PARKER
246
PARKES
was born; his early education obtained
at Richmond Academy, his medical at
the Medical College of Virginia, from
which he graduated in ISIS, afterwards
settling down to practice in Richmond,
Virginia. He was a member of the Rich-
mond Academy of Medicine and of the
Medical Society of Virginia.
In the Civil War he was captain and, later, major of artillery in the Confeder- ate States Army; he was the founder of the Magdalen Home in Richmond; the Old Ladies' Home, and the Home for Foundlings. He served a term as presi- dent of the Academy of Medicine, and was elected president of the Medical Society of Virginia in 1890.
A co-temporary says of him that " He was one of the most unique figures in the profession. He always rode on horse-back and did an enormous practice, chiefly among the poor people in moder- ate circumstances; and perhaps no man ever did so much work for humanity in Richmond for such poor remuneration. A man of great courage, both physical and moral, he served his country during the Civil War as commander of Parker's Battery of Artillery, winning great dis- tinction by his daring and courage as an officer.
It has been told of him by old war comrades that after hard battles lasting all day, he was wont to lay off his coat and roll up his sleeves and work all night as a surgeon.
From an early period in his life he was an ardent and consistent Christian, carry- ing the same enthusiasm into his church as he did upon the field of battle. He possessed, too, a well-equipped and well- stored mind, to which was added the fiery enthusiasm of youth.
Dr. Parker married in January, 1862, Ellen J. Jordan, and had three sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Dr. William W. Parker, became a physician in Richmond. The father died at his home in Richmond, on August 5, 1899.
He was a prohfic writer for the news- papers on whatever subject was at the time of public interest, and contributed
some papers to the Medical Society of
Virginia and some to the journals; the
titles of most are given below:
"Erysipelas, Treatment of, New Method." (" Virginia Medical Journal," 1857.)
" Burial versus Cremation." (" Trans- actions of the Medical Society of Vir- ginia," 1886.)
"The Duty of a Doctor to a Patient Suffering under Malignant Disease," ibid., 1888.
Blood Gravitation in Health and Disease," ibid., 1889.
"Rise and Decline of Homeopathy," ibid., 1890.
"Ancient and Modern Physician," — St. Luke and Jenner, presidential address, ibid., 1891.
" Woman's Position in the Christian World," ibid., 1892.
R. M. S.
Dr. J. N. Upshur's Medical Reminiscences of Richmond, etc.
Trans. Med. Soc. of Va., 1899,
Parkes, Charles T. (1842-1891).
Charles T. Parkes had remarkable success as a teacher of anatomy, and a clear and concise method of demonstra- tion which not only excited enthusiasm and love in all his students, but gained for him a wide reputation.
He was born August 19, 1842, at Troy, New York, the youngest of ten children. His father, Joseph Parkes, an English- man, came to Chicago in 1860. At that time the son was a student in the Univer- sity of Michigan, where he afterwards received his A. M. He enlisted in the army in 1862 as a private and was dis- charged three years later as captain.
At the close of the war he returned to Chicago, and began to study medicine under Dr. Rae, professor of anatomy in Rush Medical College. He graduated from this college in 1868, and was at once appointed demonstrator of anatomy, which position he held until his appoint- ment as professor of anatomy in 1875.
His specialty was abdominal surgery in which he was a pioneer investigator.
