Edward Parrish
Encyclopedia
Edward Parrish was an American
pharmacist
. He was the first president of Swarthmore College
.
in 1864, and in 1867 exchanged his chair with John Michael Maisch
, taking that of practical pharmacy, on which branch he continued to lecture until his death.
Parrish's shop was located close to the University of Pennsylvania
, and in his discussions with the professors there he became impressed with the belief that students from all parts of the United States
were coming to Philadelphia to study medicine
and were leaving without a knowledge of pharmacy. Many of these medical practitioners were returning to small towns and villages where there were no apothecaries, and their want of knowledge of pharmacy was a loss to themselves and a disadvantage to their communities. Thus in the fall of 1849, Parrish established a school of practical pharmacy at his shop whose curriculum was addressed especially to medical students. After a few years, when he sold his shop to enter into a partnership with his brother Dillwyn, the school was moved to the premises of Dillwyn's shop. By 1857, he had instructed 299 medical students from almost every state in the United States.
Parrish was active in the movement that led to the founding of Swarthmore College
, and was its first president 1868-1870. In August, 1872, he was appointed commissioner to the Indians with a view toward establishing peace, but he was attacked by malarial fever and died. He was a member of the committee of revision of the U. S. Pharmacopoeia in 1850 and 1860. Parrish joined the American Pharmaceutical Association at its first meeting in 1852, and filled various offices, including that of president in 1868. He was also a member of other societies, and was elected to honorary membership in associations in Great Britain.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
. He was the first president of Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
.
Biography
He was the son of Philadelphia physician Joseph Parrish (1779–1840). He studied at a Friends' school, and graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1842. After a course of training at his brother Dillwyn's shop (located at the southwest corner of Eighth and Arch Streets in Philadelphia), in 1843 he purchased a drug store at the northwest corner of Ninth and Chestnut Streets and began his practice. He was elected to membership in the College of Pharmacy in 1843, in 1845 a trustee, and in 1854 secretary of the College. He was appointed professor of materia medicaMateria medica
Materia medica is a Latin medical term for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing . The term 'materia medica' derived from the title of a work by the Ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in the 1st century AD, De materia medica libre...
in 1864, and in 1867 exchanged his chair with John Michael Maisch
John Michael Maisch
John Michael Maisch was a United States pharmacist, the "father of adequate pharmaceutical legislation."-Germany:...
, taking that of practical pharmacy, on which branch he continued to lecture until his death.
Parrish's shop was located close to the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, and in his discussions with the professors there he became impressed with the belief that students from all parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
were coming to Philadelphia to study medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and were leaving without a knowledge of pharmacy. Many of these medical practitioners were returning to small towns and villages where there were no apothecaries, and their want of knowledge of pharmacy was a loss to themselves and a disadvantage to their communities. Thus in the fall of 1849, Parrish established a school of practical pharmacy at his shop whose curriculum was addressed especially to medical students. After a few years, when he sold his shop to enter into a partnership with his brother Dillwyn, the school was moved to the premises of Dillwyn's shop. By 1857, he had instructed 299 medical students from almost every state in the United States.
Parrish was active in the movement that led to the founding of Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
, and was its first president 1868-1870. In August, 1872, he was appointed commissioner to the Indians with a view toward establishing peace, but he was attacked by malarial fever and died. He was a member of the committee of revision of the U. S. Pharmacopoeia in 1850 and 1860. Parrish joined the American Pharmaceutical Association at its first meeting in 1852, and filled various offices, including that of president in 1868. He was also a member of other societies, and was elected to honorary membership in associations in Great Britain.
Works
His contributions to the American Journal of Pharmacy are more than 40 in number. He also published:- An Introduction to Practical Pharmacy (Philadelphia, 1856; 1859 ed.) By 1900, this book had passed through five editions.
- The Phantom Bouquet, a Popular Treatise on the Art of Skeletonizing Leaves and Seed Vessels, and adapting them to Embellish the Home of Taste (1863)
- A Treatise on Pharmacy: Designed as a Text-Book for the Student, and as a Guide for the Physician and Pharmaceutist (1864)
- An Essay on Education (1866)