Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Samuel George MORTON
SAMUEL GEORGE MORTON, an eminent American naturalist, ethnologist, and physician, was born at Philadelphia, January 26, 1799. His father, George Morton, a descendant of a large and respectable family in Clonmel, Ireland, emigrated to America and engaged in mercantile pursuits. His death occurred when the son Samuel was quite young, and lie was placed at a Quaker school by his mother, who was a member of that society, lie early evinced a fondness for books, and business life being distasteful, ha decided to study medicine. In March, 1820, he was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and soon after sailed for Europe. In October of the same year lie entered as a matriculate the University of Edinburgh, the diploma of which institution was conferred upon him in August, 1823. In 1824 he returned to America, and in 1826 established himself as a physician in Philadelphia. The following year he married a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Pearsall, of the Society of Friends. Before his visit to Europe, Dr. Morton had been made a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and after his return took an active interest in its proceedings, he was its recording secretary in 1825, and was made its president in 1840. His first scientific essay, entitled " Observations on Cornine, a new Alkaloid," was published in the " Medical and Physical Journal " for 1825—26. In 1827 ho communicated to the Academy of Natural Sciences an Analysis of Tabular Spar from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with a Notice of various Minerals found in the same Locality." During the same year he contributed to the " Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences" a "Description of a New Species of Ostrea Convexa of Say." These papers were followed in rapid succession by many other scientific communications, and the Journal of the Academy continued to be enriched by his contributions until within a short period of his death. He also contributed many articles, on a wide range of subjects, to the " Transactions of the American Philosophical Society," and the " American Journal of Science and Art," edited by Professor Silliman.
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