Zi The American Geologist. January, 1892 
perimental science caused the strain ever to increase on those who 
would keep abreast of all departments of research, but still there 
remained the Humboldts, the Herschels, the Faradays, the Reg- 
naults, and in this country the Baches, the Lecontes, the Leidys 
and some others. Joseph Leidy was almost the sole survivor of 
that class of intellectual giants which seemed to be able to assimi- 
late as much as Science in her many forms could produce. Such 
a race could not exist forever and it has passed away with him. 
After him there are only specialists in one or more subjects, and 
generalizers who seldom come nearer to the truths of nature than 
their description in a book . 
The father of Joseph Leidy, Philip, was born in Montgomery 
county (one of those adjacent to the county which is the city of 
Philadelphia), December 5th, 1791 and moving in his youth to 
Philadelphia successfully pursued the business of a hatter. 
By Catherine Melick he had four children of whom the subject 
of this sketch was next to the youngest. Through the death of 
his mother and the marriage of her sister by his father during his 
early infancy, Joseph only knew this kind stepmother who was 
as watchful of him as his real mother could have been. He was 
educated at private schools and early evinced interest in natural 
objects and exhibited that talent for drawing of which he made 
such admirable use to the last period of his life. An acei- 
dental opportunity to visit a drug shop, was taken advantage of 
by him to perfect himself in pharmacy in a very short time, while 
the dissection of some domestic animals turned his attention to a 
study which he was destined to link closely with his name. He be- 
gan the study of medicine in 1842, in the University of Pennsyl- 
vania at 19, and in 1844, received the degree of M. D., and in 
1845 was appointed Prosector to the chair of Anatomy, under 
Prof. Horner. In 1848 he went to England, France and Germany 
with Dr. Horner, and again in 1850 with Dr. George B. Wood. 
He had been elected a member of the Boston Society of Nat- 
ural History, and the Academy of Natural. Sciences in Philadel- 
phia in 1845, and of the American Philosophical Society in 1849 
In 1852 he was appointed in Dr. Horner's place professor of an- 
atomy having been elected to the College of Physicians the year 
previous. On the outbreak of the civil war he was appointed 
surgeon of the Satterlee hospital in Philadelphia. In 1864 he . 
married Anna Harden. During the succeeding years, thickly 
strewn with contributions to science of the highest value, he re- 
