MICHENER 789 MIDDLETON his papers covered a somewhat wide field. One of the most interesting was the "Mono- graph on the Pathology of the Pituitary Body" (1860). His "Development of the Opossum" was the subject of a debate with Agassiz before the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1866 he married Cecelia S. Ingleby. There were ten children, four of whom survived him, Henry Middleton, Marion Sims, Herbert Eraser and Mary Hayne. Michel died in Charleston June 4, 1894. Phys. and Surgs. of America. I. A. Watson, Concord. N. H.. 1896. Eminent Amer. Physic, and Surgs. R. F. Stone, Indianapolis, 1894. Michener, Ezra (1794-1887) Ezra Michener, botanist, was born in London Grove Township, Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, November 24, 1794. His parents were Mordecai and Alice Dunn Michener. His early education con- sisted of nothing beyond the rudiments of reading, writing and arithmetic with a smat- tering of bookkeeping, but he had an innate fondness for plants, though at that time there had been no botanical book for beginners either vvfritten or printed in America. After working on the farm until he was twenty- one, he went to Philadelphia to study medi- cine, graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1818. In 1816 he attended the lectures of Dr. Wm. P. C. Barton (q. v.) on botany, but there was still no book for beginners. Shortly after graduation he began to practise near his birthplace, living in a log house, and several years later bought a small farm in New Garden Township, where he lived until his ninety-third year. The grounds about his house were planted with many rare trees, of which he was a great lover, and his coffin was made, by his wish, of boards from the trunk of a tree (Paulownia Ini- perialis) which he had planted. He wrote "Conchologia Cestrica" in collab- oration with Dr. Williarn D. Hortman and the preface seems to indicate that it was pre- pared at the suggestion of the Cabinet of Natural Science of Chester County. He also collected an extensive herbarium of Hystero- phyta (Fungi), and his collection of the mam- malia, birds and reptiles of Chester County form a part of the collection at Swarthmore College. Barton's "Flora Philadelphiae" was the first real botanical book Michener had for study, until Darlington published his "Florula Ces- trica" in 1826, in which work Michener assisted. Darlington acknowledged his in- debtedness to Michener in the collection and preparation of the Shallophyta for his "Flora Cestrica," referring to him as a naturalist of acumen, diligence and indomitable persever- ance. He was greatly interested in crypto- gams and did much good work in their col- lection and study. Fifteen books and twenty- three medical reprints stand to his credit, besides numerous articles. One of his books was "A Retrospect of Quakerism." He was an ardent member of New Garden Meeting (Hicksite Friends), and sat at the head of the meeting for many years. On the title page of "Conchologia Cestrica" is the quota- tion (written) "An undevout philosopher is mad," which was exactly Michener's idea. I knew him as a devout man, rich in knowledge and finding nothing trivial in nature but God in all. His reputation as an accoucheur was great in his locality. He assisted at my birth and in some families had attended five genera- tions. I called on him the day before his death, July 23, and found this old man of ninety-three ready to show interest in my recent graduation in medicine and desired I should examine him to see how completely all cartilage had ossified, calling my attention particularly to his floating ribs. He asked me to come again and then said, "No, thee need not, for I shall not be here." He also spoke a little about death and his wish to be through with life. In 1819 he married Sarah Spencer and had seven children. After her death, he married, in 1844, Mary S. Walton. Among his correspondents were many of the most eminent scientists of his time, including Darlington, Rothrock, Curtis, Lining. Ravenel and Tuckerman. Agassiz said of him "that he did not belong exclusively to Chester County, Pennsylvania, or America, but to the whole scientific world." Blanche M. Haines. The Botanists of Pennsylvania. J. W. Harshberger. Personal Communications. Middleton, Peter (- -1781) Peter Middleton was born in Scotland, studied at St. Andrew's University and came to New York, where he was one of the most eminent medical men in the 'middle of the eighteenth century. In 1750 he assisted Dr. John Bard (q. v.) in making one of the first dissections for the purpose of anatomical in- struction recorded in this country. In 1767 he aided in establishing the medical department of Kings College (Columbia University) in New York, in which he was the first professor
