Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/240

NAME CHOVET 218 CHOVET As he drained and disinfected gutters and low places and burnt tons and tons of tar and emptied barrels and barrels of carbolic acid in the gutters, he may have done some good in destroying the real carriers of infection. He married first, in October, 1857, Selinia, daughter of Daniel Roberts of Guernsey, Eng- land, and after her death, in 1862, Amelia, daughter of Dr. James Metcalfe of Adams County, Mississippi. In 1853 he published notes on "Syphilis," translated from lectures by Ricord ; and among his numerous articles two were of special interest : "Ligation of the Brachial Artery," 1854, and "Removal of Uterus and Ovary," 1866. His energetic and positive nature made him some enemies, but his whole-souled love of the people and state caused the entire South to mourn on May 2, 1880, when he died of acute pneumonia. Louis C. Boisliniere. New Orl. Med. & Surg. Jour., 1879-80, n. s., vol. vii. Ckovet, Abraham (1704-1790) Of the early life and education of Abraham Chovet nothing is known. On the back of the frame of a miniature in the possession of the Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, there is scratched "Born May 25, 1704." Who his parents were, where he was born and his nationality is not known. It is stated by Ruschenberger that the name "is not French but an English patronymic; one of a class of two syllable names ending in et, or ett, as Cobbet, Collet, Levet. Norris says he was a native of England. Chastellux gives England as his native country and further states that, "after studying medicine and surgery there, he went to France to improve himself under M. Winslow." Some years since the author of this sketch had an extensive correspondence with the late Sidney Young, F. S. A., Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Barbers of London, and author of "The Annals of the Barber- Surgeons of London" in regard to Abraham Chovet and from this correspondence and the above mentioned "Annals" the following facts were gleaned in regard to his early history and life in England. February 5, 1734, Abraham Chovet (sur- geon), who had been bound to Peter Gon- goure le Marque, a Foreign Brother of the Compariy of Barber-Surgeons, was examined for admittance and passing the examination was sworn a foreign brother of the company. On August 6, 1734, he took up his freedom of the company and after being sworn, took the livery and clothing of the organization. On August 15, 1734, he was chosen a demonstrator of anatomy. It is to be noted that the term "foreign" used above does not mean a foreigner or alien in the modern acceptance of the word, but a surgeon who practised within the jurisdiction of the Company of Barber-Surgeons of Lon- don and was not "free" of the company by patrimony, servitude or redemption. In one of the letters received from Sidney Young he suggests that when Chovet on the 6th of August, 1734, "came into our Guild and took up his 'freedom' by redemption and then the higher grade of the livery," he probably did so "with the knowledge that on the 15th of the same month he was to be chosen demon- strator of anatomy and it was considered de- sirable that such an important office should be held by a liveryman and not by a mere 'F. B.' " At this time Chovet was thirty years of age, but from the date of his birth until February 5, 1734, nothing can be learned in regard to him. That he must have given lectures on anatomy somewhere previous to his appoint- ment in the Company of Barber-Surgeons is shown by his having issued in 1732, at Lon- don, "A Syllabus or Index of all the Parts that enter the Composition of the Human Body." In this he describes models which he has made of wax and natural and artificial preparations sufficient to give a complete course in anatomy; he also was familiar with the method of making corrosion preparations. He had the true anatomical spirit and he re- tained it during his entire life. Not only was Chovet an anatomist, but it is quite probable that he was a surgeon of con- siderable eminence during his residence in London, for he resided in Leicester Square, at that time the fashionable locality for sur- geons with a large practice. This square was later noted as being the residence of another anatomist and surgeon, John Hunter. In 1736, Chovet resigned his position in the Company of Barber-Surgeons; his name ap- pears in the list of Uverymen for 1740, but not afterwards. Sidney Young in one of his letters said, "This is presumptive evidence that he was dead before the list for the year 1741 was made up." Such, however, was not the case. Just why Chovet resigned as demonstrator in the Company of the Barber-Surgeons and later left London is unknown. In his letter to the company resigning his position he men- tions "his other business !" As he remained in London some four more years it may refer to his extensive surgical practice. S. Weir