WISLIZENUS
519
WISTAR
Waters, A Sketch of the Life of John Win-
throp, the Younger. Privately printed,
1900.
Steiner, Governor John Winthrop Jr., of
Connecticut, as a Physician, John Hopkins
Hosp., Bull., xiv, 1903.
Wislizenus, Frederick Adolphus (1810- 1889).
In the ' Lancet," London, 1889, ii, p. 936, it is stated that the romance of medicine might well claim Wislizenus as one of its heroes. He was born in Koe- nigsee, Germany, in May, 1810, and at the usual age left the gymnasium for the uni- versity to study medicine and took his M. D. in 1834 from Zurich University. He worked at Gottingen, Jena, and Wiirz- burg, until, shortly before graduation, he became compromised in the famous "Frankfurter Attentat," and had to flee the country.
In the spring of 1833 a conspiracy had been formed in Frankfurt-on-the-Main, to avenge itself on the Federal Diet which by its severely restrictive press laws had roused the citizens, particularly the younger portion, including many students in the several faculties, to something little short of madness. In this conspiracy Wislizenus, with Matthia and others of the medical "Burschenschaft," took a leading part — the design being to blow up the Diet. On April 3, 1833, the attempt was made. The guard house was carried by storm, and the conspirators were within an ace of effecting their purpose when the military appeared in the nick of time, arrested nine of the youths, and put the others to flight. Among those who, after hairbreadth escapes, eluded arrest was young Wislizenus, who found his way to Switzerland, where, at the University of Zurich, he resumed his studies and graduated M. D. with distinction, and in 1835 came to the United States. Ulti- mately settling in practice at St. Louis, he rapidly formed an extensive clientele, of which liis compatriots were the nucleus, and was enabled to give time to pure science and also to travel in and beyond the States. He made memorable visits to Mexico and the Rocky Mountains, and
published most interesting records of his
observations and experiences. By all
classes he was looked upon as an enthusi-
astic and large minded reformer, an
honest and benevolent survivor of the
" Vor Achtundvierziger" men, as the
precursors of the revolution of 1848 are
familiarly called.
He died in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 22, 1889. D. S. L.
Smithsonian Institution, .Ann. Report, 1904.
Wistar, Caspar (1761-1818).
The parents of Caspar Wistar were of German extraction, and belonged to the Society of Friends, of which they were highly respected members. His grand- father, Caspar Wistar, founded at Salem, New Jersey, the first glass works in this country; Wistar was born in Philadelphia, September 13, 1761, and went as a boy to the well-known Friends' School, founded by William Penn, in Philadelphia. The school at that time was in charge of Mr. John Thompson, an able teacher of Latin and Greek. Wistar is said to have acquired a desire for medical study during the battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777, when he helped to care for the wounded. He became a private pupil of Dr. John Redman, and also attended the practice of Dr. John Jones, at the same time going to the medical lectures of Drs. Morgan, Shippen, Rush and Kuhn, at the recently organized medical school of Philadelphia. Such teachers aroused in Wistar an aml)ition to pursue his medical study in Europe, where he went after attaining the degree of bachelor of medicine. Tilghman relates the following story of Wistar's examination in medicine:
" There was a singularity in this exami- nation of which I have been informed by a gentleman who was j)resent. The faculty of medicine were not all of one theory, and each professor examined with an eye to his own system; of this Wistar was aware, and had the address to answer each to his complete satisfaction, in his own way. Of course the degree was con- ferred on him."
