Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/990

NAME REESE 968 REEVE he passed his bachelor Hfe, always ready to welcome any visitor and interest him with anecdotes, of which he had a large fund. The date of his death is not given. The Med. Profess, in Upper Canada. Wm. Can- niff, M. D. Toronto, 1894. Reese, David Meredith (1800-1861). David Alcredith Reese was a voluminous writer on medical topics and also on politics and religion, and he was an accomplished public speaker. He was born in Philadelphia, in the year 1800, and graduated in medicine at the University of Maryland, March 26, 1819, his inaugural thesis being entitled "De Mania Religiosa." Settling in practice in Bal- timore, he survived an epidemic of "fever" which devastated the city, the first year of his practice. Then he used the epidemic as the title of his second literary venture, which appeared as a duodecimo pamphlet in 1819. Subsequently, he was appointed professor of the institutes of medicine and surgery in Washington University, Baltimore, and he held professorial chairs in the Albany Medical Col- lege, New York State, and in Castleton Mediv- cal College, Vermont. When he settled in New York City about the year 1834, he ob- tained the appointment of resident physician to Bellevue Hospital, and held it until 1849, when the office was abolished. In- the year 1830 Dr. Reese brought out a new edition of Coop- er's Surgical Dictionary," his most important literary undertaking, being the fifth and sixth London editions revised. He acted as editor of the seventh edition also, published by the Harpers in 1848. On retiring from his hospital position, Dr. Reese engaged in private practice and soon began the publication of a weekly medical journal, the American Medical Gazette, which was shortly changed to a monthly and sur- vived for many years. Of the many papers he published, there are twelve titles in the Surgeon General's Catalogue, the most useful being his reports on medical education and other subjects for the American Medical .^sso- %ciation. He was a ready and fluent speaker, a good debater and familiar with parliamentary rules. As a writer, he wielded a vigorous pen and was something of a controversialist. One obituary of him says he was not too happy in his choice of subjects or in the manner of treating them. He wrote "Treatise on Epi- demic Cholera," 1833; "Quakerism versus Christianity," being a reply to S. H. Cox's "Quakerism not Christianity," New York, 1834; "Phrenology known by its Fruits," 1838; "A Brief Review of the First Annual Report of the Atrierican Anti-Slavery Society," 1834; Editor of Chambers' Educational Course, 12 volumes. He died of heart disease at New York City, May 13, 1861. Amer. Med. Times, New York, 1861, vol. ii, p. 326. Diet. Amer. Biog. F. S. Drake. 1872. Med. Annals of Maryland. Cordcll, 1903. Reese, John James (1818-1892). John James Reese, medico-legal expert, was born in Philadelphia, June 16, 1818. He took both his liberal and medical degrees from the University of Pennsylvania; A. B.. 1836; A. M. and M. D., 1839. Settling in Philadel- phia, he soon had an excellent practice. In 1861 he entered the Federal Army as volunteer surgeon, and in this capacity was placed at the head of the Christian Street Hos- pital, in Philadelphia. He was several years physician at St. Jo- seph's Hospital, and at the Gynecological Hos- pital and Infirmary for Diseases of Children. He was a fellow of the College of Physicians, Philadelphia, and honorary member of the New York Medico-legal Society. Dr. Iveese was editor of the seventh Aineri- can edition of A. S. Taylor's "Medical Juris- prudence." He also wrote well and much on his own account on topics connected with toxi- cology and legal medicine. In particular, his text-book entitled "Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology," went through some seven editions and did much to brighten the luster of his name. This work, small but compact, con- tained the kernel of toxicology and forensic medicine as it existed in his time. Dr. Reese was a tall, slim man, of dark complexion, with very black hair and eyes. His manner was quick and animated, and he was very copious and pleasant of speech. He was possessed of a magnetic presence, and his lectures always fell upon attentive ears. He was a member of the Protestant Episcopal church. He died at Atlantic City, New Jersey, Sep- tember 4, 1892. Thomas H.a.ll Shastid. Jour, of the Amer. Med. Assoc. October 29, 1892, .mcrican Universities and Their Sons, 1902, vol. i. Private Sources. Reeve, James Theodore (!834-1906>. He was born of American parentage near Goshen, Orange County, New York, April 26, 1834, and was educated in the common schools, afterwards studying medicine at Ann Arbor, Michigan, Castleton Medical College, and Jef- ferson Medical College, receiving his M. D. from Castleton in 1854, and from Jefiferson in