Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/124

 ANTISELL

ANTISELL

towards the community in which he lived. Dr. Anthon married on August 13, 1770, Mariana Navarre, who died childless, October 8, 1773. She was a daughter of Robert Navarre, who was appointed by the French Government, Notaire-royal and sub delegue' at Detroit. His second wife was Genevieve Jadot, a niece of his first wife, by whom he had eleven children, three being born in Detroit. Of these John, Henry and Charles were renowned as a lawyer, minister and scholar. Dr. Anthon died at his home, 11 Broad Street, New York City, December 22, 1815.

L. C.

Wayne County (Mich.) Pioneer Soc. Biogra- phy; Fred Carslile, Detroit, Mich.; Farmer's Hist., Detroit, 1884.

Biog. by a grandson of Dr. Anthon, Charles E. Anthon, Mich. Pioneer and Historical Col- lection, vol. xxxi.

Antisell, Thomas (1S17-1893).

Born in Dublin, Ireland, January 16, 1S17. Antisell was the son of Thomas Christopher Antisell of Kings County, Ireland, a barrister and Queen's Counsel- lor, his ancestry going back to Sir Bertine Entwyssel, who accompanied Henry II to Ireland.

Dr. Antisell was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and studied at the Dub- lin School of Medicine, Peter Street, and the Irish Apothecary's Hall, being pupil of, and afterwards assistant to, Sir Robert Kane from 1839 to 1S43. He graduated at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, in November, 1S39, and spent a semester with J. B. Pelouze in his laboratory. In 1844 he pursued his chemical studies in Paris and Berlin under the most cele- brated chemists of the time, Pelouze, Biot, Dumas and Berzelius. He prac- tised medicine in Dublin from 1S45 until 1848 and was lecturer on chemistry in the "Original School of Medicine".

As one of the "Young Ireland Party" he was sentenced to exile and imprison- ment but a friend procuring for him a position as surgeon on an outgoing vessel, he sailed for America.

Landing at New York November 22,

1848, he began to practise medicine in New York City and continued there until 1854, when he became geologist to the Pacific Railroad survey, on the thirty- second parallel, under Lieut. Parke, Topo- graphical Engineer, U. S. A. He made a geological reconnoisance of Southern Cali- fornia and Arizona Territory, published in the seventh volume of the "United States Reports of Explorations and Sur- veys," 1S56. In 1871, at the invitation of the Japanese government, he became technologist of a government commission to develop the resources of the northern islands of that empire. He returned to the United States in 1876. While in Japan he was offered the position of president of the College of Cairo, Egypt, which he declined. In appreciation of his valuable services to Japan he was decorated by the Emperor with the "Order of the Rising Sun of Meijii."

While on the ocean en route to Japan, an opportunity offered to become presi- dent of the College, Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania, which Dr. Antisell appreciated and would have accepted but had already contracted with the Japanese Govern- ment for five years.

From 1856 to 1893, excepting the inter- val of army service and while in Japan, he lived in Washington. All his life he was a medical teacher, his specialty being analytical and technical chemistry.

Dr. Antisell was twice married; to Eliza Anne Nowlan of Dublin, in 1S41, and Marion Stuart Forsyth, of Detroit, Michi- gan, in 1S54. He died in the District of Columbia, June 14, 1893.

Busey, in his "Reminiscences" p. 140, says that Dr. Antisell was a popular teacher. He led a very unobtrusive home life, rarely appearing in public except where his duty called him. He was faith- ful to duty and conscientious in its per- formance, unostentatious in manner, and cordial in friendship.

The University of Georgetown, with the medical department of which he was connected for many years as professor of chemistry and toxicology, of military sur- gery, physiology and hygiene, and emeri-