Ruschenberger.] l\Jrk |Nov. 6, 



A Sketch of the Life of Robert E. Rogers, M.D., LL.D., 

 with Biographical Notices of his Father and Brothers. By 

 W. S. W. Ruschenberger, M.D. 



(Read before the American Philosophical Society, November 6, 18S5.) 



The life of Dr. Robert E. Rogers was interwoven in many- 

 ways with the lives of his brothers. All were able university 

 professors. They labored jointly as well as separately to increase 

 and diffuse knowledge. On this account they were more or less 

 distinguished. All were members of the American Philosophical 

 Society. All are dead. No obituary minute of either has been 

 recorded in its archives.* Therefore it seems proper to group 

 together sketches of the four brothers in such manner as may 

 give to each, if possible, his characteristic features. 



Each followed his routine course ; but often they engaged jointly 

 in one investigation, so that the public sometimes confounded 

 their labors and gave credit to one which truly belonged to 

 another. Their works were frequently mentioned at home and 

 abroad as of " the brothers Rogers," and always in respectful 

 and kindly terms. Mistakes of the sort never disturbed the 

 perfect harmony that always existed between them, as they might 

 have done had the brothers been rivals or competitors for repu- 

 tation. Their days of boyhood were passed together in delight- 

 ful companionship with their father, whom they regarded with 

 profound respect. Their tastes and pursuits were similar. Their 

 home-training taught them to love one another, so they went 

 through life practising, unconsciously, no doubt, the affectionate 

 ways which they had inherited and learned from their mother, a 

 sensible woman of a gentle and loving nature. 



From their earliest youth the brothers were ardent students, 

 and learned to concentrate their energies to do in the best man- 

 ner possible whatever they undertook. To them the axiom that 

 whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well, was an in- 

 flexible law. From the start they knew that their worldly suc- 

 cess was contingent upon the quality of their work. They could 

 look to no valuable bequest. None of their near kinsmen was 



* Dr. Joesph Carson presented to the library of the Society a printed copy of 

 a memoir, written by him, of the late James 15. Rogers, M.D., and was excused 

 from his appoint incut to prepare an obituary notice of Dr. Rogers for the So- 

 ciety; — See Proceedings Am. Phil. Hoc. Dec. Ill, 1856, vol. vi,p. — S. 



