Botanical Gazette. 



Vol. VIII. FEBRUARY, 1883. No. 2. 



Some North American Botanists. 

 II. John Torrey. 1 



John Torrey was born in New York City, Aug. 15, 1796. His 

 father, originally from New England, was a Captain in the Conti- 

 nental army and was among those who entered the city upon its 

 evacuation by the British forces. 



Of the boyhood of Dr. Torrey we know but little; he attend- 

 ed the public schools and was for a year at a school in Boston. 



When a mere boy, while upon a visit in the country (the up- 

 per part of Manhattan Island was then " the country,") he saw 

 two young men pass along the road, all travel-stained and laden 

 with strange parcels. The unusual appearance of these young 

 men prompted him to inquire about them, and he was told that 

 they were " the Le Conte boy" and another whose name is forgot- 

 ten, and that they were "botanists." Young Torrey for the first 

 time saw a botanist, and he looked upon him as a curiosity, little 

 thinking that he himself would in time be a chief among bota- 

 nists. The ■ lie Conte boy" afterwards became the celebrated Ma- 

 jor Le Conte, who contributed largely to botany and other sciences. 



While still a youth it was Dr. Torrey's fortune to be brought 

 into relations with Amos Eaton, who was the great instructor in 

 popular science of his day, and it was through his teachings that 

 he first learned the rudiments of botany. 



Up to the time he became a medical student we know but lit- 

 tle of his career. He had a marked natural talent for practical 

 mechanics, and at one time seriously entertained the idea of be- 

 coming a machinist. He ultimately chose the medical profession 

 and entered the office of Dr. Wright Post, the eminent physician 

 and surgeon of his dav. 



Either during his apprenticeship, as it was then called, or af- 

 ter he entered the college of Physicians and Surgeons, he was an 

 interested attendant upon the botanical lectures of the eminent 

 Dr. Hosack, at the Elgin Botanical Garden. At that time young 

 Torrey was an industrious collector and often carried to Dr. Hosack 

 the fruits of his herborizations. 



As a medical student Dr. Torrey must have devoted much 



'An abridgement of a biographical sketch by Dr. George Thurber, 

 prepared by the Editor of the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 



