadelphia, 1850); “A Lexicon of Terms used in Natural History” (1850); “A Notice of the Origin, Progress, and Present Condition of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia” (1852); and “Notes and Commentaries during Voyages to Brazil and China, 1848” (Richmond, 1854). He had also published numerous articles on naval rank and organization (1845-'50), and contributed papers to medical and scientific journals, and he edited the American edition of Mrs. Somerville's “Physical Geography,” with additions and a glossary (1850; new ed., 1853).