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SCmNGE. 



[N. 3. Vol. VII. No. 165. 



superintend, in behalf of the United States 

 National Museum, the preparation of the 

 skeleton of a sperm whale that came ashore 

 near his seaside home. 



Besides the papers and volumes already 

 mentioned. Dr. Allen published, in 1877, 

 'Outlines of Comparative Anatomy and 

 Medical Zoology,' and in 1881 completed 

 an elaborate treatise on Human Anatomy, 

 wherein stress is laid upon the medical and 

 surgical bearing of the facts of human struc- 

 ture. Finally, and rightly to be mentioned 

 in exemplification of his broad culture and 

 sympathies, here is a discussion of 'The 

 Life Form in Art,' and here an address on 

 ' Poetry and Science,' delivered before a 

 Browning Society. Nor must it be forgot- 

 ten that music had always charms for our 

 friend, and that he was an admirable player 

 upon the flute. 



But Dr. Allen was not merely a success- 

 ful practitioner and an eminent investiga- 

 tor ; he was also a teacher. In the Univer- 

 sity of Pennsylvania he was professor of 

 zoology and comparative anatomy from 

 1865 to 1876, professor of physiology from 

 1878 to 1885 ; emeritus professor of physi- 

 ology to 1891 ; professor of comparative 

 anatomy and zoology, 1891-1896. He had 

 been connected with his alma mater for more 

 than thirty years, a period exceeded only in 

 the case of five other professors. Dr. Allen 

 was an active or corresponding member of 

 numerous scientific societies in this and 

 other countries, and was President of the 

 American Society of Naturalists in 1887 and 

 in 1888. A large part of his work was done 

 at the Academy of Natural Sciences and 

 published in its Proceedings. 



The climax of Dr. Allen's useful and hon- 

 orable career was reached in 1891. He was 

 then fifty years of ago, and for half that 

 time had been connected with the Univer- 

 sity. In 1891 he became professor of com- 

 parative anatomy and zoology ; President 

 of the Contemporary Club of Philadelphia ; 



Curator of the newly established Wistar In- 

 stitute of Anatomy ; President of the An- 

 thropometric Society ; then, too, he suc- 

 ceeded Professor Leidy in the presidency of 

 this Association, holding office for two 

 terms, or four years. No such combina- 

 tion of honors and responsibilities within a 

 single year is known to me. During 1891 

 he published a dozen separate papers or ad- 

 dresses. 



On the 29th of December, 1869, Dr. Allen 

 married Miss Julia A. Colton ; she survives 

 him, together with a daughter, Dorothea 

 W., and a son who bears his father's name, 

 and who has already begun the study of the 

 profession in which his father attained such 

 eminence. Dr. Allen's private collections 

 of bats and other specimens were be- 

 queathed to the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences. As a member of the American 

 Anthropometric Society he directed that his 

 brain should be entrusted to that organiza- 

 tion. His body was cremated. The au- 

 topsy revealed the cause of his death as 

 heart-failure, due to fatty degeneration ; he 

 had of late years also been subject to rheu- 

 matism. 



It is idle to speculate as to what Dr. 

 Allen might have achieved in pure science 

 had his health been more robust, his nature 

 more aggressive, and his time more nearly 

 at his own disposal. For in considering 

 the extent and value of his publications we 

 must take into account two potent factors in 

 his life : first, he was in active practice ; 

 secondly, he was eminently conscientious 

 and recognized to the full that his patients 

 were entitled to the best that he could do. 

 Gratuitous attendance upon those unable to 

 pay is so general in the medical profession 

 that it would be invidious in me to more 

 than record my personal knowledge of cases 

 in which Dr. Allen's skill was exercised at 

 his serious personal inconvenience and when 

 in need of rest. 



Whether due to his Quaker ancestry or 



