Page:A History of the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania.djvu/177

 William B. Rogers, in the geological survey of the State of Virginia. He had at this time the honor of being appointed by the Government melter and refiner of the Mint at New Orleans, a post which he, however, declined.

In 1840 Dr. Rogers settled himself in his native city, and was engaged with his brother, Henry D. Rogers, upon the geological survey of the State of Pennsylvania. The following year he succeeded Professor John K. Mitchell in the Medical Institute of Philadelphia. This institution was a summer school for teaching the branches of medicine, and having been founded by Dr. Chapman was closely associated with the University. When Dr. Hare resigned the Professorship of Chemistry, Dr. Rogers became an applicant for this important position. The canvass was a spirited one; the candidates were numerous and prominent; Rogers had secured to himself the earnest wishes in his behalf and the partialities of the profession of Philadelphia, who best knew the qualifications desirable for a medical teacher, and he became the successor of the same individual to whom his father had succeeded twenty-eight years previously, at William and Mary College. From this sole incident how gratifying a result!

Dr. Rogers was a popular teacher; the full store-house of his mind was drawn upon to instruct his pupils, and no pains or labor did he spare to make easy to their comprehension the important truths he taught. In one portion of his course he was especially interesting; this was organic chemistry. Of late years it has become a prominent department of medical science, and, from the success with which it has been cultivated, will become ultimately so interwoven with medicine as to require a large share of attention from medical students. Physiology and pathology are not the only branches to which organic chemistry is essential; therapeutics is gradually becoming amenable to its disclosures. The development of the mode of action of medicines to which organic chemistry has led has dissipated much uncertainty, and explained many phenomena which, although seen, were not understood. By demonstrating the importance of researches upon the subject, and creating an interest in them, Dr. Rogers bestowed important service, and it was apparent that, in its