The Biographical Dictionary of America/Clymer, Meredith
CLYMER, Meredith, physician, was born in
London, England, June 6, 1817; son of George
and Maria Gratiot (O'Brien) Clymer; and grandson
of George Clymer, signer of the Declaration of
Independence, and one of the framers of the
Federal constitution. He studied at the University
of Pennsylvania, 1832-34, was graduated
from the medical department in 1837, and continued
his medical studies in Paris, London and
Dublin, 1839-41. He practised his profession in
Philadelphia, where lie was lecturer on physiology
at the Medical institute, 1843; professor at Franklin
medical college, 1845, and at Hampton Sidney
college, Va., 1848-49. He settled in New York
city in 1851 and was professor of the institutes
and practice of medicine at the University of the
city of New York, 1851, and of mental and nervous
diseases at the Albany medical college,
1871-74. During his residence in Philadelphia
he was physician to the Institution for the blind,
and attending and consulting physician to the
Philadelphia hospitals. He was surgeon, U.S.V.,
1861-65; medical officer
in charge of sick
and wounded U.S.
officers, Washington,
D.C.. 1862-63, and
medical director in
the department of the
south, 1864-65, holding
the commission
of major, 1861, and
that of brevet lieu-
tenant-colonel, 1865,
in the U.S. volunteer
army. He was one of
the founders of the
Franklin medical college, Philadelphia; president
of the Neurological society. New York,
1874-76; vice-president of the Alumni society,
medical department. University of Pennsylvania,
1875-97, president, 1897-99, and an honorary
member of the Association of American
physicians. He contributed valuable papers to
the various medical journals, edited several medical
works, and is the author of
Williams' and Clymer's Diseases of the Respiratory Organs (1844);
The Pathology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Fevers (1846);
Notes on the Physiology and Pathology of the Nervous System with Reference to Clinical Medicine (1868);
Lectures on Palsies and Kindred Disorders (1870);
Ecstasy and other Dramatic Disorders of the Nervous System (1870);
Hereditary Genius (1870);
Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis (1872);
The Legitimate Influence of Epilepsy on Criminal Responsibility
(1874); Atkin's Practice of Medicine (edited
1866-68-70).