SAGER
345
SARGENT
Sager, Abram (1810-1877).
Abrani Sager was born at Bethlehem, Albany County, New York, December 22, 1810. His father, William Sager, was a farmer of German ancestry, who settled in New York at an early age. Abram studied medicine with Profs. Marsh and Ives at Albany and New Haven, Connec- ticut, but graduated M. D. from Castle- ton Medical College, at Castleton, Ver- mont, in April, 1835. P^or a time he practised in Detroit, Michigan, then at Jackson, but finally settled at Ann Arbor. In 1837 lie was made chief of the botan- ical and zoological departments of the Michigan Geological Survey. The zoo- logical specimens which formed the basis of his report laid the foundation for the present zoological collection of Michigan University Museum. The Sager Her- barium in the University Museum con- tains 1,200 species and 12,000 specimens. He also prepared and placed in the museum of the medical department a valuable collection illustrating compara- tive craniology, neurology and embryol- ogy of the vertebrata. From 1S42 to 1855 he was professor of botany and zoology in Michigan University; in 1848 he was made professor of theory and practice of medicine; in 1850 professor of obstetrics and diseases of women and children — a place occupied till made emeritus professor in 1874. He resigned his chair because he disapproved of the actions of the regents in connecting home- opathy with the medical department. For several years before his resignation Dr. Sager was dean of the medical depart- ment. In 1852 the University gave him the honorary M. A. In 1874 Dr. Sager was elected president of the Micliigan State Medical Society, and was a member of the Obstetrical Society of Philadel- phia, and the New York State Medical Society. Dr. Sager's success as a teacher
was gained in spite of natural defects in
the way of an inferior physical appear
ance, an unpleasant voice and a temper-
ament shrinking from publicity, but the
intrinsic merit of his subject matter and
weight of character fixed the attention of
his audience.
In 1838 he married Sarah E. Dwight, of Detroit, Michigan, and had eight children, five of whom survived him.
He died in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Au- gust 6, 1877, from phthisis pulmonalis.
Papers:
" Notes on the Anatomy of the Gymnopus Spiniferus." ("Peninsular Medical Journal," vol. iii.)
"Observations on the Hirundei in Michigan." (Ibid., vol. iv.)
" Observations on the Development of a New Species of Helminth." (Ibid., vol. ii.)
" Case of Amaurosis of Pregnancy Connected with Albuminuria." (Ibid., vol. X.)
"Report on Obstetrics." (Read be- fore the Michigan State Medical Society, 1868, Ann Arbor, 1869.)
"Cases of Floating Kidney." ("Pen- insular Medical Journal," vol. ix.) "Cases of Delivery by Cesarean Section." ("Michigan University Medical Journal," vol. ii.)
" Experiments on the Respiration of Various Cases." (Ibid., vol. i.)
" Case of Simultaneous Intra- and Ex- tra-uterine Pregnancy." (Ibid., vol. i.)
L. C.
History of the TTniv. of Mich., Ann AHior,
The Univ. Press.
Trans. Amer. Med. Ass., Phila., Pa., 1S7S,
vol. xxiv.
Trans. Mich. State Med. Soc, Lansing, 1878.
Life, Huber, .Michigan Akimnus, Feb., 1903.
Sargent, Joseph (1815-1888).
Joseph Sargent, founder of the Wor- cester Society for Medical Improvement
