Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 50.djvu/49

 part of a course of obstetric lectures delivered at the North London School of Medicine. Twelve editions in all, the last in 1867, were issued. It was followed in 1839 by ‘Prostitution in London, with a Comparative View of that of Paris and New York … with an Account of the Nature and Treatment of the various Diseases, &c. Illustrated by plates.’

He died in London on 11 Dec. 1841, leaving a young family unprovided for.

Besides the works mentioned, Ryan published ‘The Medico-Chirurgical Pharmacopœia,’ 1837, 12mo, 2nd ed. 1839; and T. Denman's ‘Obstetrician's Vade-Mecum, edited and augmented,’ 1836, 12mo. He also translated and added to ‘Le Nouveau Formulaire pratique des Hôpitaux’ by Milne-Edwards and Vavasour.

Another (fl. 1800), medical writer, graduated M.D. at Edinburgh in 1784, his thesis being ‘De Raphania.’ He was a fellow of the Irish College of Surgeons, and practised for some years at Kilkenny. He afterwards gained some reputation at Edinburgh, and is described as a fellow of the Scottish Society of Antiquaries, though his name is not in the lists. In 1787 he published at Dublin ‘An Enquiry into the Nature, Causes, and Cure of Consumption of the Lungs, &c.’ This work was in the nature of a comment upon Cullen's ‘First Lines of the Practice of Physic,’ and had an appendix combating the views contained in Reid's ‘Essay on the Phthisis Pulmonalis.’ In 1793 Ryan published ‘Observations on the History and Cure of the Asthma, in which the propriety of using the cold bath in that disorder is fully considered;’ and in 1794 a treatise ‘On Peruvian Bark.’ He also contributed to the ‘London Medical and Physical Journal’ ‘Observations on the Medical Qualities of Acetate of Lead;’ ‘Remarks on the Cure of Autumnal Fever;’ ‘Observations on the Influenza of 1803;’ ‘An Account of an Epidemic at Kilkenny in 1800,’ and other articles. He appears to have joined the Royal College of Surgeons (London), and afterwards entered the colonial service. His widow died at Ranelagh, Dublin, in 1851. His son, Michael Desmond Ryan, is separately noticed (Gent. Mag. 1851, ii. 555; cf. Lit. Memoirs of Living Authors, 1798; Biogr. Dict. of Living Authors, 1814–16;, Hist. of the Royal Coll. of Surgeons in Ireland, p. 46; Cat. Roy. Med. and Chirurg. Society; Brit. Mus. Cat.)



RYAN, MICHAEL DESMOND (1816–1868), dramatic and musical critic, son of Dr. Michael Ryan (fl. 1800) [see under ], was born at Kilkenny on 3 March 1816. He was educated at Edinburgh for the medical profession, but went to London in 1836 and gradually drifted into literature. ‘Christopher among the Mountains,’ a satire upon Professor Wilson's criticism of the last canto of ‘Childe Harold,’ and a parody of the ‘Noctes Ambrosianæ’ were his first notable efforts. In 1844 he became a contributor to the ‘Musical World,’ of which he was sub-editor from 1846 to 1868. He was also connected as musical and dramatic critic with the ‘Morning Post,’ ‘Morning Chronicle,’ ‘Morning Herald,’ and other journals. In 1849 he wrote the libretto of Macfarren's ‘Charles II,’ and a spectacular opera, ‘Pietro il Grande,’ commissioned by Jullien, was produced at the Royal Italian Opera on 17 Aug. 1852. In collaboration with Frank Mori he wrote an opera, ‘Lambert Simnel,’ intended for Mr. Sims Reeves, but never produced. He wrote the words of a very large number of songs, of which may be mentioned ‘Songs of Even,’ with music by F. N. Crouch (1841), a set of twelve ‘Sacred Songs and Ballads’ by Edward Loder (1845), and a collection of ‘Songs of Ireland,’ in which, in conjunction with F. N. Crouch, he fitted old melodies with new words. He died in London on 8 Dec. 1868.



RYAN, RICHARD (1796–1849), biographer, born in 1796, was son of Richard Ryan, a bookseller in Camden Town, who died before 1830 (cf. Gent. Mag. 1830, pt. i.). Ryan seems to have followed the business of a bookseller, but found time to write several interesting books, a few plays, and some songs which were set to music by eminent composers. His plays—‘Everybody's Husband,’ a comic drama in one act; ‘Quite at Home,’ a comic entertainment in one act; and ‘Le Pauvre Jacques,’ a vaudeville in one act, from the French—are printed in J. Cumberland's ‘Acting Plays,’ 1825. Ryan died in 1849.

Besides the works mentioned, he published  ‘Eight Ballads on the Superstitions of the Irish Peasantry,’ 8vo, London, 1822.  ‘Biographia Hibernica, a Biographical Dictionary of the Worthies of Ireland, from 