Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/121

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PARKER PARKERSBURG 111 deon, Boston, Feb. 16, 1845, and was installed there over a newly organized parish, styled the 28th Congregational society, in the spring of 1846. Up to this time, besides the writings above mentioned, his more notable productions were articles in the "Dial" and other period- icals. His translation of De Wette's "Intro- duction to the Old Testament," with additions, appeared in 1843. Other translations, from Ammon, Eichhorn, and Gesenius, seem to have been preparatory to that work. In Decem- ber, 1847, appeared the first number of the " Massachusetts Quarterly," which he conduct- ed during its life of three years. He became popular as a lecturer, vigorously opposed the Mexican war, and was one of the earliest ad- vocates of temperance and anti-slavery. After the passage of the fugitive slave law in 1850, every case of attempted rendition in Boston enlisted his personal activity ; and at the time of the rendition of Anthony Burns (May 24 to June 8, 1854), an indictment was brought against him for resisting an officer of the Uni- ted States in his attempt to execute process, based upon a speech delivered at Faneuil hall before an anti-rendition meeting. It was quashed upon a technicality ; but Mr. Parker had prepared an elaborate defence, which he printed. In November, 1852, his congregation occupied for the first time the great music hall in Boston, which was crowded every Sunday. He was now often ill, and compelled for a while to cease preaching and writing; but his persistent will carried him through till Jan- uary, 1859, when an attack of bleeding at the lungs brought to a close his public services at the music hall. On Feb. 3 he sailed for Santa Cruz, whence in May he sent a letter to his parish entitled " Theodore Parker's Experience as a Minister." Thence he sailed to Europe, spent some time in Switzerland, and went to Rome, where he passed the winter of 1859. Setting out thence in April, 1860, very much enfeebled, he reached Florence with difficulty, where he died. He was buried in the cem- etery outside the walls. Parker's published works are : "A Discourse of Matters pertain- ing to Religion " (1842) ; " Miscellaneous Wri- tings" (12mo, Boston, 1843); "Occasional Sermons and Speeches" (2 vols. 12mo, 1852); " Ten Sermons on Religion " (1853) ; " Sermons on Theism, Atheism, and the Popular Theolo- gy" (1853); "Additional Speeches, Address- es," &c. (2 vols. 12mo, 1855) ; "Trial of Theo- dore Parker for the * Misdemeanor of a Speech in Faneuil Hall against Kidnapping'" (1855) ; "Two Christmas Celebrations;" and "Expe- rience as a Minister " (1859). A collective edi- tion of his works was edited by Frances Power Cobbe (12 vols., London, 1863-'5), and a later edition by H. B. Fuller (10 vols. 12mo, Bos- ton, 1870). His "Life and Correspondence" was published by the Rev. John Weiss (2 vols. 8vo, New York, 1864), and his " Life" by the Rev. O. B. Frothingham (New York, 1874). See also Albert R6ville's Theodore Parker, sa 638 VOL. xiii. 8 vie et ses ceuvres (Paris, 1865). His library of more than 13,000 volumes he bequeathed to the public library of Boston. PARKER, Willard, an American surgeon, born in Hillsboro, N. H., Sept. 2, 1800. He is the sixth in descent from one of five brothers who came from England in 1644 and settled at Chelmsford, Mass., to which place his father returned when Willard was five years old. He graduated at Harvard college in 1826, com- menced the study of medicine under Dr. John 0. Warren, the professor of surgery in Har- vard university, and received the degree of M. D. there in 1830. He was at once appoint- ed professor of anatomy in the Vermont med- ical college, and in the same year accepted the chair of anatomy in the Berkshire medical college, and in 1833 also that of surgery. In 1836 he was appointed professor of surgery in the Cincinnati medical college, and afterward spent some time in the hospitals of Paris and London. In 1839 he became professor of sur- gery in the college of physicians and surgeons of New York, which post he resigned after a service of 30 years, but accepted that of pro- fessor of clinical surgery, which he now holds (1875). In 1865 he was elected president of the New York state inebriate asylum at Bing- hamton, succeeding Dr. Valentine Mott. This was the first institution ever established for the treatment of inebriety as a disease. In 1870 he received the degree of LL. D. from the college of New Jersey at Princeton. Dr. Parker was the first to point out a condition which is known as concussion of the nerves, as distinguished from concussion of the nerve centres, and which had been previously mis- taken for one of inflammation. The operation of cystotomy for the relief of chronic cystitis, and also that for the cure of abscess of the appendix vermiformis, are among his contri- butions to the art of surgery. PARKERSBURG, a port of delivery and the capital of Wood co., West Virginia, the second city in the state in population, on the Ohio river, at the mouth of the Little Kanawha, 92 m. below Wheeling, and 65 m. N. of Charles- ton; pop. in 1850, 1,218; in 1860, 2,493; in 1870, 5,546, of whom 447 were colored; in 1875, about 7,000. The site rises gradually to a plateau 100 ft. above low-water mark, and extends more than a mile up the Ohio and nearly two miles along the Little Kanawha, embracing about three square miles. In the rear rises an isolated eminence, known as Pros- pect hill, affording extensive views. The city is regularly laid out in squares, with streets 60 ft. and alleys 20 ft. wide. The principal Eublic buildings are the court house, market ouse, two brick school houses, and seven brick churches. A building for the accommodation of the United States courts, post office, and custom house is in course of erection. Par- kersburg is favorably situated for trade and manufactures. The tributary country, inclu- ding the valley of the Little Kanawha, is fer-