98 
Centenary  of  Pharmaceutical  Education. 
i  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
!  February,  1921. 
educated  in  Holland,  both  in  medicine  and  pharmacy.  Geology 
and  mineralogy  were  his  favorite  studies,  but  all  of  the  natural 
sciences  claimed  his  general 
interest.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences,  and  its  first 
President.  He  likewise  held 
the  position  of  Mineralogist  to 
Peal's  Museum,  a  famous  col- 
lection of  natural  objects, 
paintings  and  curiosities  of 
many  kinds,  at  that  time  ex- 
hibited on  the  second  floor  of 
the  State  House,  over  Inde- 
pendence Hall,  and  after- 
wards in  the  Arcade  o  n 
Chestnut  Street,  above  Sixth, 
where  it  was  for  many  years 
one  of  the  places  for  sight- 
seers in  Philadelphia.  The 
class  was  small,  and  despite 
h  i  s  scientific  attainments.. 
Prof.  Troost  lacked  ability  as 
a  teacher  and  failed  to  inter- 
est his  students  in  his  sub- 
jects. This  was  largely  due  to  his  foreign  accent,  which  made  it 
difficult  for  the  students  to  understand  him.  He  served  the  College 
as  professor  for  one  year  only,  and  later  was  elected  Professor 
of  Chemistry,  Geology  and  Mineralogy  in  the  University  of  Nash- 
ville, and  his  valuable  reports  as  a  State  Geologist  of  Tennessee 
are  considered  the  best  works  of  his  life. 
On  July  22,  1822,  Dr.  George  B.  Wood  was  elected  Professor 
of  Chemistry  to  fill  the  place  made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of 
Prof.  Gerard  Troost,  and  served  the  College  in  this  capacity  until 
1 83 1,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  chair  of  Materia  Medica  and 
Pharmacy,  made  vacant  by  the  decease  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Ellis. 
The  following  copy  of  the  letter  written  by  Dr.  Wood  to  his 
mother  soon  after  his  appointment  to  the  chair  of  Chemistry,  the 
DR.  GERARD  TROOST 
