REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 65 



tion in the public schools of that city, graduated at the Jefferson Medi- 

 cal College in 1851, and devoted himself with zeal and energy to the 

 practice of his profession. He was professor of climatology and physi- 

 ology at the Franklin Institute for eight years, and during this period 

 lectured frequently on physiological and ethnological subjects before 

 various associations in our prominent cities. 



In 1857 he accepted the chair of institutes of medicine in the Phila- 

 delphia College of Medicine ; and was, after a few years, transferred to the 

 Pennsylvania College. His lectures on physiology attracted much at- 

 tention, as no sustained systematic attempt to teach physiology experi- 

 mentally had been made before in either of the four medical schools then 

 existing in Philadelphia. In 18G8 he was elected to the Jefferson Medi- 

 cal College to succeed the late Prof. Eobley Dunglison, on the recom- 

 mendation of the highest medical authorities in this country and Eu- 

 rope. He was an active member of the leading scientific societies; con- 

 tributed numerous and valuable papers to medical and other journals. 

 He arranged and classified the extensive collection of human crania in 

 the Academy of Natural Sciences, and prepared a systematic catalogue 

 of the collection. He also devoted much time to physiological and ethno- 

 logical researches, and in all his relations in life was eminent for purity 

 of character, clearness and vigor of intellect, and ardor alike in the pur- 

 suit of knowledge and imparting instruction to others. He died in 

 Philadelphia on the 9th of November, 1879. 



NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The act of Congress of 1846, establishing the Smithsonian Institution, 

 placed under its charge, in proportion as suitable arrangements could 

 be made for their reception, all objects of natural history, mineralogy, 

 and geology, antiquities, &c, belonging to the United States. At the 

 time of tbe passage of the act the government collections consisted es- 

 sentially of the objects gathered by the celebrated exploring expedition 

 of Capt. Charles Wilkes, which even to the present time has been by 

 far the most extensive and exhaustive enterprise of its kind conducted 

 by any government. Its results would have been very much larger but 

 for the loss of one of the vessels, the " Peacock," off the mouth of the 

 Columbia River. In this were contained an immense number of articles 

 from the islands of the Pacific Ocean and from the coast of Oregon and 

 California. 



The objects brought back to Washington were placed in charge of the 

 Commissioner of Patents, and an appropriation was made regularly by 

 Congress for their maintenance and superintendence. 



In 1850 the completion of the central part of the Smithsonian build- 

 ing and the need by the Patent Office of the space in its building occupied 

 by the collections of the Wilkes' expedition, brought about an arrangement 

 S. Mis. 54 5 



