106 
JOURNAL OF MYCOLOGY. 
[Vox,. Ill, No. 9, 
OBITUARY—H. W. RAVENEL. 
FROM THE “RECORDER,” AIKEN, S. C-, JULY 10, 1887. 
Henry William Ravenel was born in the parish of St. Johns, Berk¬ 
eley, S. C., May 19, 1814, and died at Aiken, after a protracted illness, on 
Sunday, July 17, 1887. After receiving the usual high school training, 
he entered the South Carolina College and graduated with distinction in 
1832, in the class with Jas. R. Aiken, W. M. Armstrong, C. Richard 
Furnham Baker, John Lesesne, John H. Means and others. Soon after 
graduation, he engaged in planting in St. Johns, Berkeley, and continued 
it for twenty years. Early in life, he began his botanical researches, 
and his natural fondness for these pursuits was increased bv an infirmity 
of hearing, which cut him off from most of the ordinary occupations of 
life. 
In the course of his career, he has steadily added to his herbarium, 
and has left in the possession of his family probably the most complete 
collection of both Phenogamous and Cryptogamous plants to be found on 
either side of the Atlantic. 
He prepared several volumes of fungi, called “’Fungi Caroliniani 
Exsiccati,” which were published in this country and attracted marked 
attention. He also acted as American botanist in connection with Ids 
friend, Prof. Cook, of London, Eng., in preparing several other volumes 
of fungi. These last were published in England in editions of only one 
hundred copies each. 
In 1869 he went as botanist with Prof. Gamgee, by appointment of 
the United States government, to investigate the cause of the cattle 
disease then prevailing in Texas. It was thought that the disease was 
due to a fungoid growth on certain plants which were eaten by the cattle, 
and as Dr. Ravenel was known to have made exhaustive researches on 
the subject of fungi, he was selected for the work. A learned and elabo¬ 
rate report was published from the data obtained on this expedition and 
it was acertained that the disease was not due to the presence of fungi. 
In 1849 he was elected correspondent of the Academy of Natural 
Sciences, of Philadelphia, Pa. In 1853 he was elected member of the 
Zoologisch-Botanisclie Geselschaft, of Vienna, Austria, and in 1886 the 
degree of LL. D. was conferred on him by the University of North 
Carolina. Such were the literary and scientific distinctions that rewarded 
the labors of this modest gentleman and diligent student. Had it not 
been for his deafness, he would never have been suffered to remain in 
Aiken, but would have long since occupied a professor's chair in some 
famous institution of learning. For a couple of years, he edited the 
agricultural department of the weekly News and Conner with great 
ability, and at the time of his death was botanist to the state department 
of agriculture. 
Dr. Ravenel was married in 1735 to Miss Elizabeth Gilliard Snow¬ 
den, of St. Johns, Berkeley, who died in 1855. By this marriage, he had 
six children, four of whom survive, one a son living at Darien, Ga., and 
all useful and honored members of society. In 1858 he married Miss- 
