York a journalistic and literary career, but his eyesight failing, he entered the lecture field, "in which a rich reception and a bountiful harvest awaited him." In the winter of 1865–1866 his lecture on "Bacon and Greens" fairly took the city of Richmond by storm. In 1869 he was appointed assistant secretary of state and custodian of the State Library under General James McDonald.
In 1863 he married Lucy Parke, daughter of Dr. Lewis Webb Chamberlayne, of Richmond, who survived him. They had eight children, four daughters and four sons; a daughter, Martha, married George Gordon Battle, of North Carolina.
Dr. Bagby suffered for years with chronic dyspepsia and other complications, and died November 29, 1883, "not all at once, but by gradual stages, as of a siege."
His essays of general interest were published in book form by Scribner in 1910, under the title "The Old Virginia Gentleman and Other Sketches," edited with an introduction by Thomas Nelson Page, and a sketch of his life by Edward S. Gregory. From these pages and from Mrs. Bagby, the above data and excerpts have for the most part been gathered.
Baker, Alvah H. (1806–1865)
Born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on November 3, 1806, he came with his family to Plattsville in 1820 and at the age of eighteen opened a school to obtain means to study medicine. While teaching he went on studying medicine, and in 1830–31 attended lectures at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, graduating in 1831. In 1833 he removed to West Alexandria, Preble County, Ohio, where he remained about three years. Afterward he went to Eaton, Ohio, where he practised until another removal to Cinicnnati, Ohio, in 1846. He was one of the founders of the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery and was its first professor of surgery.
In January, 1860, Dr. Baker issued the first number of the Cincinnati Medical News. Starting with that name in 1858 it became the Cincinnati Medical and Surgical News in 1860. It was a monthly and suspended in 1863. Baker was energetic and had a singular charm of personality but was crude and lacked polish as a teacher. He was a practical organizer and presided over the Medical Convention of Ohio, in 1847.
He died in Cincinnati, July 30, 1865.
Baker, Frank (1841–1918)
Frank Baker, anatomist, was born in Pulaski, New York, August 22, 1841. His ancestors were English, settled in New England, and identified themselves with their new home and fought in the War of the Revolution. His father was Thomas C. Baker and his mother Sybil S. Weed. Frank served in the 37th New York Volunteers 1861–1863, then was transferred to Washington; later he entered government service. He received his medical degree from Columbia University, which also gave him an A. M. in 1888 and Ph. D. in 1890. From 1883 to 1918 he was professor of anatomy in the Medical School of Georgetown University. In 1889 he was made assistant superintendent of the United States Life Saving Service and in 1890 superintendent of the National Zoological Park, District of Columbia, serving until 1916. He was a founder of the biological, anthropological and medical history societies of Washington and was president of the Association of American Anatomists (1897), the Anthropological Society of Washington (1897–1898), the Medical History Club of Washington (1915–1916), and secretary of the Washington Academy of Sciences (1890–1911). He was editor of the American Anthropologist from 1891 to 1898, and collaborated with John S. Billings in the "Medical Dictionary" (1890); he gave the definitions of medical and anatomical terms in the Standard Dictionary (1890), and contributed anatomical articles to Wood's "Reference Handbook of the Medical Sciences," and to the "International Cyclopedia."
Baker wrote two papers on President Garfield's case (1881–1882), showing "that the wound was caused by the second bullet and its course had been correctly diagnosed in a well accredited diagram made two days after the event." Other writings were: "The Rational Method of Teaching Anatomy" (1884); "What Is Anatomy?" (1887), "Anthropological Notes on the Human Hand" (1888); "Primitive Man" (1899).
Dr. Baker's monograph on the "History of Anatomy" published in Stedman's Handbook compares favorably with the well-known article of Sir William Turner (Encyclopaedia Britannica) which has remained the ranking contribution in English. His contributions to medical history include "The Two Sylviuses" (1900) and "The Relation of Vesalius to Anatomical Illustration" (1915), read before the Historical Club of the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Baker had collected a valuable library on
