Page:A History of the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania.djvu/169

 Obstetrics, and his success in this line led to the association with Dr. James, which ultimately brought them under the wing of the medical school.

Having succeeded Dr. Barton in the Chair of Materia Medica, in 1813, Dr. Chapman was fortunate in maintaining the interest that had attached to that important branch; not by Natural History, or even strictly pharmacological expositions, but by luminous explanations of the scope and purposes of the Materia Medica—of its proper application to the cure of disease. In his prelections upon this subject he was especially happy, pointing out in detail the appropriate use of each particular article, and illustrating his remarks by sound appeals to his abundant experience; indeed, his instruction partook so much of a clinical nature, and placed so much valuable practical information at the command of the student, that it could not but fix the attention of the latter, if solicitous to prepare himself for the responsible duties of his profession. In this Chair he laid the foundation of that eminence he attained when called upon again to succeed Dr. Barton, and assume the responsibilities of the Chair of Practical Medicine. His “Elements of the Materia Medica,” published in 1817, contain the exemplification of his manner of communicating useful suggestions and practical directions for the employment of medicinal articles. With reference to this work we may appropriately quote the comment of one qualified to express an opinion. In the account of the contributions to this branch of medicine by American physicians, Dr. Wood uses the following language: “Hitherto we had done little more than add to the products of the European press our peculiar knowledge in relation to indigenous medicines. Dr. Chapman took a bolder flight, and by the publication of a systematic and original treatise, containing elaborate doctrine, interesting practical views, and highly important therapeutical facts of a general character, placed us at once upon a footing with English authorship in this department of medicine.”

In 1816 Dr. Chapman received his appointment as Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine, of Institutes, and