Page:A History of the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania.djvu/126

 honors. Under his training skilful botanists were formed, whose contributions have been creditable to their native country.

The works of Dr. William P. C. Barton, the nephew of the Professor, are evidences of zeal and ability in the endeavor to render available a knowledge of the medical and general botany of the United States; while of equal merit are the contributions to the same department of Dr. Jacob Bigelow, of Massachusetts. To the same source of instruction and encouragement may be traced the long life labors of Dr. William Darlington, who thus most feelingly speaks of his preceptor: “In November, 1802, I repaired to Philadelphia to attend the lectures in the University of Pennsylvania, where I was favored to become familiarly acquainted with Prof. B. S. Barton, who discovered in me a considerable fondness for the study of plants, took me under his special patronage, and, by his kind attention and instruction, gave a decided bias to my future pursuits. A Society was formed, called the American Linnæan Society, of which Prof. Barton was President, and it did me the unexpected honor of enrolling me among the members.” Dr. Barton was in the habit, in connection with his botanical lectures, of taking his pupils to the Bartram Botanic Garden. This was situated on the west bank of the Schuylkill, about four miles below Philadelphia. “It was established as early as 1720, by that great vegetable naturalist, John Bartram, the elder, at a time when nothing of the kind existed in the Colonies, except Dr. Clayton’s, in Virginia. Here were concentrated very many of the indigenous plants and trees of North America, and in a greater profusion, perhaps, than can be found elsewhere. Mr. Bartram and his descendants were industriously employed in making this garden for one hundred and ten years.” Dr.