Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/1048

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1026
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SCRIBNER 1026 SCUDDER Dr. Scott was a close observer, taking a deep interest in medical progress and fre- quently ordering new books through his agent in London. Shortly after his arrival in Maryland he married Elizabeth Ross, an heiress with a large landed estate, but died without direct descendants. Eugene F. Cordell. Cordell's Medical Annals of Maryland, 1903, for picture and Memoir of Dr. Scott. Upton Scott of Annapolis, Maryland. Also Med. Jour., Bait., 1092, vol. xlv (E. F. Cordell). Scribner, Ernest Varian (1855-1918) Ernest Varian Scribner was born in Lewis- ton, Maine, February 18, 1855. His parents, Cyrus Scribner and Mary Thompson, were natives of the same state. He spent his early life in Lewiston, where he received his preliminary education in the city schools and the degree of Bachelor of Arts from Bates College in 1878. He then taught in the public schools for one year during which he spent all his spare time under the apprenticeship of Dr. Wedgewood. It was while teaching that he became ac- quainted with ^lary E. Prince, whom he mar- ried in New Sharon, Maine, December 28, 1881. His medical studies were pursued at the Bowdoin Medical School, where he graduated in 1881, ranking second in his class. After leaving college he was appointed assistant physician at the Worcester State Hospital. At the end of one year his health failed and he removed to Bismarck, North Dakota. Subjected to the change of climate and atmospheric conditions, he soon began to improve and for a while engaged in the practice of medicine in Bismarck. In 1884 he returned East and became assist- ant superintendent of the Worcester Insane Asylum (Grafton State Hospital), and in November, 1890, following the resignation of Dr. Hosea M. Quinby, he was appointed superintendent, at thirty-five years of age. This position he held for a period of twenty- two years, at the expiration of which he resigned to accept the superintendency of the Worcester State Hospital, where he died. June 14, 1918, after a comparatively short illness. With the exception of twcu. years his entire professional life of thirty-seven years was spent in the pursuit of that special depart- ment of medicine, psychiatry, which he chose early as his life work. During his administration at the Asylum many improvements were made. Bays were added to the administration center; the ven- tilating system was improved ; all the plumb- ing on the wards was renovated ; extensive changes and improvements were made in the kitchen ; congregate dining-rooms were opened for male and female patients and bet- ter accommodations were provided for both male and female nurses. Dr. Scribner was always a staunch sup- porter of ergotherapy and an especially warm advocate of occupation out-of-doors for rest- less and disturbed patients of both sexes. By an act of the Legislature in 1901 money was appropriated to purchase land and a col- ony was established at Grafton. This unit grew rapidly and at the time of his resig- nation more than $743,000 had been expended in improvements and building operations. While superintendent at the Worcester State Hospital he built a three-story addition to the male side of the hospital which accom- modates about one hundred patients; made many improvements and by his encourage- ment and support stimulated clinical and pathological work. Dr. Sribner's able business qualifications, honesty, loyalty and efficient administration won for him the respect of his officers and employees and the confidence and able sup- port of his board of trustees. His thoroughness of examination, keenness of perception, suavity of manner, sound judg- ment, and clearness of expression soon led to his services being much in demand in medico-legal work as well as consulting alien- ist and he was recognized by the legal pro- fession as a fair and conscientious expert whose testimony carried much weight in courts. During his institutional life he contributed to the liaterature of his profession in com- munications to medical journals, to medical societies and clubs and also through the medium of his annual reports. Dr. Scribner was a fellow of the American Medical Association, Massachusetts Medical Society, American Medico-Psychological Asso- ciation, New England Society of Psychiatry, Boston Society of Neurology and Psychiatry,, and a member of the commission of five appointed by the Governor in the year 1910 to investigate the question of the increase of criminals, mental defectives, epileptics, degen- erates and allied classes in the Commonwealth. B. Henry M.son. Scudder, John Milton (1829-1894) John Milton Scudder, noted eclectic phy- sician, was born in Harrison, Ohio, Septem- ber 8, 1829. His father died when he was-