Page:Men of Mark in America vol 2.djvu/521

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WALTER WYMAN
431

one hundred and twenty-one relief stations. During the year 1903 over fifty-eight thousand sick and disabled seamen were treated at the various relief stations. The service maintains a sanitarium for consumptives at Fort Stanton, New Mexico. By this service, too, eight hundred and fifty-seven thousand immigrants were physically examined during the fiscal year 1903. All our national quarantine stations are under the charge of this service; including forty stations in the United States proper and the quarantine service in Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines. The service aids state health authorities in dealing with epidemics. A hygienic laboratory is in operation where so great a diversity of work is carried on that it would be impossible to name here even its chief departments. Officers are detailed to the laboratory to receive a complete course in pathology and bacteriology. Fifteen have completed this course and are now stationed in various parts of the world pursuing original investigations.

As the directing head of this well-equipped, beneficent and efficient service, Surgeon-General Wyman has done a remarkable work. In June, 1891, he was called from his position as chief of the quarantine division to that of surgeon-general, which place he still fills in 1906. He was born in St. Louis, August 17, 1848. His father, Edward Wyman, was an educator who did much toward promoting better instruction in the West; and he held important and responsible positions in connection with the prominent educational projects of his state. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Hadley.

Doctor Wyman was graduated from Amherst college in 1870, after studying at the preparatory department of the city college of St. Louis. He took a course of professional study at the St. Louis Medical college, and was graduated from that institution in 1873 with the degree of M.D. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him in 1897, by the Western University of Pennsylvania.

The active work of his professional life began as assistant surgeon at the St. Louis hospital, from 1873-75. Since 1876 he has been in the marine hospital service. He was in charge successively of the marine hospitals at St. Louis, Cincinnati, Baltimore, New York; and he was in charge of the quarantine and purveying divisions of the marine hospital bureau at Washington, District of Columbia; and acted as supervising surgeon-general of the marine hospital service from 1891 until July 1, 1902, when the title was changed to "surgeon-