William Whitty Hall (October 15, 1810 - May 10, 1876) was an American physician, writer and pioneer editor of health magazines.
William Whitty Hall | |
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| Born | October 15, 1810 |
| Died | May 10, 1876 (aged 65) |
| Occupation(s) | Physician, health writer |
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Biography
editHall was born in Paris, Kentucky. He graduated from Centre College in 1830 and studied both medicine and theology.[1] He received his M.D. from Transylvania College in 1836.[1] He was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry and was a missionary in Texas. He practiced medicine in New Orleans and Cincinnati and established his consultation practice in New York City in 1851.[1]
In 1854, he began to publish Hall's Journal of Health. After his death the journal was absorbed by Popular Science.[1] From 1875, he edited Hall's Medical Adviser.[2] Hall married twice. His first wife was Hannah Mattock and his second was Magdalen Matilda Robertson.[1]
Anthropologist Matthew Wolf-Meyer has described Hall as a forgotten researcher in the field of sleep science.[3]
Death
editIt was reported that Hall never weighed more than 125 pounds and he worked from 5 am to 10 pm every day.[1]
He fell in a fit on a street in New York and died on May 10, 1876.[4] Later examination showed that he died of "degeneration of the heart".[5] His New York death certificate lists "valvular disease" as the cause of death as well.[6]
Selected publications
edit- Health and Disease (1864)
- Hall's Health Tracts (1868)
- Sleep, Or, The Hygiene of the Night (1870)
- Fun Better Than Physic: Or, Everybody's Life-Preserver (1871)
- Health by Good Living (1871)
- Bronchitis, and Kindred Diseases (1872)
- The Guide-Board to Health, Peace, and Competence; Or, The Road to Happy Old Age (1872)
- Health at Home (1874)
- How to Live Long (1875)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Hall, William Whitty. Dictionary of American Biography. New York: C. Scribner's Sons. pp. 147-148
- ^ Kelly, Howard A.; Burrage, Walter L. (eds.). . . Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Company.
- ^ Wolf-Meyer, Matthew. (2011). The Nature of Sleep. Comparative Studies in Society and History 53 (4): 945-970.
- ^ The Guide-Board to Health, Peace and Competence by Dr. W. W. Hall. Knox Historical Society.
- ^ "Dr. W. W. Hall". Scientific American. XXXIV (22). May 27, 1876.
- ^ Department of Records and Information Services, certificate of death (13 May 1876), William W. Hall, The Municipal Archives, New York City.
External links
edit- W. W. Hall - Online Books