340 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1904. 



and The Industrial Resources of Nova Scotia. Besides his medical 

 practice and the scientific and literary work already mentioned, Gesner 

 engaged in studies in applied science, particularly in electricity and 

 chemistry, and in 1854 took out a patent in the United States for the 

 manufacture of kerosene from coal and other bituminous substances. 

 About this period he resided in Brooklyn, New York, and was con- 

 nected with the company having works on Newton Creek near Perry 

 Bridge. In 1861 he published a work on coal, petroleum, and other 

 distilled oils. He returned to Halifax in 18H3, where he died the fol- 

 lowing year. 



He is represented as a man of medium height, with deep chest and 

 square shoulders, black hair and eyes, and a face showing deep thought 

 and strong intellectual power. He was unquestionably a man of 

 great mental and physical energy. He was noted for his deep piety 

 and remained all his life a firm churchman. It is told of him that, 

 when connected with Guy's Hospital in London, if troubled by any 

 physiological mystery which had become a subject of speculation, he 

 always gave as his ultimate conclusion that "God made it so." This 

 phrase became known as "Gesner's reason 11 and was so used among 

 the students. 



Although C. U. Shepard's work was mainly mineralogical, he occa- 

 sionally contributed papers on areal geology. Thus, in the American 

 Journal of Science for 1838, we find an article by him 



Shepard on Geology . ^ 



of upper Illinois, on the geology of upper Illinois. In this he described 

 the extensive Kankakee swamp region south of Chi- 

 cago, and the old beach lines above the present lake level. He also 

 discussed the possible overflow of the lake in ancient periods to the 



southward, and dwelt to a considerable 

 extent on the possibility of and the com- 

 mercial advantages to be derived by uniting 

 the waters of Lake Michigan and the Illinois 

 River, forming thus a connection with the 

 Mississippi. 



The geology of the region was described 

 as being exceedingly simple and uniform, 

 the great rock formation being the mag- 

 nesian limestone. He mentioned the occur- 

 rence in this of "Orthocera" and large 

 " Pectunculus " and " Terebratula," two 

 species of ""Ammonites"' and "'Caryophyl- 

 lia," and a k " Favosites." The northern 

 boundary of the coal formation he said he 

 could not define with precision through lack of opportunity to explore 

 it in detail. A geological section of the region between Fox River 

 and Spring Creek accompanied the paper. 



Fig. 29. — Charles Upham Shepard. 



