CALVIN ELLIS. 493 



associate's grandparents educated their youngest son for college. Dur- 

 ing the last two generations, this taste for mental culture has steadily 

 grown. From the family have come some of the most eminent of our 

 clergymen, lawyers, merchants, and men and women of intellect and 

 character. Our associate, I believe, is the only physician who has as 

 yet prominently appeared. Down through the race has also come 

 free religious thought ; alike removed from a superstition which cramps 

 the mind and a science which would ignore the religious instincts of 

 mankind. 



Thus we see that our associate received amply, as a part of his 

 hereditary constitution, three of the most precious of human qualities ; 

 namely, a belief in work, a genuine love of letters, and a religious dis- 

 position. These fine traits contributed much to the moulding of the 

 character of Dr. Ellis, and to his career in life. 



In his homestead he was most fortunate. The parents and children, 

 loving and respecting one another, grew up together in peace. At 

 the Chauncy Hall School, in Boston, he was fitted for Harvard 

 University, and he entered there in 1842, He received "a part" 

 at Commencement, which, at his especial request, was not spoken in 

 public. Like many others, he had spent much time in sports, manly 

 indeed, but not exactly tending to literary culture. He was an earnest 

 member of the first Harvard Boat Club that rowed upon the Charles 

 River. 



Dr. Ellis used to say that, during his college life, he " played " ; and 

 that " he first awoke to the full meaniufj of life when he beo-an the 

 study of medicine." In 184G he entered the Harvard Medical School. 

 His career at that School won the entire respect of his teachers. In 

 1849 he became resident i:)upil at the Massachusetts General Hospi- 

 tal. While there he was found to be one of those reliable yoimg men 

 whose superiors were sure that any order given would be promptly 

 and implicitly obeyed. Respectful he was to his elders, yet self- 

 respecting all felt him to be. Of a cheerful, sunny nature, his man- 

 ners to all — physicians and patients, rich and poor — were those of 

 the true gentleman. 



After receiving the degree of M. D. in 1850, he spent two years in 

 the French and German hospitals. While there, he devoted himself 

 much to clinical medicine, morbid anatomy, and pathology. This was 

 of great advantage to him in his subsequent career as a medical practi- 

 tioner in Boston and as Professor at the Medical School. After his 

 return to Boston he was soon selected as assistant to Dr. J. B. S. 

 Jackson, the eminent pathologist of that day, and one of our Fellows. 



