Railsback's Graduate Students and their Academic Lineage

This is the second of two pages on the academic lineage of Railsback's graduate students. The first page covers the latest eleven generations; this one begins with Generation 12.

12.

Benjamin Rush (1746-1813; Undergraduate degree from College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) 1760; M.D. University of Edinburgh, 1768). His thesis was "A study of digestive processes in the human stomach". Professor of chemistry and medicine at the College of Philadelphia (1769-); Surgeon General of the Continental Army (1776-); Staff member at the Pennsylvania Hospital (1783-). He was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a member of the Continental Congress (1776-1777), and Treasurer of the United States Mint (1797-1813). His mentors were William Cullen (see below) and Joseph Black (see below).

13.

William Cullen (1710-1790; M.D. University of Glasgow, 1740). Cullen "held the first independent lectureship in chemistry in the British Isles and [was the] first at Glasgow to teach in English rather than Latin; discovered the phenomenon of the cold produced by evaporating fluids; [was the] first to give symbolic precision to the affinity tables then in vogue; studied various medical phenomena, especially classification of diseases; suggested analysis of soil for nitrate content to determine soil fertility." Cullen studied medicine under Alexander Munro, Sr., at Edinburgh, but his mentor in chemistry was Andrew Plummer (see below), to whose position as Professor of Medicine and Chemistry in the University of Edinburgh he succeeded when Plummer retired in 1756.

Joseph Black (1728-1799; M.D. University of Edinburgh, 1754). Professor of Medicine at Glasgow 1756-1766; professor of Chemistry and Medicine at Edinburgh 1766-1799(?). Black's thesis was "De humore acido a cibis orto et magnesia alba". He rediscovered CO₂, was the first to investigate the bicarbonates, and in his calorimetric research was the first to distinguish between heat (an extensive property) and temperature (an intensive property). His friends in Edinburgh included David Hume, Adam Smith, James Watt, and James Hutton. His mentors were Charles Alston, Alexander Monro, Robert Wright, and most of all William Cullen (see above).

14.

Andrew Plummer (1698-1756; M.D. University of Leiden, 1722). Professor of Medicine and Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. Plummer "analyzed mineral waters and coal, established teaching of modern chemistry in Britain, and developed "Plummer's pills", which were used for nearly 200 years to treat various diseases. The pills contained antimony sulfide and mercuric chloride (calomel). " His mentor was Herman Boerhaave. (see below)

15.

Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738; Ph.D. University of Leiden, 1690; M.D. Academy of Harderwijk, 1693. His Ph.D. dissertation was "On the distinction of mind from body", and his M.D. thesis was "De utilitate explorandorum in aegris excrementorum ut signorum". Beorhaave was the founder of clinical teaching in medicine and is remembered as an outstanding teacher and writer. He is considered the founder of physical chemistry, introducing quantitative methods into the measure of temperature and mass, obtaining and analyzing urea, carrying out the first calorimetric research, and studying the solubilities of salts. His mentor was Burchard de Volder (see below).

16.

Burchard de Volder (1643-1709; M.D. University of Leiden, 1669). A professor of natural philosophy and mathematics, he was a supporter of Boyle. He published work on the weight of air and improved the air-pump, and established the first physics laboratory in Leiden. His mentor was Franciscus (dele Boë) Sylvius (see below).

17.

Franciscus (dele Boë) Sylvius (1614-1672; M.D. University of Basel, 1637. His thesis was "De animali motu ejusque laesionibus (on animal movement and its disorders)" A physician and professor of medicine, he was one of the first to defend Harvey's theory of the circulation of blood. He described the anatomy of the brain and cerebral arteries and advocated the idea that chemical medicines can be used to fight illnesses. He also investigated the heat given off when acids react with alkalis and iron. His mentor was Stupaeus.

The construction of this table drew heavily on the Academic Genealogy of Brown University's Planetary Geology Group webpage by Christopher D. Cooper. Construction of this page also drew on the Lefalophodon - An Informal History of Evolutionary Biology Web Site, the Yale Peabody Museum Who's Who, and the "genealogical pages" of the University of Iliinois School of Chemistry. The paintings of Hall and Eaton are from a USGS Collection

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12.
Benjamin Rush (1746-1813; Undergraduate degree from College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) 1760; M.D. University of Edinburgh, 1768). His thesis was "A study of digestive processes in the human stomach". Professor of chemistry and medicine at the College of Philadelphia (1769-); Surgeon General of the Continental Army (1776-); Staff member at the Pennsylvania Hospital (1783-). He was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a member of the Continental Congress (1776-1777), and Treasurer of the United States Mint (1797-1813). His mentors were William Cullen (see below) and Joseph Black (see below).
13.
William Cullen (1710-1790; M.D. University of Glasgow, 1740). Cullen "held the first independent lectureship in chemistry in the British Isles and [was the] first at Glasgow to teach in English rather than Latin; discovered the phenomenon of the cold produced by evaporating fluids; [was the] first to give symbolic precision to the affinity tables then in vogue; studied various medical phenomena, especially classification of diseases; suggested analysis of soil for nitrate content to determine soil fertility." Cullen studied medicine under Alexander Munro, Sr., at Edinburgh, but his mentor in chemistry was Andrew Plummer (see below), to whose position as Professor of Medicine and Chemistry in the University of Edinburgh he succeeded when Plummer retired in 1756.
Joseph Black (1728-1799; M.D. University of Edinburgh, 1754). Professor of Medicine at Glasgow 1756-1766; professor of Chemistry and Medicine at Edinburgh 1766-1799(?). Black's thesis was "De humore acido a cibis orto et magnesia alba". He rediscovered CO₂, was the first to investigate the bicarbonates, and in his calorimetric research was the first to distinguish between heat (an extensive property) and temperature (an intensive property). His friends in Edinburgh included David Hume, Adam Smith, James Watt, and James Hutton. His mentors were Charles Alston, Alexander Monro, Robert Wright, and most of all William Cullen (see above).
14.
Andrew Plummer (1698-1756; M.D. University of Leiden, 1722). Professor of Medicine and Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. Plummer "analyzed mineral waters and coal, established teaching of modern chemistry in Britain, and developed "Plummer's pills", which were used for nearly 200 years to treat various diseases. The pills contained antimony sulfide and mercuric chloride (calomel). " His mentor was Herman Boerhaave. (see below)
15.
Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738; Ph.D. University of Leiden, 1690; M.D. Academy of Harderwijk, 1693. His Ph.D. dissertation was "On the distinction of mind from body", and his M.D. thesis was "De utilitate explorandorum in aegris excrementorum ut signorum". Beorhaave was the founder of clinical teaching in medicine and is remembered as an outstanding teacher and writer. He is considered the founder of physical chemistry, introducing quantitative methods into the measure of temperature and mass, obtaining and analyzing urea, carrying out the first calorimetric research, and studying the solubilities of salts. His mentor was Burchard de Volder (see below).
16.
Burchard de Volder (1643-1709; M.D. University of Leiden, 1669). A professor of natural philosophy and mathematics, he was a supporter of Boyle. He published work on the weight of air and improved the air-pump, and established the first physics laboratory in Leiden. His mentor was Franciscus (dele Boë) Sylvius (see below).
17.
Franciscus (dele Boë) Sylvius (1614-1672; M.D. University of Basel, 1637. His thesis was "De animali motu ejusque laesionibus (on animal movement and its disorders)" A physician and professor of medicine, he was one of the first to defend Harvey's theory of the circulation of blood. He described the anatomy of the brain and cerebral arteries and advocated the idea that chemical medicines can be used to fight illnesses. He also investigated the heat given off when acids react with alkalis and iron. His mentor was Stupaeus.