a chemist, determining poisons, and officiated in almost every condition of life that the old-time surgeon was called upon.

Like most medical men, he was generous to the last degree; was a leader in all benevolent schemes, and foremost in all charitable work, and of course failed to lay up much money.

His gratitude for the culture and inspiration which he received at Albany was never forgotten, and had it been in his power the old college would have been the recipient of any donations he would have made.

During the last few years the Hartford City Medical Society has had some of the most distinguished physicians in the country to deliver addresses and papers before them. It was always a great pleasure for me to secure the opinion of Dr. Ensign after hearing one of these lectures.

While naturally a shrinking man, and averse to criticism, he often expressed to me his opinions in words like these:

"No inspiration in the lecture. No personality, and an entire bookish product. The work of an egotist. A laboratory talk. Impractical, unreal. In the clouds. No one could follow him. Too much science. Too little sense." Then he would add: "Old Dr. March would have put that matter right, or Drs. McNaughton, or Barker or Reese."

This, to my mind, was the clearest kind of criticism on many of the products of leading men that we do not consider at the time. There are excellent men in the profession who are thoroughly learned, but are neither teachers nor students in the broadest meaning of the words. Their exhaustive studies, and theories, and laboratory technique, might just as well be put in Greek and Sanscrit as far as any inspiration or helpfulness which they give to the listener.

Dr. Ensign was an example or type of many physicians whose narrow life and circle make them practically unknown, and yet their fidelity and earnestness is entitled to as much recognition, and the work they accomplish is as great in degree as that of the most learned leader and teacher in the profession. We may say of him that the profession in his neighborhood was made better by his exceptional character and dignity, quiet reserve, scientific spirit and example.

Medicine to him was a continuous study of causes and effects. There were no miracles, or no conditions that could not be seen or prevented. He was a teacher of hygiene and preventive medicine, who at all times and seasons taught the ideal life and the possibilities of rising above the aches and pains of the present.

He died from sclerosis, incident to old age. I think we do well to gather up the memories of these quiet, unobtrusive men who in their narrow circles do so much to make the world better, and who bring out and teach in many ways the ideals for which we are all striving. He was a noble example of what a medical college can do, and how far teachers can rouse and cultivate a scientific spirit, a true manhood and ideal, for a great doctor-teacher who should take up the work as he finds it, and leaves the world better for having lived.

It is a source of congratulation to us all that so many genuine true men have caught the real inspiration and the great impetus of life at the Albany Medical College, and have gone on exemplifying it in many ways, largely unknown.

WILLIAM GEOGHAN, M. D.,
1852-1909.

Dr. Geoghan's death was sudden and unexpected. The writer of these lines saw him on Saturday afternoon and it so happened that Judge Albert Hessberg, of Albany, was present at the time. There was a pleasant conversation of brief duration regarding Albany of auld lang syne, a hearty adieu, and the following morning a telephone message conveyed the information that Dr. Geoghan was no more. Dr. Geoghan was in my office Friday and left at 2:30 P. M., stating that he felt chilly and feverish, and on being advised to go home and take a rest and prepare for the oncome of a probable attack of grippe, he left, saying that he would do so. He must have felt better, for on the following day, Saturday, he was around and about, attending to his usual professional duties. Saturday, after leaving my office subsequent to the incident above related, he went to his home, took some coffee and toast and after office hours that night he visited a friend with whom he remained until II o'clock. He returned home and after taking his pet dog out for an airing, he went to bed, first assuring his wife that he felt no worse than he had during the day. At 6 o'clock in the morning his wife came into his room and found him lifeless.

Dr. Geoghan was born November 14, 1852. At the age of 16 he graduated from the Albany Academy, and later entered the Albany Medical College, from which institution he graduated in 1873. Shortly thereafter he commenced the practice of his profession in Albany. In 1883 he moved to New York, there to continue his medical career. He entered a civil service contest, as the result of which he was accorded an advanced place on the list of availables and shortly thereafter was appointed examiner for the Municipal Civil Service Board. He served in that capacity for a number of years and later, when a change in politics occurred, he was peremptorily dropped from his position and never again entered the public service. He devoted himself to his practice and during the later years of his life acted as medical examiner for two of the leading New York life insurance companies.

Dr. Geoghan was a man of positive convictions and of indefatigible application. He was an omnivorous reader and had so retentive a memory that those who knew him best declared that he knew more about most subjects than any man who was not a specialist. There was no topic, professional or scientific, which he was not able to discuss intelligently. To show the fertility of his mind, it is interesting to note that within a month preceding his death, he commenced the study of agriculture from a scientific standpoint - merely for his own informa

tion - and during that time he was spending every moment of his otherwise unengaged time in the perusal of agricultural reports issued by the various national and state departments. He was an expert photographer, a trained microscopist, a superior mathematician, a connoisseur in art, an epicure in literature and a student of political economy, thoroughly familiar with the writings and with the views of churchmen, and of socialists, of radicals and of conservatives and moreover well informed as to international politics. The histories of the various countries of the world were as an open book to him.

The doctor had no patience with men of fads. Sham to him was an abomination. He had but few friends, but his loyalty to them was unflinching. In the days of his early manhood in Albany he was an intimate of that prince of fellows, Hugh Reilly, and their characters were very much akin although their natures were far different. In his youth, Geoghan was the leader of the "gang." He earned his position because of his physical prowess and fear was unknown to him, no matter what the situation. He was as strong as a lion and as fearless as a toreador. I recall an incident of my boyhood when I was a toddler and he was the leader. It was the night before election A huge bonfire illumined Broad street near Westerlo, almost directly in front of the alley back of my father's house. There were but four or five members of the crowd around the fire, the others having been sent out on foraging expeditions. The outposts announced the approach of the South End gang and presently they were in evidence, twenty or more in number. A huge barrel with iron staves about it was in the center of the bonfire and the flames were leaping high in air through this recent addition. Geoghan was there with a heavy shinney stick in his hand. The leader of the rival forces said "We're going to take that barrel." Geoghan answered: "Do not do it or you'll get hurt." Nothing daunted a stockily built fellow of the rival gang reached out his hand and placed it on the barrel with the purpose of pulling the latter from the fire. Geoghan's stick fell on his fingers just as he was clutching the rim of the blazing barrel and two finger ends were added to the sizzling flames. A battle royal followed. Our reinforcement came to the rescue and the enemy was routed, Geoghan leading the onslaught.

During his residence in New York there were a number of occasions when his strength and his fearlessness stood him in good need. One day he was making calls on his wheel. A youthful but half inebriated truckman was driving along Seventh avenue and noticing Geoghan on his wheel, trying to extricate himself from a tangle of vehicles, directed his horses so as to "pocket" the Doctor. The latter jumped from his bicycle when he found he could not proceed farther and upbraided the driver in no uncertain terms. The latter leered and jeered at him, whereupon Geoghan invited him around the corner, away from the crowd, promising to give him a good lesson which might help to mend his manners. The driver jumped from his perch with alacrity to accept the invitation. He was a great raw-boned, husky fellow, taller than Geoghan by several inches and young enough to easily have been the Doctor's son. It took

less than two minutes to end the fistic argument, at the end of which time the driver was in the middle of the street on the flat of his back and the Doctor was winging away to attend to his belated duties. I was with him one day on an elevated train. A man sat in one of the side seats with his feet so crossed that the garments of no one passing him were safe from defilement by his dirty boots. Geoghan stepped from his seat and deliberately uncrossed the man's legs and when the sinner protested and showed symptoms of resentment the Doctor slapped his face twice and told him to remember thereafter that people's clothes were not meant to be soiled by the boots of one who acted like a yokel in a public conveyance. With all this I never knew him to be an aggressor in any quarrel in which he was involved unless some principle was at stake. Dr. Geoghan was a great lover of animals and woe betide anyone ill-treating a dog or misusing a horse when he was in evidence.

Anxious to visit the old world and the homes of his ancestors, Dr. Geoghan, several years ago, make a trip to Europe. His financial resources were limited and he was forced to take less than first-class passage. His wheel was his only companion and in the short time that he was abroad he probably saw more of Europe than the average man could accomplish in twice the time. He spent two weeks in London, nightly visiting the historic haunts of England's great literary characters of long ago. He traveled through Ireland and through part of Scotland, and then went to the continent visiting France, Germany and Austria, traveling almost continuously on his bicycle so that he might come in close contact with the inhabitants of the various countries so as to learn their customs, their habits and their manners. He could speak and read almost every one of the modern languages and by this means he enlarged his already bounteous knowledge of things and of people.

Notwithstanding his great familiarity with scientific matters generally, Dr. Geoghan did not neglect the study of medicine, but, per contra, kept fully abreast of the times and knew all that modern teaching could expound. Five or six years ago he took a special course in pathology and in bacteriology merely to be afforded opportunity in the laboratory to put to a practical test the new theories and new facts which had come to be a part of medicine since his days at the Albany Medical College.

Six or seven years ago he was elected president of the New York Alumni Association of the Albany Medical College, and the annual banquet at which he presided was one of the most pleasant and one of the most largely attended affairs in the history of the organization. He was one of the twenty-four founders of the Albany Society of New York and at one time was its secretary, and has continuously been one of its Board of Governors. He was a member of the New York County Medical Society.

Like his father whom many of the older physicians of the state will remember as a genial, learned physician and an amiable companion, Dr. Geoghan was a Democrat in politics, although he voted for Roosevelt and was a great admirer of Governor Hughes.

He married Alice E. Killacky, April 28, 1896. They have no offspring. As I make a mental review of the subject of this sketch there comes to me the thought that as far as his dealings with his fellow men were concerned, there is no act in the extinguished life of William Geoghan which was not as it should have been. A giant intellect in massive frame, a loyal heart, an unflinching will, an aggressive, yes, even a combative spirit if occasion warranted, a fearless advocate, a kindly and a learned physician, a royal and a loyal friend, a devoted son, brother, and husbandsuch were the qualifications which marked the career of William Geoghan, so effectually that to those who knew him his memory will ever be green. MAURICE J. Lewi.

Current Medical Literature

REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS

Organic and Functional Nervous Diseases. A Text-Book of Neurology. By M. ALLEN STARR, M. D., Ph.D., LL. D., Sc. D., Professor of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York; exPresident of the New York Neurological Society.. Third edition, thoroughly revised. Octavo, 904 pages, with 300 engravings and 29 plates in colors or monochrome. Cloth, $6.00, net; leather, $7.00, net. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia and New York, 1909.

The first part of this text-book is devoted to a systematic and comprehensive discussion of the general aspects of neurology, the method of examination of a patient and the general symptomatology of nervous diseases Each symptom is in turn taken up and its clinical characters, underlying pathogeny and diagnostic significance clearly set forth. Special attention is given to the focal symptoms of central nervous disease and the whole question of cerebral localization with its recent and important advances is very carefully and completely treated. It is thus with an excellent preliminary conception of general facts that the reader undertakes the more exhaustive study of any one individual disease. The merits and advantages of this plan are inestimable.

In part II the organic diseases of the peripheral nerves, the spinal cord and the brain are taken up in regular sequence and numerous pictures of typical cases accompany the description of cardinal objective symptoms. The diseases of vascular origin are preceded by a brief reference to the cerebral and spinal circulation. The author discusses under a separate heading what he terms the general diseases of the nervous system: multiple sclerosis, syphilis of the nervous system, caisson disease, pachymeningitis, meningeal hemorrhage and cerebral meningitis.

In part III the various functional nervous diseases are fully described