Ana.  Jour.  Pharni. 
June.  1896. 
Obituary. 
351 
OBITUARY. 
CHARXKS  O.  CURTMAN. 
The  record  of  Dr.  Curtman's  life  is  that  of  a  man  who  was  constantly  striving 
and  achieving.  Born  in  Giessen,  Germany,  in  1829,  he  acquired  a  thorough 
classical  education  and  then  turned  his  attention  to  chemistry.  He  was  a  pupil 
of  Liebig  and  afterwards  an  assistant  of  Knapp,  the  technologist. 
In  1849  he  decided  to  go  to  America,  and,  after  arriving  in  New  York,  he 
slowly  made  his  way  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  war,  Dr.  Curtman  became  surgeon  in  the  Confederate 
service,  but  later  became  the  director  of  the  laboratories  to  manufacture  gun- 
powder and  other  products  for  the  Confederate  army. 
Soon  after  the  war  he  reached  St.  Louis,  where  he  assisted  in  estab- 
lishing what  is  now  the  Missouri  Medical  College,  and  in  which  he  held  the 
chair  of  chemistry  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  also  held  for  eleven  years  the 
professorship  of  chemistry  in  the  St.  Louis  College  of  Pharmacy. 
Dr.  Curtman  became  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Revision  of  the  U.  S, 
Pharmacopoeia  in  1890.  His  contributions  to  science  have  been  quite  numerous, 
most  of  his  later  researches  being  on  subjects  connected  with  pharmacopoeia! 
revision.  His  most  popular  work  was  his  "Lessons  in  Qualitative  and  Volu- 
metric Chemical  Analysis,"  which  included  Dr.  F.  Beilstein's  "Lessons  in 
Qualitative  Analysis."  This  work  is  now  in  its  fourth  edition.  Another 
valuable  work  was  that  on  "  Uses,  Test  for  Purity  and  Preparation  of  Chemical 
Reagents,"  which  required  for  its  production  a  great  amount  of  patient  re- 
search on  the  part  of  the  author. 
Dr.  Curtman  died  on  April  22,  1896,  after  ten  days'  illness. 
The  St.  Louis  College  of  Pharmacy  has  recently  adopted  the  following  reso- 
lutions of  respect  : 
Resolved,  That  it  is  with  deep  sorrow  that  we  record  the  death  of  Dr.  Chas. 
O.  Curtman,  who  was  for  eleven  years  a  member  of  this  Association,  and  who, 
in  the  chair  of  chemistry,  was  one  of  its  most  successful  teachers  and  did  much 
in  building  up  the  reputation  of  the  College. 
Resolved,  That  in  him  whose  loss  we  lament  we  recognize  one  who  has 
wielded  a  wide  influence,  because  of  his  ability  and  aptness  in  his  chosen  voca- 
tion; one  who  has  done  much  to  disseminate  knowledge,  awaken  thought  and 
encourage  the  scientific  spirit. 
Resolved,  That  we  recognize  with  pride  the  work  in  medical  and  pharmaceu- 
tical chemistry  which  has  given  him  an  international  reputation,  and  which  we, 
as  fellow-citizens  of  St.  Louis,  in  a  small  measure,  share  with  him. 
Resolved,  That  while  the  industry,  patience  and  thoroughness  with  which  he 
has  pursued  his  investigations  in  many  branches  of  science  has  challenged  our 
admiration,  we  also  bear  testimony  to  the  many  good  personal  qualities  which 
have  attached  him  to  us  as  a  friend. 
Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  records  of  the  College, 
be  furnished  the  pharmaceutical  press  for  publication,  and  that  an  engrossed 
copy  be  transmitted  to  the  family. 
Chas.  Giktner,  President. 
J.  C.  Fai<k,  Secretary. 
