Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/1148

NAME TAYLOR 1126 TAYLOR in full charge of one of the largest retail drug stores in New York City. But the wish to follow a profession more in keeping with the traditions of his family, made him enter as student under Dr. Willard Parker (q. v.), and he graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in 1868, when he settled in New York City, and for the first few years devoted himself to general practice. Early in his career he became ac- quainted with Dr. Freeman J. Bumstead (q. v.), and from this association his attention was turned from general practice to the study of skin, venereal and genito-urinary diseases. In 1871, only three years after graduation, he published a paper on "Dactylitis Syphiltica" which was of such signal merit, that it at- tracted widespread attention, and at once placed him in the front rank of medical observers. In 1879. in collaboration with Dr. Bumstead, he published a notable textbook, "The Pathal- ogy and Treatment of Venereal Diseases." This book ran through many editions, the last one, rewritten by Dr. Taylor, and with the title changed to, "A Practical Treatise on Genito-urinary and Venereal Diseases," ap- peared in 1904. In 1887 he edited "A Clinical Atlas of Vene- real and Skin Diseases," and in 1899, "A Practical Treatise on Sexual Disorders of the Male and Female." In addition to these larger works. Dr. Taylor frequently contributed to medical journals, articles on venereal and dermatological sub- jects, all. of his writings being of marked value, his statements being always carefully thought out and concisely expressed. Helpful with his books, he was none the less so to all who knew him, and particularly to the young and struggling physician. During his professional life, he collected one of the most valuable libraries on syphilology and dermatology, in this country, and was a generous donor to the New York Academy of Medicine of rare books on these subjects. In 1891 he was appointed clinical professor of genito-urinary and venereal diseases, in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York ; he resigned this professorship in 1905. Prior to his connection with the College of Physicians and Surgeons, he was professor of dermatology in the Woman's Medical College of the New York Infirmary, and in the medical department of the University of ''ermont. He was one of the founders and once presi- dent of the American Dermatological Associa- tion, and one of the founders of the New York Dermatological Society, also a member of the American Association of Genilo-urinary Surgeons, the New York Academy of Medi- cine, and the Medical Society of the State and County of New York. With but little educa- tion and no money, he succeeded in reaching the topmost pinnacle of medical fame, and when he died in New York, January 4, 1908, his reputation was international. A full list of his writings is given in the Catalogue of the Surgeon-general's Office, | Washington, D. C. J. McF. WiNFIELD. Taylor, Thomas (1820-1910) Thomas Taylor, physician, botanist, expert microscopist and prolific inventor, was born in Perthshire, Scotland, April 22, 1820, the youngest of four children, the son of Thomas Taylor, an architect, and Anne Kennedy, both active in the religious life of Perth. Dr. Taylor took a scientific course at the University of Glasgow and had as a precep- tor Professor Davy, brother of Sir Hum- phrey; he also studied art and drawing at: the British School of Design, an accomphsh- ment of great use to him all through life. He had a gift for invention and in 1841 made the "first interleaved electric condenser," an improvement on the Leyden jar. He married Marjory, only daughter of Alexander Mcintosh, of Perthshire, and soon after (1851) came to the LTnited States, where he "foreshadowed the modern invention of wireless telegraphy by demonstrating that an electric current could be transmitted without wires," in experiments across the Narrows at New York. During the Civil War Taylor experimented with projectiles with commendation from Colonel J. G. Benton, chief of ordnance. He entered the service of the Department of Agriculture in 1871 where his most im- portant work was done, during a period of over twenty-six years ; he studied numerous fungus diseases of plants, investigated the cranberry rot, and was appointed microscop- ist when that office was created in the ' Department of Agriculture. His investiga- tions of food adulterations, especially of but- ter, cheese and lard were largely responsible for Congress passing the oleomargarine bill. He found acari in the intercostal muscles and the cellular tissuA of fowls ; he also discovered an imported oidium affecting the grape vines. He received a silver medal in recognition of his services from the Paris Exposition (1859). In 1882 Dr. Taylor graduated M. D. from the L^niversity of Georgetown and practised for a time. He was a founder of the Chem-