288 
Obituaries. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
June,  1876. 
The  gradual  development  of  the  theories  relating  to  organic  chemistry  was  ma- 
terially aided  by  Balard,  among  the  most  important  of  his  discoveries  in  this  direc- 
tion being  the  preparation  (1841)  from  binoxalate  of  ammonium,  of  oxamic  acid, 
the  representative  of  the  limited  class  of  amin  acids,  and  (1844)  ^e  separation  of 
polymeric  compounds  of  amylene,  while  attempting  to  prepare  the  latter  from  amylic 
alcohol. 
In  1842,  he  was  called  to  Paris  to  fill  the  chair  of  Chemistry  in  the  Faculty  of 
Sciences,  formerly  occupied  by  Thenard,  and  since  1851  he  labored  in  a  like  capaci- 
ty at  the  College  de  France. 
Balard's  researches  were  characterized  by  great  exactness  a»d  minuteness,  leaving 
to  others  very  little,  if  anything,  to  correct.  Amongst  the  pharmacists  whose  sci- 
entific labors  have,  directly  or  indirectly,  created  great  industrial  pursuits,  his  name 
stands  among  the  first  ranks.  He  was  an  honor  to  his  profession  and  to  the  science 
to  which  his  inclinations  were  directed  ;  kind  of  disposition  and  free  from  envy  or 
jealousy,  he  was  always  ready  with  valuable  advice  to  aid  the  investigations  of  others, 
Michael  Donovan,  M.  R.  I.  A.,  died  in  Dublin,  March  2.7th,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  85  years.  His  name  is  well  known  to  American  pharmacists  as  the  origi- 
nator, in  1839,  °f  Donovan's  Solution,  the  Liquor  Arsenici  et  Hydrargyri  IodidiP 
of  the  "U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia."  In  former  years,  Mr.  Donovan  paid  much  attention 
to  electricity  and  electro-chemistry,  but  at  a  later  period  was  almost  exclusively  de- 
voted to  pharmacy,  contributing  quite  a  number  of  papers  to  several  journals,  several 
of  which  were  reproduced  in  the  earlier  volumes  of  this  journal.  Amongst  the 
more  recent  ones  may  be  mentioned  the  "  Historical  sketch  of  the  dismemberment 
of  pharmacy  from  physic"  (1868),  "  On  the  process  for  preparing  James'  powder" 
(1869)  and  "  On  tincture  of  hyoscyamus  "  (1871). 
Dr.  Jean  Francjois  Vleminckx  died  at  Brussels,  March,  17th,  in  the  76th 
year  of  his  age.  The  deceased  was  widely  known  for  his  researches  in  hygiene,, 
and  had  labored  for  many  years  in  the  sanitary  service  of  the  Belgian  army,  in 
which  service,  at  the  time  of  his  demise,  he  held  the  honorary  position  of  Inspector- 
General.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  and  President  of  the  Royal  Academy  of 
Medicine,  since  1864  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  and  held  many  other 
positions  of  trust  and  honor. 
Dr.  J.  S.  Unzicker  died  at  Cincinnati,  April  18th,  of  apoplexy,  aged  63  years- 
He  was  a  native  of  Germany,  but  had  been  practising  medicine  in  Cincinnati  for 
many  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Cincinnati  Academy  of  Medicine,  and  al- 
ways took  a  lively  interest  in  the  progress  of  pharmacy. 
Joseph  N.  Hendershott,  a  native  of  Bloomsburg,  Pa.,  and  during  last  winter 
a  student  at  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  was  suddenly  taken  sick  on  the 
evening  of  the  Commencement,  March  14th,  and  died  of  typhoid  fever  on  the  20th 
of  the  same  month,  aged  22  years.  He  was  an  active  and  promising  student,  and 
of  a  genial  disposition. 
