Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/437

 FRANCIS

FRANCIS

their name. The original name was O'Catharnaigh, and this family originally owned the major part of the county of West Meath and a part of the barony of Kilcoursey, in King's County, Ireland. About 1185, A. D., because of some deed of valor in war by one of the O'Cathar- naigh lords, he was called "An Sion- nach" (The Fox); thereafter all of his descendants to the present have borne the name. Galtrim House, now the prop- erty of Hubert Fox, Esq., still stands near Dublin, the last remaining monu- ment of this family name and estate in Ire- land. Upon one of the walls of this house still hangs an old oil painting representing Queen Elizabeth in the act of re-granting certain tracts of land to Matthew Fox and his four sons, James, John, Joseph and William, and conferring on the eldest the title of Lord of Kilcoursey. The Queen stands with parchment in hand, the Earl of Leicester near her, and the five Foxes standing in front of them. Copies of this picture were made some twenty years ago by Melville E. Stone of Chicago, a relative of the Fox's, then traveling in Europe.

The professional success of William H. Fox became an inspiration to young men of his family connection, several of whom studied and practised under him, so that, to-day, there are numerous physicians of the Fox family throughout the state. A. O. F.

History of Dane County, Wis., vol. iii,

issue of 1906.

"The Fox Family," a private publication by

Melville E. Stone, 1890.

Francis, Samuel Ward (1835-1886).

This New York physician who did so much biographically to perpetuate the memory of his confreres was born on De- cember 26, 1835, the son of Dr. John W. and Mary Eliza Cutler Francis. His mother was a grand-niece of Gen. Francis Marion and a relative of Charlotte Corday.

Samuel Ward took his A. B. and A. M. from Columbia College, New York, and his M. D. in 1860 from the University of New York. In 1859 he married Harriet

H., daughter of Judge McAllister of Cali- fornia. When he became M. D. he also became physician for diseases of the head and abdomen at the New York Dispen- sary, but he is best known for his writings which included :

"Report of Prof. Valentine Mott's Surgical Clinics in the University of New York," 1859-60 (Mott prize essay).

"Life and Character of Prof. Valentine Mott."

" Biographical Sketches of Distin- guished Living New York Surgeons," 1866.

" Biographical Sketches of Distin- guished Living New York Physicians," 1867.

"Curious Facts Concerning Man and Nature," 1874, and with additions in 1875.

"Invention of Transparent Treat- ment."

He also patented twelve inventions including a gynecological examining table and a device for heating and venti- lating railroad cars.

Obituary. Newport Daily News, 1886,

March, 26.

Am. Phrenol. Jour., N. Y„ 1857, vol. xxvi.

Med. Rec., N. Y., 1886, vol. xxix.

TV. Rhode Island M. Soc, 1SS6, Providence,

1887, vol. iii.

Francis, John Wakefield (17S9-1861).

John Wakefield Francis, medical edi- tor and writer, had for father a German immigrant who kept a grocer's shop in New York where John was born on No- vember 17, 1789.

First a printer's apprentice, he after- wards went to Columbia University and graduated thence in 1809 and from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, in 1811, between these years study- ing under Hosack and becoming his part- ner on graduating.

One year before this Hosack started "The Medical and Philosophical Regis- ter." Up to 1812 it appeared anony- mously, but thereafter with the co-edi- toria] names of Hosack and Francis, the latter able to sign himself professor of the institutes of medicine and materia hum lien