BIOGRAPHICAI, SKETCH OF DR. R. J. FAROUHARSON. 205 



Health and removed to Des Moines to enter upon its duties. It was 

 but a short time till his associates in that bureau found that a master 

 had taken charge of the work, and his advice and his plans in the task 

 before them soon came to be law in all the operations of the organiza- 

 tion. His term of service was all too short, unfortunately, but his 

 methods and his forms of deduction we hope may remain impressed 

 upon the work in its continuance, and so surely secure for the health 

 board of Iowa as high recognition among such organizations as is 

 now accorded to that of Massachusetts or any other of the older 

 States. That the work lost a masterly mind in his untimely death, 

 there is no manner of doubt. 



He was a member of the Sanitary Council of the Mississippi Valley 

 and of the American Public Health Association, in both of which or- 

 ganizations his worth as a leader in sanitary methods was fully con- 

 fessed ; and as a member of the Iowa State Medical Society he left 

 his impress on its proceedings in several important papers, an account 

 of original observations on "Leprosy in the State of Iowa" attracting 

 much attention. 



His death occurred on the 6th of September, 1884. For several 

 months prior to this time, those about him had noticed a slight failure 

 in strength gradually creeping over him. marked simply in a slight 

 stoop in his usually erect figure and a certain feebleness in his gen- 

 erally sprightly step. On the i8th of August he was attacked with 

 dysentery, and lingered, with varying hopes on the part of his friends 

 and relatives, until the date mentioned, the preexisting debility proba- 

 bly having determined the fatal issue. 



Having enjoyed for years the friendship of such a man as the sub- 

 ject of this short sketch, it seems difficult now to portray in fitting 

 terms the many beautiful traits of his character, or to fairly set forth 

 the points in daily contact with him which made such friendship so 

 highly enjoyable. The verdict of all who knew him well, as seen in 

 those early letters already mentioned, and as expressed by those who 

 knew him in his later years, is that he was always thoroughly courteous, 

 kindly, and gentlemanly; and surely no man ever laid higher claims to 

 the ancient title of gentleman than he. 



His favorite novelist was always Thackeray, and of all his characters 

 he most admired Philip. Like Philip he must have been in his younger 

 days, when full of that southern fire, which still showed signs of its 

 presence, and flashed out fiercely enough on occasion; but most, since 

 we knew him, at an age when "the heyday of the blood is tame," did 

 he seem to fully resemble dear old Thomas Newcome, in all his gentle- 



[Proc. D. a. N. S., Vol. IV.] 22 [ Aug. 15, 188.5.] 



