James Clarke White

James Clarke White was the son of James P. White. He graduated at Harvard College in 1853, and at once became a student in medicine at the Tremont Medical School. He graduated in medicine from Harvard in 1856 and subsequently worked some time in Massachusetts General Hospital, before going to Europe for further studies. After a year, mostly spent in Vienna as a pupil of Ferdinand Ritter von Hebra (1816-1880), he settled in practice in Boston.

In 1858 White was appointed instructor in chemistry at the medical school, in 1864 university lecturer in skin diseases, and in 1866 adjunct professor of chemistry.

In 1867 White became a physician to the Massachusetts General Hospital, after having been for some years previous chemist to this institution. In 1870 he resigned his former positions, and became physician to the department of skin disease.

White, an outstanding personality in American dermatology, in 1871 assumed the first chair of dermatology in America, at Harvard Medical School. Besides this he concerned himself with comparative anatomy, botany, and chemistry. White was one of the publishers of Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, of which he was editor. He was an extraordinarily prolific writer. White was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and of various medical societies.

We thank Søren Nørby, Denmark, for correcting an error in our original message.

• Dermatitis venenata: An account of the action of external irritants upon the skin.
  Boston, Cupples & Hurd, 1887.