PRATT
288
PRENTISS
city, clearly and impressively, the glori
ous discoveries of Laennec, and to imbue
the students ^\•ith his own enthusiastic
love of science. His strength was in his
cUnical teaching, and the University of
Maryland has never lost the effect of his
thoroughness and system. He was not
a large contributor to medical literature.
E. F. C.
For list of his writings see, Quinan's Medical Annals of Baltimore, 18S4; for sketch and portrait see Cordell's Historical Sketch, 1891, and Medical Annals of Maryland, 1903.
Pratt, Foster (1823-1898).
Foster Pratt was born at Mt. Morris, Livingston County, New York, January 9, 1823. His father, the Rev. Barthol- omew Pratt, was of English descent; his mother, Susan (McNair) Pratt, of Scotch- Irish; their ancestors landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1622. Foster Pratt had his early schooling at Frankhn Academy, Prattsburg, Steuben County, New York, then, thrown on his own resources at the age of seventeen, he worked as a teacher for seven years. In 1847 he entered the University of Pennsylvania taking his M. D. there in 1849. He be- gan practice at Romney, Hampshire County, Virginia, and soon secured a large clientele, but removed to Kala- mazoo, Michigan, September, 1856.
In 1858 he was sent to the State Legis- lature on an independent ticket where, in the face of strong opposition, he secured the appropriation of $100,000 for the completion of the Michigan Insane Asylum at Kalamazoo, the first large appropriation ever made. After this no sacrifice of time or convenience was too great for him if the asylum's interests were concerned. At the begin- ning of the war he assisted in raising the Thirteenth Regiment of Michigan Volun- teer Infantry, of which he was appointed surgeon, and remained with it through the war, accompanied Sherman in his march to the sea, and was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, August, 1865, resuming practice at Kalamazoo. In 1871, being made president of Kala-
mazoo, and knowing the scanty quantity
and poor quality of its water, he made a
study of the local geology, finding an in-
exliaustible supply of the purest water,
and also did much for proper drainage.
In 1878 he was president of Michigan
State Medical Society; and honorary
member of the American Medico-psycho-
logical Association. In his presidential
address of 1877 Dr. Pratt pointed out the
defects in the educational agencies of the
medical profession and insisted that the
only remedy was a more perfect medical
organization. Without hope of reward
Foster Pratt gave much time to the
promoting in Michigan of a better pre-
liminary education of medical students;
a more thorough technical training; the
management of professional affairs by
professional men; and such organization
as needed to enforce the conditions
essential to the best professional evolu-
tion. Dr. Pratt was a striking looking
man, tall, well proportioned, handsome,
a born leader.
In October, 1849, he married Mary Lisle Gamble, of Moorefield, Hardy County, Virginia. He died suddenly at Kalamazoo, Michigan, August 12, 1898, from heart failure following occasional attacks of angina pectoris.
Papers :
"Legal Relations of Insane Patients." ("Transactions of Michigan State Med- ical Society," 1878.)
" Legal Responsibility of Surgeons for L^nunited Fractures." ("Transactions of Michigan State Medical Society," 1882.)
L. C.
The Representative Men of Mich., Cincinnati, O., 1878, vol. iv.
Biographical Record, Kalamazoo, Alleghany and Berrien Co.
Prentiss, Daniel Webster (1843-1899).
Daniel W. Prentiss was born on May 21, 1843, in Washington, District of Columbia, the birthplace of his parents. His father, William Henry Prentiss, was a son of Caleb Prentiss of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The general education of Dr. Prentiss was obtained in the schools
