PEPPER, WILLIAM (1843-98). An Ameri can physician. He was born in Philadelphia, the son of a physician of the same name, a professor in the University of Pennsylvania. and was graduated from that institution in arts (1862) and medicine (1864). His professional advance ment was steady and rapid. After a resident hospital service, he became successively curator and pathologist to the Pennsylvania Hospital (186(1), visiting physician to the Philadelphia Hospital (1867), pathologist to the latter (1867), lecturer on morbid anatomy at the Uni versity of Pennsylvania (1868), visiting physi cian to the Children's Hospital (1870). In this year he became lecturer on, and in 1876 professor of, clinical medicine, and shortly afterwards he succeeded Alfred Stifle in the chair of the theory and practice of medicine in the University of Pennsylvania. In 1881 he was elected provost of this institution, in which position he dis played conspicuous ability- in reorganizing and building up the college. Dr. Pepper was wide
ly noted as a clinician and teacher, and was always in demand as a consultant. lie was a member of many medical societies, and was presi dent of the first Pan-American Medical Congress in 1893. For his service as medical director of the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876 he was decorated by the King of Sweden. He was a prominent figure in the social life of Philadelphia. Besides a large number of arti cles on several medical topics, contributed to journals, Pepper published, with \leigs, a hook on Diseases of Children (1870; 6th ed. 1877). His most important literary work was the edit ing of the System of Medicine by American Au thors (1866), which bears his name. Ile estab lished (1870) and was for a time editor of the Philadelphia Medical Times.