Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/383

 BOWDITCH.

BOWDITCH.

and in 1832 went to Paris, where he studied under Louis, receiving his M.D. degree in 1833. He became an abolitionist in 1835, and was chief instigator of the "Anti-man-hunting league." He was connected with the Massachusetts gen- eral hospital from 1838 to 1845 as admitting phy- sician, and from 1846 to 1864 as visiting physician. In 1863 he was first visiting physician at the Carney hospital, and later at the Boston city and the New England hospitals. He was teacher of auscultation and percussion in the Boylston medi- cal school from 1852 to 1855. From 1859 to 1867 he was professor of clinical medicine in the Har- vard medical school, and in 1876 was elected pres- ident of the American medical association. In 1848 he was elected a fellow of the American academy of arts and sciences and contributed to its proceedings: "On the Lymnaea " (1848); " On the Results of Investigations as to the Preservation of the Teeth" (1849), and "On Pulmonary Consumption" (1870). He was in- strumental in creating the Massachusetts state board of health, the first in America, and on its formation, in 1869, he was made president, hold- ing the position imtil 1879. He was a member of the principal medical and scientific societies in the United States. A complete list of his works may be found in a biographical sketch of Henry Ingersoll Bowditch, by C. F. Folsom, in the Pro- ceedings of the American academy of arts and sciences, vol. xxviii. He died Jan. 14, 1892.

BOWDITCH, Henry Pickering, physician, was born in Boston, Mass., April 4, 1840; son of Jonathan Ingersoll and Lucy Orne (Nichols) Bowditch, and grandson of Nathaniel Bowditch. In 1861 he was graduated from Harvard college, and entered the United States army with the rank of 2d lieutenant in the 1st Mass. cavalry. In January, 1862, he was sent to Port Royal, S. C, on picket and scouting duty ; was promoted 1st lieutenant June 28, 1862, and captain May 13, 1863. In November, 1863, he was wounded at New Hope church, and was discharged for disability the following February. He again entered the army March 26, 1864, with the rank of najor in the 5th Mass. cavalry, and fought until the close of the war, resigning June 3, 1865. He resumed his studies, first at the Lawrence scientific school and later at Harvard medical school, taking his degree in 1868. He then went to Europe for study and travel, returning in 1871 to become assistant professor of phj-siology at Harvard medical school, being made full pro- fessor in 1876, and dean of the faculty in 1883. He was elected a member of the American acad- emy of arts and sciences, and of the National academy of sciences. He wrote many able medi- cal papers and is the author of " The Growth of Children" (1877); "Hints for Teachers of

Physiology " (1889) ; " Is Harvard a University ?" (1890); "Are Composite Photographs Typical Pictures?" (1894), and " The Advancement of Medicine by Research " (1896).

BOWDITCH, Nathaniel, mathematician, was born at Salem, Mass., March 26, 1773; son of Habakkuk and Mary (Ingersoll) Bowditch. His first American ancestor, William Bowditch, emi- grated from Exeter, England, and settled in Salem in 1639, where his only son, William, was collector of the port, who also left a son, William, a shipmaster, whose son, Ebenezer, followed the same occupation. Ebenezer was the father of Habakkuk, who became a shipmaster and cooper. Nathaniel Bowditch at the age of ten was taken into his father's cooper shop. Two years later he was apprenticed to a ship chandler. Without an instructor he became proficient in mathe- matics, acquired some knowledge of navigation and surveying, and studied Latin in order to read Newton's " Principia. " In 1795 he went to sea as a clerk. In 1796, '98, and '99 he sailed as supercargo, and in 1802-'03 he made his fifth and last voyage as master and supercargo. Every spare moment was devoted to studj^, and, beside perfecting himself in the French, Italian, Portu- guese and Spanish languages, he advanced in mathematics. On May 28, 1799, he was chosen a member of the American academy of arts and sciences, and in May, 1829, he was elected presi- dent of the academy, as successor to John Quincy Adams. In 1804 he was rhade president of the Essex fire and marine company, which position he held until he removed to Boston in 1823. During 1805, "06, and '07 he was engaged in mak- ing a survey of Salem, Marblehead, Beverly, and Manchester. In 1806 he was elected Hollis professor of mathematics in Harvard college, which he declined. In 1818 he declined the chair of mathematics in the University of Virginia, and in 1820 the chair of mathematics at West Point. In 1823 he removed to Boston, where he became actuary of the Massachusetts hospital life insurance company, with a salary of five thousand dollars per annum. Mr. Bowditch was a member of the Edinburgh royal society, the Royal society of London, the Royal Irish society, the Royal astronomical society of London, the Royal society of Palermo, the British association, and the Royal academy of Berlin, as well as of the chief scientific societies of America. In July, 1802, he received the honorary degree of A.M., and in 1816 that of LL.D., from Harvard college. From 1826 to 1833 he was trustee of the Boston athenaeum. Between 1814 and 1817 he translated four volumes of La Place's " Celestial Mechanics," the original manuscript copies of which were placed in the Boston public Ubrary, together with a bust of the translator, and the