Page:A History of the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania.djvu/150



1834 Dr. James resigned the Chair of Obstetrics.

Thomas Chalkley James was of a family attached to the Society of Friends. He was born in the city of Philadelphia in the year 1766, and was educated under the superintendence of Robert Proud. His medical studies were conducted under the direction of Dr. Kuhn, and in 1787 he took the degree of Bachelor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The following year he accepted the position of Surgeon of an East Indiaman, and made a voyage to China, with the view of acquiring funds for a contemplated visit to Europe, to finish there his medical education. In this adventure he was successful, as the trade with the East was at that time very lucrative, and the situation of surgeon on board a trading vessel afforded greater opportunities of material profit than have subsequently been presented.

In the year 1790, that of his return from China, he embarked for England, where he found his compatriot, Dr. Physick, pursuing his studies at St. George’s Hospital. By this gentleman’s advice he entered, in May, 1791, as house pupil of the Story Street Lying-in Hospital, under the care of Drs. Osborne and John Clarke, two leading obstetrical teachers and practitioners of London. While in the capital of England, he received courteous attentions from Dr. Letsom, who belonged to the same religious society as the family of Dr. James. He attended the lectures