William Pepper
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William Pepper (August 21, 1843 - July 28, 1898), American physician, was born in Philadelphia.
He was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating from the academic department in 1862 and from the medical department in 1864. In 1868 he became lecturer on morbid anatomy in the same institution, and in 1870 lecturer on clinical medicine. From 1876 to 1887 he was professor of clinical medicine, and in 1887 succeeded Dr Alfred Still as professor of theory and practice of medicine.
He was elected provost of the university in 1881, resigning that position in 1894. For his services as medical director of the Centennial Exhibition in 1876 be was made knight commander of St Olaf by King Oscar II of Sweden. He founded the Philadelphia Medical Times, and was editor of that journal in 1870-1871. He was known particularly for his contributions on the subject of the theory and practice of medicine, and the System of Medicine which he edited in 1885-1886 became one of the standard textbooks in America. He died on the 28th of July 1898 at Pleasanton, California.
Among his contributions to the medical and scientific journals of the day, were:
- Trephining in Cerebral Disease (1871)
- Local Treatment in Pulmonary Cavities (1874)
- Catarrhal Irrigation (1881)
- Epilepsy (1883)
- Higher Medical Education: the True Interest of the Public and the Profession.
Pepper was also the founder of Philadelphia's first public library, chartered in 1891 through funds provided by the estate of his late uncle, which became the Free Library of Philadelphia. Today, a commemorative statue of Pepper sits in the landing of the main staircase of the Central Library.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles Janeway Stillé |
Provost of the University of Pennsylvania 1881–1894 |
Succeeded by Charles Custis Harrison |
