giving much information compiled from observations of his own.
In recognition of his contributions to the geography of Canada Dr. Bell was awarded the King's or "Patron's Gold Medal" of the Royal Geographical Society in 1906. In the same year he was the recipient of the "Cullum Gold Medal" from the American Geographical Society.
Besides the degrees received in course at McGill University, B. A. Sc. 1861, M. D., C. M., 1878, D. Sc. 1901, Dr. Bell was the recipient of many honorary degrees from other universities, including Queen's and Cambridge. He was a member of most of the scientific societies of Canada, London, and America.
In 1877 he was appointed assistant director of the Geological and Natural History Survey of Canada, and in 1890 the additional title of Chief Geologist was given him. In January, 1901, Dr. Bell took over the administration of the Geological Survey of Canada and directed it until April, 1906. In December, 1908, he was superannuated after almost 52 years of devotion to the interests of his country, and his long service had been rewarded in 1903 by companionship in the Imperial Service Order.
Dr. Bell's later years were spent at his home in Ottawa and on his farm in Manitoba.
The bibliography of Dr. Bell's writings includes over 200 reports and pamphlets, most of which are contained in the volumes of the Geological Survey. They cover the results of his explorations in the field of geology, geography, forestry, biology, and folk-lore. His first report was published in 1857 and dealt with the fauna of the lower St. Lawrence, the Saguenay and Lake St. John, and his last report was published fifty years later and referred to the important mining district of Cobalt, Ontario.
Dr. Bell was a man of strong personality, a charming host and a staunch friend to those to whom his friendship was given.
Bell, Theodore Stout (1807–1884)
Theodore Stout Bell the son of John Tingley Bell and Rachel Stout Bell was born in Lexington, Kentucky, beginning life as a newsboy and later, after a six years' apprenticeship, working as a tailor. While so doing he studied medicine and in 1832 graduated at the Transylvania University, the same year he moved to Louisville and began practice. He was largely instrumental in the creation of the Medical Institute in 1837, which afterwards became the University of Louisville. He wrote voluminously in behalf of the development of the city, and especially public improvements. He was a liberal contributor to the editorial and correspondence department of the Louisville Journal, made famous throughout the Union by the gifted George D. Prentice. In 1838, in connection with Dr. L. P. Yandell, Sr. (q.v.), he launched the Louisville Medical Journal, and later, 1840– 41, the Western Medical Journal. In 1857 he was made professor of the science and art of medicine and public hygiene, a position held until death.
Bell was a voracious reader on almost all subjects and his memory was phenomenal. He was accustomed to insist that for a student four hours of sleep was enough to meet the requirements of nature. In his later years, after the death of his wife, he was accustomed to keep even his bed piled with books and to read in bed late at night.
He was extremely positive in his views and with him every notion seemed to have the tenacity of a firm conviction. When once he had reached a conclusion, his convictions were so intense that it was well nigh impossible for him to find anything in a new fact that did not have to bend to his formed opinion.
In medicine he set great store on a theory he held that malaria owed its origin to vegetable decomposition with heat and moisture, and it embraced all forms of ague, bilious fever, dysentery, cholera and yellow fever. A certain definite measure of heat with vegetable decomposition produced progressively quartan, tertian and quotidian agues, then followed in order, bilious fever, dysentery, cholera and yellow fever.
So positively and plausibly did he urge this theory, that in 1852 a committee of the British Medical Association under the chairmanship of Lord Shaftesbury, sought his views on the probable date of the appearance of cholera in that year. In the yellow-fever epidemic of 1873, Bell persuaded the people of Louisville that it was impossible for yellow fever to exist in the city, and induced them to invite there all of the Southern refugees. Grateful for being led to a move so generous and popular, the citizens voted him a medal of honor, but scarcely had it been conferred, when a virulent epidemic of yellow fever broke out in the city, and only an early frost prevented disaster. Despite the assertion of his theories and his profuse invectives in controversy, Dr. Bell was most kindly in his personal relations and full of charity and benevolence. He was passionately concerned for the welfare of the
