Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/206

 RUSCHENBERGER

RUSH

ceutical Society of Great Britain in 1894. and an liononiry member of the Institute Meilico N;i- cional of Mexico in ISDT. He was influential in securing the esstablishment of the New York Botanical garden, and was made a member of its board of managers and one of its scientific di- rectors. He was vice-president of the Torrey Botanical club in 1903. He is the author of : Es!rk Cnllrg,' of Pharmacy (189")).

RUSCHENBERGER, William S. W., naval surgeon, was born in Curaberhmd county, N.J., Sept. 4. 1807. lie attended the schools of Phila- delpliia and New York city, and was appointed surgeon's mate in the U.S. navy, Aug. 10. 1826. He was graduated from the University of Penn- sylvania, M.D., 1830; was promoted surgeon, Aug. 4, 1831 ; was fleet surgeon in the East India squadron, 1835-37 ; was attached to the naval rendezvous at Philadelphia, 1840-4'2, and served in the naval hospital, Brooklyn, 1843-47, where he establislied the laboratory for supplying unadulter- ated drugs to the service. He was fleet surgeon of the East India squadron, 1847-.50 ; of the Pa- cific squadron, 1854-57, and of the Mediterranean squadron, 1860-61. In 1861 he was appointed surgeon of the Boston Navy yard, and served throughout the war ; was on special service in Philadelphia, 1865-70 ; was senior officer of the medical corps, 1866-69, and was retired, Sept. 4, 1869. He was commissioned medical director on the retired list, March 3, 1871 ; was president of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- delphia, 1870-82, and president of the Col- lege of Physicians of Pliiladelphia, 1879-83. He edited the American edition of Mrs. Somerville's "Physical Geography' " (1850), and is the author of : Three Years in the Pa- cific (1834); .4. Voyage Round the World, 1835- 37 (1838); Elements of Natural History (2 vols., 1850); A Lexicon of Terms used in Natural His- tory (1850); A Notice of the Origin, Progress and Present Condition of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1852); Notes and Com- mentaries During Voyages to Brazil and China, ISJfS (1854), and numerous articles on naval rank and organization, 1845-50. He died in Philadel- pliia. Pa.. March 24, 189.5.

RUSH, Benjamin, signer, was born near Po- qmssing Cre^'k, Pa., in 1741; son of John and Susan Hall (Harvey) Rush ; grandson of James and Rachel (Peart) Rush, and of Jo.seph Hall of Tacony, Pa. ; great-grandson of William Rush, who came to America in 1683, and of Bryan Peart

of Poquessing Creek : and great--grandson of John Rush, who commanded a troop of horse under Croujwell, became a Quaker at the close of the war in 1660, married Susanna Lucas, and in 168.i emigrated to Pennsylvania, settling at Byberry, near Philadelphia, where he died in May, 1699. Upon the death of his father in 1752, Benjamin Rush was left to the care of his uncle, Samuel Finley (cj. v. ), by wliom he was prepared for college in his Nottingham, Md., classical school. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1760. A.M., 1763; studied medicine under Dr. John Redman of Philadelphia, and was graduated from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, M. D., 1768. He spent a year hearing medical lectures in London and Paris, and returning to Philadelphia in 1769, was professor of chemistry in the Phila- delphia Medical college. He was a member of the provisional conference of Pennsylvania, and chairman of the committee appointed to report to congress •• that it was expedient to declare inde- pendence." He was surgeon to the Pennsylvania navy, 1775-76, and signed the Declaration of In- dependence of July 4, 1776. He was married in 1776 to Julia, daughter of Richard Stockton, and their son, Dr. William Rush (1801-04) married Elizabetii Fox, daughter of Hugh Roberts of Philadelphia county. Benjamin Rusli was ap- pointed surgeon-general of the middle depart- ment of the Continental arm}' in April, 1777, be- coming physician-general in July, 1777. He was in attendance on the army at the battles of Tren- ton, Princeton, Brandy wine and Germantown, and during the winter at Valley Forge. He re- signed his office in Februar}', 1778, and returned to Pliiladelphia, where he resumed his practice and professorship. He was surgeon to the Penn- sylvania hospital, 1784-1813 ; port physician of Philadelphia, 1790-93, and in an address to the legislature of Pennsylvania in 1786 favored the establishment of a system of free schools, one at least in every township, three colleges, one at Carlisle, one at Lancaster, and one at Philadel- phia, "the university to furnish masters for the colleges, and the colleges to f urnisli masters for the free schools." This led to the establishment of Dickinson college, char- tered in 1783, of which he was the acknowledged founder. He was also the founder of the Philadelphia dispensary, and a censor of the College of Physicians. He was a mem- ber of the state convention that ratified the constitution of the United States in 1787, and a member of the committee that formed the state constitution the same year. He was professor of the theory and practice of medi- cine at the medical department of the Univei-sitv