Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/915

NAME PARVIN 893 PARVIN and wrote one called "The Avenger of Blood," based upon a story which he heard while on board the Guerricre. He studied the Bible, at times, and thought that the Old Testament was our noblest literature. Dr. Parsons was prolific in medical writ- ings, carrying off the Boylston prize four times and the Fiske prize once. His subjects were: "Periostitis;" "Cancer of the Breast;" "Cu- taneous Diseases;" "Enuresis," and "Spinal Diseases." His excellent book, "Physician for Ships," went through five editions of two thousand each. Others of his papers bear such titles as "Gunshot Wounds Through the Thorax ;" "Introduction of Medicine into the Veins ;" "Anatomical Preparations," and "Re- moval of the Uterus." His style was as clear and forcible in his writings as in his spoken discourses. He was the founder of the Providence Medical Society, often its president, and in that position suggested the foundation of the Providence City Hospital. Taking him all in all it would be diflScult to find a man of greater merit in American medicine, for he gave of his entire mind for over fifty years to the advance of medical science. October 18, 1868, he exhibited the first symptoms of his ap- proaching end and died easily at the last, De- cember 19, 1868. The postmortem revealed cerebral degeneration and acute inflammation of the cerebellum. Portraits of Dr. Usher Parsons show a genial, handsome man with overhanging brows, deep set eyes, but a win- ning smile. J.-MES A. Sp-^ldixg. Memoir of Usher Parsons by his son, Dr. Charles V. Parsons. Providence, Rhode Island, 1S70. Spalding Family Letters. Parvin, Theophilus (1829-1899) Theophilus Parvin, son of Rev. Theophilus Parvin, a Presbyterian missionarj^ was born in Buenos A}'res, January 9, 1829. Dr. Par- vin's mother, born in Philadelphia, was a daughter of Caesar Augustus Rodney, who was attorney-general of the United States in the cabinets of Jefferson and Madison, and after- wards minister to the Argentine Republic. Mrs. Parvin's father was a nephew of Caesar Rodney, one of the signers of the Declara- tion of Independence. Dr. Parvin graduated at the State University of Indiana in 1847 and taught in the Law- renceville. New Jersey, High School until 18S0. He graduated from the Medical Depart- ment of the University of Pennsjdvania in 1852 and became resident physician at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. Soon after this he settled in Indianapolis and later still be- came surgeon on a line of sailing vessels be- tween Philadelphia and Liverpool. He was elected professor of materia medica in the Medical College of Ohio in 1864, resigning in 1869, and accepting the chair of obstetrics and medical and surgical diseases of women in the University of Louisville, Kentucky. In 1876 he was elected professor of obstetrics and dis- eases of women and children in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Indianapolis, and in 1878 he became professor of obstetrics and medical and surgical diseases of women and children in the Medical College of Indi- ana. In 1882 he was recalled to the chair in the University of Louisville previously held by him and in 1883 accepted the chair of ob- stetrics and diseases of women and children in Jeft'erson Medical College, Philadelphia. Dr. Parvin received the degree of LL.D. from Lafa3'ette College in 1872. For several years he was obstetrician to the Philadelphia Hospital. He was co-editor of the Cincinnati Journal of ilcdicinc in 1866-67; editor of the JVcstciit Journal of Medicine, Indianapolis, in 1867-69; and co-editor of the American Prac- titioner, Louisville, from 1869 to 1883. The text-book written by him, "The Science and Art of Obstetrics," passed through three editions, and was adopted as a text-book by several colleges. It was his principal work. Dr. Parvin translated Winckel's "Diseases of Women" and wrote an article on "Injuries and Diseases of the Female Sexual Organs" for Ashurst's Encyclopedia of Surgery. He contributed to the "American Text-book of Obstetrics" and to the "American Text-book of Applied Therapeutics." He was at various times president of the State Medical Society of Indiana, of the American Journalists Asso- ciation, of the American Medical Association, of the American Academy of Medicine, of the Philadelphia Obstetrical Society, and of the American Gynecological Society. He was an honorary member of the Washington Obstet- rical and Gynecological Society; of the State Medical Society of Virginia; and of the Dela- ware State Aledical Society. He was an hon- orary president of the Obstetrical Section of the International Medical Congress at Berlin in 1890; and of the International Medical Congress in Brussels in 1892. He was hon- orary fellow of the Edinburgh Obstetrical Society and of the Berlin Society of Obstet- ricians and Gynecologists, a fellow of the Col- lege of Physicians,. Philadelphia. He was a member of the American Philosophical So- ciety, and of the Sons of the Revolution.