90 SOME AMERICAN MEDICAL BOTANISTS 



In 1789, carrying this prize with him, and 

 a more valuable possession, the friendship of 

 John Hunter and Lettsom, he set sail for Amer- 

 ica and Philadelphia, where his merits were 

 speedily recognized, particularly as a natural 

 scientist. There was no " Chair of Natural 

 History ' in the College of Philadelphia, so a 

 w^ise Board created one, adding " Botany 57 ; and 

 when the College and the University of Pennsyl- 

 vania united (1791), Barton still kept the pro- 

 fessorship, along with the post of physician to the 

 Pennsylvania Hospital, taken on in 1798. He 

 finally succeeded Rush as Professor of the 

 Theory and Practice of Medicine in 1813. 



For a busy and not very strong man he wrote 

 a good deal at this time, notably A Memoir con- 

 cerning the fascinating faculty which has been 

 ascribed to the Rattlesnake, etc., 1796. This had 

 a supplement in 1800 and a second edition in 

 1814. His Elements of Botany (30 plates) came 

 out in 1803; a second edition, in 1812. The 

 preface says: 



" The different branches of Natural History, 

 particularly Zoology and Botany, have been my 

 favorite studies from a very early period of my 

 life. The happiest hours of near sixteen years of 

 cares, of difficulties, or of sickness, have been de- 

 voted to the cultivation of these interesting 

 sciences. During this long period I have never 



