PRENTISS
289
PRESCOTT
of Washington and Columbian Univer-
sity. He married Emilie A. Schmidt,
daughter of Frederick Schmidt, of
Rhenish, Bavaria, October 12, 1864, and
two of his sons became doctors. He held
the A. M. of Cohimbia College, District of
Columbia, and the M. D. of Pennsyl-
vania. After graduation Dr. Prentiss
engaged in general practice in Washing-
ton and held a prominent position in the
profession. From 1879 he was professor
of materia medica and therapeutics in
the medical department of Columbia
University; physician in charge of the
eye and ear service of Columbia Dispen-
sary from 1874 to 1878; visiting physician
to Providence Hospital in 1882; member
of the Medical Society, Medical Associa-
tion, Obstetrical and Gynecological Soci-
ety. Some contributions to medical
literature are as follows: "Croupous
Pneumonia" — report of eleven cases
occurring in private practice, from Feb-
ruary to June, 1878, read before the
Medical Society; "Remarkable Change in
the Color of the Hair from Light Blond
to Almost Black, in a Patient while under
Treatment by Hypodermic Injections
of Pilocarpine;" "Membranous Croup
treated with Pilocarpine;" "Change of
Color of Hair," 1881; " Avi Fauna Co-
lumbiana," being a list of the birds of
the District of Columbia, revised and
rewritten by Dr. Elliott Coues and Dr.
D. W. Prentiss, 1883; "Gall Stones of
Soap," 1889; "Report of Five Hundred
Consecutive Cases of Labor in Private
Practice," 1888; Case of the Change
of Color of Hair of Old Age to Black,
Produced by Jaborandi;" a "Paper on
Pilocarpin, Its Physiological Actions and
Therapeutic Uses."
In the "National Medical Review," 1899-1900, ix, page 542, it is stated that Dr. Prentiss became a member of the National Medical Society in 1864, and was active in its scientific work and a warm promoter of all measures that tended to advance the best interests of the profession. Much of his work was original and his writings all showed his early work in the natural science. The Vol. 11-19
cases reported l)y him were usually of
rare forms of disease or of conditions
before undescribed.
He died on November 10, 1899.
D. S. L.
Atkinson's Physicians and Surgeons, 1878. Tr. of the Med. Soc, D. C, vol. iv, 1899. National .Med. Rev., vol. ix, 1899-90.
Prescott, Albert Benjamin (1832-1905). Albert Benjamin Prescott was born at Hastings, New York, December 12, 1832; son of Benjamin and Experience (Hunt- ley) Prescott whose ancestors emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1640. This ancestor, James Prescott, was the fourth generation from James Prescott, who for bravery was made Lord of the Manor of Derby in 1564 by Queen Eliza- beth. When nine years old Albert B. Prescott suffered a severe injury to his right knee which entailed long suffering and permanent disability. His general education was with private tutors and in 1864 he graduated M. D. at the Michigan University Medical Department. In May, 1864, he passed the regular examina- tion for the United States Army and was commissioned assistant surgeon with duty at Totten General Hospital, at Louisville, Kentucky. On August 22, 1865, he was discharged from service with the brevet rank of captain of the United States Volunteers and immedi- ately entered upon his life work at Ann Arbor, in the Laboratory of the Univer- sity of Michigan with the rank of assis- tant professor of chemistry and lecturer on organic chemistry and metallurgy. On the organization of the school of pharmacy, in 1868, its management was placed in his hands. He was successively professor of organic and applied chemis- try and pliarmacy; of organic chemistry and pharmacy; professor of organic chemistry. From 1876, dean of the school of pharmacy; from 1884 director of the chemical laboratory; fellow of the London Chemical Society; in 1886 presi- dent of the American Chemical Society- in 1899 president of the American Phar; maceutical Association. In 1886 Michi-
