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Dr. A. B. Falser

Dr. A. B. Falser image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
December
Year
1887
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Dr. A. B. Palmer, deán of the medical departmenf, and professor of pathology and practice of medicine in the University, died at his home in Ann Arbor, Dec. 23, at 8 p. m. For about'-0 years Dr. Palmer has been a sufferer Irom enlarged prostate, and it ia only due to his rigid abstemiousnesB that he held out so long as ha did. Hia viewa on the subject of alcohol are well known, and he haa not been a user of coffee until the 'past two years. In the subj et of diet he was very strict. With an inconsistency sometimos seen in medical men, he refused till too late to use the remedies which he recommended to others in a similar difficulty. For a year or two he has been in declining health. About Dec. 9 he had 8ymptoms which showed him that he was in a critica! condition. The University has never had a more enthusiastic and devoted worker than Dr. Palmer. Hia service here extends over 34 year?, and during all that time he wa9 ever ready to lecture extra hours. In 1860, when Dr. Dentón died, he and Dr. C. L. Ford made up the deficiency for one year without extra pay. He loved to teacb, and he was a good teacher. His zeal never flagged. During vacations he often gave special courses of lectures to interest those student8 who were obliged to remain at the University. It was a general custom of his until late in life. Dr. Palmer was unumally prompt at his lectures, and 8eldom missed one. During all the 34 years of his work liere, it is eaid he forgot only one lecture, and that was at au irregular hour. " Tes," said Dr. Ford, v hen approached on the subject, " I have küown l)r. Palmer 34 years. He and I began our work here in October, 1854, I presume on the same day. If I were to name his greatest characteristic, it would be devotion to his work and to the University and students. He was conatantly planning, and filled all his hours. No man was ever more devoted nor could be more so. I have known him to arrange aome lectures on botany to intereat those students who could not go home during vacation. He was a great worker and an honest lover of the University." It ia well to mention two honors which have recently been conterred upon Dr. Palmer. Last June he was elected chairman of the section on practice of medicine in the American Medical Association, and had he lived he would have presided over that section at the meeting in Cincinnati next June. In 1886 he was made chairman of the section on pathology in the Ninth International Medical Congress, and in the great meeting in Washington last September he presided over that section, and made before the general assembly an address on pathology. THE FUNERAL. Ann Arbor seldom has witnessed a larger funeral than that given ia Dr. Palmer's honor on Tuesday. St. Andrew's church was filled by students and citizens. H. J. Brown had charge of the details and everythingpas8edoff8moothly. The pallbearers were six medical students, and the honorary bearers were President Angelí, Prof. D'Ooge, Prof. Morris, Prof. Dunster, Dr. C. L. Ford, and Prof. Walter. Drs. Herdman and Frothingham represented the physicians who had attended Dr. Palmer in his sickneas. Dr. Henry F. Lyster of Detroit and Dr. A. F. Whelan of Hillsdale were in attendance. Bishop Harris oí Detroit, Rev. Samuel Earp of St. Andrew's church, and Rev. Wüliam GUlpin of Hobart hall, conduoted the very beautiful and impressive Episcopal funeral service in St. Andrew's church. Preliminary to this, short exercises were held at the house. The bereaved widow, escorted by Prof. II. S. Frieze, and followed by the distinguished f riends and coworkers of the deceased, proceeded to the church. The Episcopal choir, assisted by D. C. Fal!, sang their part in the service very efifectively, also " Rock of Ages" and "Jesus, Lover of my Soul." The church was yet in its holiday Christmas attire of evergreens and flowers, but it only added to the subdued and impressive effect of the service. The large audience waited outside till the remains were brought and rested in the vestibule of the church, where, as they passed in, the people were given an opportunity to take their last look at the face of the old teacher. The remainj were then borne to the front, preceded by the three robed priests in solemn funeral maren and to fitting music. Rev. William Galpin and the choir gave responsively the openiog portion of the service ; Rev. Samuel Earp read the scripture lesson ; and Bishop Harris conducted the remainder of the service, when the long procession took its away to Forrest Hill cemetery. At the cemetery the grave was robbed of inuch of its terror by a profusión of evergreens and flowers. The family monument was literally covered ; the earth for many feet about was hidden from sight, and as the box was lowered in the grave kind hands covered it with roses. TRIBUTES TO DR. PALMER. On Dec. 2G, the University Senate adopted a long memorial tribute to Dr. Palmer reciting the facts which are given in the biography in this number of The Register. At a meeting of the vestry of St. Andrew's church, Dec. 27, a testimonial to the character and services of Dr. Palmer was adopted and ordered spread on the records. It will app3ar in full iu Thk Registkr next week. BIOORAPIIY. Prof. Alonzo Benjamin Palmer, A. M., M. D.. LL. D., was botn in Richfield, N. Y., Oct. 6, 1816. His aneestors were amone the earlier Engl-h Puritana and Hollanders whosettled in New England and Eastern New York. His father died wheu Dr. Palmer was only nine years oíd. Dr. Palmer obtained hls education in the common schools and in the select schools of Otsego, Herkimer and Orange counties in New York. He studied medicine in the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he graduated in 1839. Afterwards he studied in Philadelphia and In Europe. Ia 1S50 he removed from Tecumseh, Mich., to Chicago. Here he was city physician in 1852 during a severe epidemie of Asiatic cholera among Immigrants from Norway, Sweden, and Germany. The cholera hospital was under his charge, and he made a valuable report on the subject of cholera. About 1,500 cases of cholera carne under his notice. Prof. Palmer in 182 was offered the chair of anatomy In the U. of M.. but did not come until 1854. Dr. C. L. Ford and he entered the UniverBlty as lecturers at the same time, in October. 1854. Dr. Palmer was next made professor of materia medica and therapeutics, and in 1869 he was ' eiren the chatr which he held to the time of his death, that of pathology and practlce of medicine He was dean of the department of medicine and surgery. Upon the opening of the Rebellion, Prof. Palmer went to the front as surgeon of the ünd Michigan Infantry, and was in Gen. Richardson's brigade at the flrst battle of Buil Run. He dressed the flrst wound inflicted by the enemy at Blaekburn Ford on July 18, 1S61. In September he returned to his lecturing, spending his vacations with our armies at the front. In 1864 he was appointed professor of pathology and practice of medicine in the Uerkshire medical college in Pittsfield, Mass., and in 1869 he was called to a similar place in the medical school at Bowdoin college, Malne. These lectures were glven during his vacations here. Many thousand persons have llstened to his lectura?. It was while in Pittsfield that he was mar ried in 1867, to the lady who now mourns his loss. Prof. Palmer's principal work is a Treatise on the 'Jcience and Practice of Medicine, in two volumes, published in 1883. It is one of the most complete works in the Euglish language. He was chlef editor for seven years of the Peninsular Journal of Medicine. He was a somewhat voluminous writer of books and pamphlets, the last of which, hisbook on cholera, was printed inl'HE Register office. In 1860 he was made vice-president of the American Medical Association, and was at one time a delégate to the British Medical Association.

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register