Reynell Coates

Coates in an undated engraving

Reynell Coates(December 10, 1802 inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania– April 27, 1886 inCamden, New Jersey) was an American physician, scientist, teacher, poet and politician.

Reynell Coates was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the youngest son of philanthropist Samuel (1748–1830) and Amy (née Hornor) Coates,and grandson of Samuel and Mary (Langdale) Coates. At an early age, he became proficient in mathematics and languages, and studied medicine and surgery atPennsylvania Hospital,where at age fifteen he became an apprentice of Dr.Benjamin Rush.He was graduated from the medical department of theUniversity of Pennsylvaniain 1823 with a thesis on "Fractures of Inferior Extremities", and became resident physician at the hospital. The same year he voyaged toIndiaas a ship's surgeon and made an extendedentomologicaltour. In 1829 he accepted the chair of natural sciences atAllegheny College.Joining theU.S. Navyas surgeon, he made during a cruise a collection that furnished the material for a large volume. He was a member of the scientific corps of the firstSouth Seaexpedition underCommodoreThomas ap Catesby Jonesin 1835–36, and had charge of the department of comparative anatomy, but left the service on the return of the expedition.

Politics

He was also active in politics. He was the author of the national address of theNative American Partyin 1844, and the originator of thePatriotic Order Sons of AmericaDecember 10, 1847, and wrote its ritual. In the national election of 1852 he was the candidate of the Native American Party for vice-president of the United States, on the ticket withJacob Broom,for president.

Medical and scientific contributions

Coates contributed voluminously to various medical and scientific journals, many of them being translated into the French, German, Spanish and Italian languages. He publishedPhysiology for Schools(1840)—the first work of its kind—andNatural Philosophy for Schools(1845); besides other works. He wrote a monograph on "Hereditary Haemorrhage".

Literary contributions

He was the editor ofGraham's Magazineand contributed to the other literary journals of the time, both in prose and in verse. From 1845, he editedLeaflets of Memory: An Illuminated Annual,an annual illustrated collection of short stories and verse, of which eleven volumes are known. Of his poems "The Gambler's Wife"(1846)," Christian Charity "and" The Drunkard's Child "were best known.

Family

He was married on December 5, 1827, to Margaretta, daughter of William Abbott ofNew Jersey,and his only child died in infancy. In 1845, after the death of his wife and child, Coates moved toCamden, New Jersey,where he died in 1886. He was buried inUpper Darby Township, Pennsylvania.

References

• Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans,John Howard Brown, Rossiter Johnson, eds., The Biographical Society, 1904.
• The Cyclopaedia of American Biography: Comprising the Men and Women of the United States Who Have Been Identified with the Growth of the Nation,Volume 2, by John Howard Brown, James H. Lamb Co., 1899. Republished by Kessinger Publishing, 2006.ISBN1-4254-8615-0,ISBN978-1-4254-8615-0.
• A cyclopedia of American medical biography: comprising the lives of eminent deceased physicians and surgeons from 1610 to 1910,Howard Atwood Kelly, W.B. Saunders company, 1920.

Further reading

• Sherk, H.H., "Dr. Coates and the Know Nothings".N.J. Med.,2005, Jan.-Feb.; 102(1-2):21-5.
• Snape, W.J., "Reynell Coates (1802-1886): politician, poet, editor, naturalist, lecturer and physician".Trans. Stud. Coll. Physicians Phila.,1968, Jan.; 35(3):112-8.
• Langley, H.D., "Naval medicine in Philadelphia, 1815-1840".Trans. Stud. Coll. Physicians Phila.,1995, Dec.:132-45.

External links

• Reynell CoatesatFind a Grave
• Patriotic Order Sons of America website(founded by Reynell Coates)