SAMUEL KNEELAND. t39 



persons who have a decidedly handsomer and more impressive aspect 

 at sixty than at twenty. As I met him in recent years, I never 

 thought, ' How 1 wish I could make you young again ! ' He had 

 matured without losing the vivacity or the energy of youth. Indeed, 

 from his love of nature and his researches into things of lofty import 

 there had come a charm and an elevation into his face which led me 

 to rejoice that there was such a classmate so near at hand, and caused 

 me. to deplore his sudden death." 



I have given these extracts from the letters so kindly furnished me 

 because they show us Dr. Kueeland during his early manhood, and 

 foreshadow so plainly what those who knew him well in his later years 

 found him to be. After graduating from Harvard College, in 1840, 

 he studied medicine under Doctors D. H. Storer, O. W. Holmes, Jacob 

 Bigelow, and Edward Reynolds, and at the Medical School, then 

 situated in Mason Street, from which he graduated in 1^43. From 

 1843 to 1845 he studied medicine and surgery in Paris. Returning 

 home after fourteen years of continuous study since his entrance into 

 the Latin School, we may suppose him particularly well prepared to 

 enter upon the practice of his profession, which he continued in Boston 

 till failing health in the early part of 1848 led him to make a voyage 

 to Brazil. After an absence of about six months, he returned in 

 good health, was married, and resumed the practice of his profession. 

 But a love of the study of natural history and a desire to travel led 

 him to relinquish the practice of his profession. He soon found conge- 

 nial employment as the Secretary of the Boston Society of Natural 

 History, a post which he filled with dignity and ability for five years. 

 In 18o6 he went to Portage Lake, the copper district of Lake Su- 

 perior, as physician and surgeon to several copper mining compan 

 where he remained one year. On his return he accepted the position 

 of contributor to Appleton's New American Cyclopaedia, then in 

 course of publication. The medical and zoological articles were as- 

 signed to him, of which he prepared over one thousand, beginning 

 with Volume III. 



For two years he served as Secretary of the American Academy of 

 Arts and Stiences. He took an active part in those measures which 

 finally led to the grant by the State of the land on which the build- 

 ings of the Society of Natural History and Institute of Technology 

 now stand. 



In 18G1 he entered the service of the United States government 

 surgeon, and served until February, I860, when lie w&a mustered out 

 with the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel of Volunteers. 



