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 BECK BECKER 439 Hia first poems appeared in 1838 and 1839, and his reputation was established hy his novel in verse, Janko, der ungarisclie Eosshirt (Leipsic, 1842). Among his principal succeeding works are: Lieder vom armen Mann (Berlin, 1846); Aus der Helrnath (Dresden, 1852); Mater Dolo- rosa (Berlin, 1853) ; Jadwiga (Leipsic, 18C3) ; and Elegieen (Vienna, 1869). He wrote a drama entitled Saul (Leipsic, 1841), not adapted for the stage. Many of his works, especially Janko, are remarkable for their delineation of Hungarian characteristics. A collection of his poems (Gesammelte Gedichte, Berlin, 1844) has passed through many editions. BECK. I. Tbeodorie Romeyn, an American physician, born in Schenectady, N. Y., Aug. 11, 1791, died in Utica, N. Y., Nov.- 19, 1855. He was a graduate of Union college (1807), began his medical career in Albany, prepared in 1813 a systematic report on American minerals, be- came in 1815 professor of the institutes of med- icine and lecturer on medical jurisprudence in the college of physicians and surgeons of western New York, and was principal of the Albany academy from 1 81 7 to 1 848. In addition he was professor in the Fairfield medical college, 1826-'40, and in the Albany medical college, 1840-'54. He was president of the New York State medical society in 1829, founder and for some time president of the Albany institute, and one of the managers of the New York state lunatic asylum from the time of its foundation, and its president in 1854. His statistical pub- lications relating to the deaf and dumb had a powerful effect in influencing the state legisla- ture to provide for their education. He edited the " American Journal of Insanity " (1 849-'53), wrote extensively for scientific periodicals, and published with his brother a celebrated work on the " Elements of Medical Jurisprudence " (1823 ; 7th ed., with notes by Dr. Dunlap and Dr. Darwell, London, 1842 ; 10th ed., 2 vols., Albany, 1850). II. John Brodbead, an Ameri- can physician, brother of the preceding, born in Schenectady, Sept. 18, 1794, died in Rhine- beck, N. Y., April 9, 1851. He was a graduate of Columbia college (1813), practised in New York, and was in 1822 one of the founders and for seven years the chief editor of the " New York Medical and Surgical Journal." In 1826 he became professor of materia medica and bot- any in the college of physicians and surgeons, and afterward exchanged the chair of botany for that of medical jurisprudence, which, together with that of materia medica, he filled till his death. He cooperated with his brother in his "Elements of Medical Jurisprudence," and published "Medical Essays" (1843), "Infant Therapeutics" (1849), and "Historical Sketch of the State of Medicine in the Colonies" (1850). III. Lewis C., an American naturalist, brother of the preceding, born in Schenectady, N. Y., Oct. 4, 1798, died in Albany, April 21, 1853. He was a graduate of Union college (1817), and professor successively of botany in the Rensselaer institute at Troy (1824-'9), of botany and chemistry in the Vermont academy of medicine, of chemistry and natural history in Rutgers college, and of chemistry in the Albany medical college. In 1837 he was ap- pointed mineralogist in the geological survey of New York. He published works on botany, chemistry, adulterations, the " Mineralogy of New York" (4to, 1842), &c. BECKER, a N. W. county of Minnesota ; area, 1,400 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 308. The Red river of the North has its source in Elbow lake, in the N. E. part of the county. Detroit lake, in the S. W. part, empties into the Red river, and White Earth lake, in the N. part, into Wild Rice river. Buffalo river, also a branch of the Red, drams the W. part, while the S. E. corner is watered by affluents of the Crow Wing river. BECKER. I. (.oil fried Wilbelm, a German phy- sician and writer, born in Leipsic, Feb. 22, 1778, died there, Jan. 17, 1854. He translated some of Cooper's novels, and Le mie prigioni of Silvio Pellico. By his literary labors he ac- cumulated $40,000, to which bis son Karl Ferdi- nand added a house of the value of $7,000, ap- propriating the whole amount to the establish- ment of an educational and charitable institu- tion for the blind at Leipsic. II. Karl Ferdinand, a German musician, son of the preceding, born in Leipsic, July 17, 1804. He studied the piano, harmony, and composition under Fried- rich Schneider, and at the age of 14 made his first public appearance as a pianist. Soon after this he turned his attention specially to the organ, and became professor of the organ and of harmony at the Leipsic conservatory. He has published several pieces for the piano, not of great value, and made important collections of chorals ; but he is better known as a writer on musical art than as either a composer or compiler. He contributed largely to musical journals, among others to the Ccecilia, edited by Gottfried Weber, the Eufonia, the Tagellatt, and the Zeitgenossen. Finally, when Robert Schumann established his New Zeitechrift fur Mmik, Becker became one of its most constant contributors. He has published Rathgeberfur Organisten (Leipsic, 1828); Systematiich-chro- nologische Dantellung der musikalischen Lite- ratur (1836) ; Die Hausmusik in Deuttchland in dem 16., 17. und 18. Jahrhundert (1840) ; an index of musical works published during the 16th and 17th centuries (Die Tonwerke des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts, 1847); Die Ton- kiimtler des 19. Jahrhunderts (1849), &c. BECKER, Karl Ferdinand, a German philolo- gist, born at Liser, near Treves, April 14, 1775, died at Offenbach, Sept. 5, 1849. Ho was ed- ucated at Hildesheim, taught there from 1794 to 1799, subsequently studied and practised medicine, and was a surgeon in the army. ' In 1823 he established a school at Offenbach. In his writings on comparative philology lie fol- lowed logical and philosophical principles, in opposition to the school of philologists who base their investigations chiefly upon historical and ethnological development. His grammars