MARSHALL
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MARSHALL
their practical bearing. His telling de-
scriptions of the processes of repair and
his "healthy laudable pus" stood out
clear and strong in their minds. His
writings were not many, but his work
on "Diseases of the Bones" (1872) was
an authority for many years.
Apart from his busy professional life much of his time was given to other interests. He was trustee of the Astor Library in 1863 and up to 1895 its presi- dent, and took, moreover, a lively interest in the museums of Natural History and Art.
In 1850 he married Charlotte Atwell How and had five children; Charlotte How, Thomas Caldwell, Francis Hartman, James Wright and Sallie Caldwell. Francis and James became physicians in New York.
Med. News, N. York, 1901, Ixxix. Post-Graduate, 1900, xv.
Marshall, Moses (1758-1813).
The fame of this expert medical botanist has been somewhat eclipsed by that of his uncle Humphrey (not a doctor) of whom Darlington left studi- ous and loving record in his " Memorials of Bartram and Marshall," but Moses made several long exploring journeys through the wilds of the West and rendered valuable assistance to his imcle in preparing the "Arbustum Americanum. "
He was the son of James and Sarah Marshall and the grandson of Abram Marshall who came from Gratton, Derby- shire, England, to Delaware in 1697. He studied medicine under Dr. Nicholas Way of Wilmington but never took any medical degree, none being required at that time for practising in Pennsyl- vania, but, it being customary to attend a course of lectures, he went to those by William Shippen and Rush. His diary at this time shows medicine not wholly absorbing, for frequent mention is made of a certain Polly Howell and Sally Samson, the latter "behaving for three evenings, especially the last, in a most engaging manner."
Then followed a year or two employ-
ed in desultory medical work, including
inoculation round about London Grove,
Pennsylvania, and in keeping an apothe-
cary's shop "which came to nothing and
less." The truth was he had not found
his true vocation — botanizing — but his
uncle writes to Franklin in 1785, and
Moses himself to Dr. Lettsom in London,
suggesting a government supported explo-
ration of the western states. In 1786 Sir
Joseph Banks wrote to Humphrey Mar-
shall asking for one hundredweight of
fresh ginseng roots. Moses spent twenty
days in the Alleghanies getting these
and charged Lettsom $1.25 a pound.
Lettsom and he seem to have carried
on a brisk correspondence, especially
concerning the "Tahnum Teretifohum"
hitherto undescribed by botanists. He
sends Lettsom three tortoises and some
plants, one of which, a polygala, is
thus mentioned in a letter:
"Should this prove to be a new genus I had designed the appellation of Lettsomia, with this provision that it might not be unpleasing to thee, and that, in the interim, I should not be able to discover a plant more exalted, conspicuous and worthy." He also asks for a "surgeon's pouch of instru- ments" to be sent him, and Lettsom hastens to acknowledge the compliment of a floral godchild and encloses ten pounds in case Moses should be out of pocket for seeds asked for. A plant was also named after Moses but many authorities claim the Marshallia for his uncle. Two letters of 1792 have recently come to light which settle the question. Muhlenberg the corre- spondent, was himself a leading Phila- delphian botanist:
"Dear Sir:
"I beg leave to inform you that the new edition of the Genera Linnaei is safely arrived. I am happy to see that the editor, my friend Dr. Schreber, has done what I requested of him. He has given your name to a hither- to undescribed plant that belongs to
