WISTAR, CASPAR, was born in Philadelphia on the 13th of September 1761. His parents and ancestors, on both sides, were of the religious society of Friends. He was brought up in their principles, and received his classical education at a school established by charter from William Penn, in this city. He studied medicine under Dr. John Redman, a respectable practitioner, with whom he remained upwards of three years. In 1782 he received the degree of Bachelor of Medicine in the University of Pennsylvania, having acquitted him self during his examination in an extraordinary manner. In the further prosecution of his studies, Dr. Wistar visited Europe in 1783. In June 1786, having written a thesis entitled De .Rnimo Demnisso, he took his degree of Doctor in Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and returned to his native city in January 1787. He now commenced prac tice with much reputation and success.
In the year 1792, Dr. \Vistar became the asso ciate of Dr. Shippen, after the latter had stood alone for thirty years in his efforts to create a per manent anatomical interest. This union grew out of the existence from 1789 to 1792 of two medical schools, the most recent of which had its origin from feelings generated by the revolutionary war. One of these schools, and the oldest, belonged to the college of Philadelphia, and the other to the Uni versity of the state of Pennsylvania. Dr. Shippen was professor of anatomy in both. In the year 1789 Dr. \Vistar had been appointed professor of chemistry in the college; hut before accepting he hesitated much, lest by his acquiescence, the con solidation of the two institutions, which he had much at heart, should be delayed or prevented. During his deliberations it occurred to him, that he could be much more efficient as a professor in procuring this union, than as a private individual: he therefore accepted the place of chemist, and in three years afterwards, had the satisfaction of see ing his wishes realized, and of reflecting that he himself had contributed largely, by his modera tion and good management, to an arrangement which has since been so successful in developing the character and usefulness of the present institu tion.
Dr. \Vistar, when quite a boy, had his prepos sessions in favour of medicine awakened by the battle of Germantown. Restrained by his religious principles from joining his countrymen in the san guinary defence of their rights, every fibre in his body then, as in the whole subsequent course of his life, vibrated to the calls of patriotism. He repair ed to the scene of action, and in contributing his inexperienced attentions to the wounded soldier, was so much struck with the happy effects of the healing art, that from this moment he determined to study medicine. As a student lie was distin guished by his zeal, his assiduity, and the promp titude and extent of his information.
In Edinburgh, then the chief resort of Americans, lie became highly distinguished for the same quali ties which he had manifested at home. The asso ciate of Sir James M'Intosh, who has since become one of the leading members of the British senate— of Mr. Emmet, since then one of the most powerful and eminent members of the New York bar—of Dr. Jeffray, now Professor of Anatomy in the Uni versity of Glasgow, Dr. Wistar wielded with great power the gauntlet of debate, and obtained for him self the high honour among such competitors, of being made, for two successive years, President of the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh. During his residence in Scotland, he seems to have attract ed the marked attention of Dr. Cullen, for having presented certain written queries to Dr. C. on some medical subject connected with his theory; Dr. C. wrote a very polite note answering them, but stating at the same time, that it was not his habit to do such things, for if he should adopt it as a practice, it would subject him to endless trouble and incon venience, in answering the letters of persons who cared but little for his opinions; but in the case of Wistar, it would always give him pleasure to solve his doubts and to add to his information.