Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/364

NAME DUHRING 342 DUNGLISON being elected to honorary or associate mem- bership in their special societies, among which may be mentioned those of London (Willan Society), France, Berlin, Vienna, Italy and others. Unfortunately, about 1885, he had what ap- peared to be a nervous breakdown, and was obhged to withdraw more or less from con- tinuous work. By 1890 he felt that he had sufficiently improved to warrant a full resump- tion of his office and University duties. His health was never regained, however, he being obliged to make short breaks occasionally and exceptionally to take somewhat long periods of rest. In spite of being thus hampered, how- ever, he began to satisfy the great ambition of later life — the writing and completion of another book, entitled "Cutaneous Medicine"; this to be issued in about eight parts, to be almost cyclopedic in character, and to be based upon his collected material and observa- tions of years. The iirst part was published in 1895, the second part following in 1898; the manuscript and illustrations of the third part, when just about ready for publication, were accidentally destroyed by fire. Owing to this misfortune and to his gradually failing health, this work was finally reluctantly abandoned. In 1910, he resigned his professorship in the University of Pennsylvania and was immediate- ly made professor emeritus, and also honor- ary curator of the Dcrmatological Museum in that institution ; and later, in June, 1912, the University conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. These additional honors were to be enjoyed but a short time, for in March, 1913, he was again taken ill and in two months — May 8— died; his death being directly or indirectly due to an unsuspected constricting band of the ileum, which had ap- parently been of long duration and of slowly increasing tension, a condition which had prob- ably been more or less responsible for his long- continued impaired health. Dr. Duhring was unmarried and was the last of his immediate family, with but few collateral relatives living; about two-thirds of his rather considerable estate ($1,250,000) he generously bequeathed to his Alma Mater, the University of Pennsyl- vania, and about one-sixth to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. As a teacher. Dr. Duhring was highly re- garded and his lectures and clinics were al- ways listened to with attention and respect; here, as also in society discussions, his remarks were succinct, lucid in character, brief and to the point ; he was, as all his papers and other publications show, a talented and polished writer, accurate and logical, and gifted with strikingly clear descriptive powers ; all his literary work was written by his own hand, without a stenographer or typewriter or other help. As a practitioner, his modest and digni- fied demeanor, his unfailing courtesy, serenity and quiet self-confidence, commanded the full faith and often affectionate respect and regard of his patients. Personally, Dr. Duhring was of a somewhat reserved disposition, wrapped up in liis work, and he lived, especially after his sister's death in 1892, a somewhat secluded life, having practically no real intimates or con- fidants, and he was not fond of mixing with crowds ; yet being cheerful and contented, and with those whom he knew at all well, always a welcome and interesting guest and entertain- ing companion. Although mild, of unassum- ing modesty and nou-combativeness, he had the courage of his convictions and was always well able to sustain his views and opinions. He had a high conception of the duties and obliga- tions of life, and lived up to it; never an ostentatious churchman, but nevertheless he had sincere religious beliefs, and was a follower of the Protestant (Episcopal) faith. Henrv W. Stelw.goi. Dunglison, Robley (1798-1869). It happened that when Thomas Jefferson was organizing the University of Virginia in 1824, failing to find a man for the chair of anatomy, physiology, materia medica and phar- macy, he wrote to London to a learned young man only 26, but one who had already written a "Treatise on Children's Diseases," and was editing the London Medical Repository and Medical Intelligencer, to come to Virginia. This man, Robley Dunglison, born at Keswick, England, January 4, 1798, was destined for a merchant, but fortunately a rich uncle, one Joseph Robley, died and left him enough to become a physician. So when seventeen, after a good education he began to study medicine under a village physician before attending courses in Edinburgh, Paris and London, tak- ing his surgical degree at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, 1819, and his medical at Erlangen in 1823. In 1825 Yale conferred on him her LL. D. The ship bearing Dunglison with his young wife and children was three months cross- ing from Liverpool, giving plenty of time for reflection on the step taken — a wise step, for he stayed as professor for nine. years at the University of Virginia, going afterwards as professor of materia medica and medica! jurisprudence to the University of Maryland.