MACNEVEN 752 MC RUER refused to give him permission to settle in the United States, were the chief events in his life at the end of the XVIII century. Dr. Macneven was released from imprison- ment in 1802, traveled through Switzerland, visited his relations in Vienna and finally arrived in France, where he joined the Irish Brigade, organized from Irish fugitives in France, with the intention of invading Ire- land. This scheme faiHng, he sailed for America and arrived in New York on the afternoon of July 4, 1804, in the midst of the celebrations in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence. He was received by his friends with open arms, acknowledged his intention of becoming a citizen, and began practice at once, and obtained an honorary degree of M. D. from Columbia College in 1806. In 1810 he married Mrs. Jane Margaret Tom, daughter of the magnate Samuel Riker of Newton, Long Island. By this marriage he had several children, most of whom, how- ever, died early of tuberculosis. In March, 1838, he suffered from a serious illness which finally terminated in a severe fit of gout. His professional business now became irksome and he retired from practice. In November, 1840, he received a painful injury of the leg, which, with the shock from a fall, occasioned a long and wearing illness. From this time on his strength gradually failed and July 12, 1841, he died. Beginning with the opening session of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1807, Dr. Macneven delivered a winter course of clinical lectures at the New York Hospital, where he was a physician on the staff. In 1808 he was appointed professor of obstetrics. The school was reorganized in 1810, Dr. Samuel Bard (q. v.) was chosen President, Dr. Macneven was elected professor of chem- istry and during the absence of Dr. J. W. Francis (q. v.) in Europe, the chair of materia medica was added to his duties. This arrange- ment continued until 1820, when Dr. Samuel Latham Mitchill (q. v.), became lecturer on materia medica and on natural history. Dr. Macneven was an excellent linguist, capable of conversing in Irish, German, French, and English of course, and in com- mand of a ready pen, so that as a litterateur in medicine, he stood on a high level. Leav- ing aside mere mention of his innumerable political tracts, printed in Ireland, chief em- phasis should be laid on his "Rambles through Switzerland" and his translations from the German, on Mining Engineering, whilst his "Exposition of the Atomic Theory," 1820, was received with much favor and his "Amer- ican edition of Brande's Chemistry," met with a ready sale. He did good service, also in editing, with Dr. Benjamin De Witt. The New York Medical and Philosophical Jour- nal and in contributing to its pages many transitory, yet readable medical essays. Taken all in all, Dr. William James Macneven was a light of no ordinary luster in the annals of American medical history, whilst the in- clusion of his career in the English Diction- ary of National Biography proves the high opinion in which he was held in Great Britain's national history. Lives of Emin. Amer. Phys. and Surgs. S. D. Gross, 1861. McRuer, Daniel (1802-1873) A typical Scotchman with a "burr" in his talk. Dr. McRuer is worth describing. He was born in Knapdale, Argyleshire, Scot- land, January 12, 1802, the son of a clergy- man, who before the birth of his son had settled in Greenock. His parents left him an orphan at. the age of five, but, befriended by relatives, he studied medicine with a sur- geon apothecary, and after obtaining a degree from some source unknown to me, he had sufiicient political influence to get the posi- tion of surgeon's mate in the English Navy. The vessel on which he was on duty was ship- wrecked off Boothbay Harbor, Maine. He was rescued with others by a passing vessel, and brought safely to St. John, New Brunswick, where he practised for a while, but learned to like America and decided to move into Maine, where he practised at Nobleborough and Damariscotta. In 1824 he took the degree of M. D. at the University of Pennsylvania. At the latter place he married Mary Ann Wright, about 1825. When Dr. McRuer wished to become a member of the Maine Medical Society, in the year 1826, his elec- tion was refused on the ground that although regularly nominated, he, as a foreigner, had never exhibited any testimonials regarding his qualifications as a practitioner. He was, however, finally admitted. In 1834 he removed to Bangor, where he practised until his death. A man of sterling worth, he did great service in the Civil War as an army surgeon ; he had also a large consulting practice and did twenty-six ovariotomies in days when that operation was rare and few physicians dared to do it, with perfect results in twenty of them. He was a student, interested not only in medicine, independent and original in thought and language. Of a calm and cheer-
