Volume 1

Universal pronouncing dictionary of biography and mythology / by Joseph Thomas.

  • Joseph Thomas
Date:
1911, ©1908
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Universal pronouncing dictionary of biography and mythology / by Joseph Thomas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1461/1486 (page 1443)
    mer, born in Harford county, Maryland, September 27, 1814, was principal of the high school of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1843-48, professor of mathematics in Dela¬ ware College, 1851-56, in Indiana University, 1856-66, and again was called to that position in 1867. His prin¬ cipal works are “Meteoric Astronomy,” (1867,) and “ Comets and Meteors,” (1873.) He made important dis¬ coveries in as’ronomical science. Died June 11, 1895. Kirkwood, (Samuel J.,) an American Governor, born in Harford county, Maryland, December 20, 1813. In 1843 he was admitted to the bar in Ohio, and in 1856 he was elected a State Senator of Iowa. He was Gov¬ ernor 01 Iowa, 1860-63, and aRain in 1875, United States Senator, 1860-67, and 1876-81. He was Secretary of he Interior (1881) under Garfield. Died Sept. 1, 1894. Kirnberger, kSgRr/bSRG'er, (Johann Philipp,) a German musician and writer on art, born in Thuringia in 1721 ; died in 1783. Kirsten, k££R'sten, or Kirchstein, k^RK'stin, (Georg,) a physician and writer on surgery and anatomy, born at Stettin, in Pomerania, in 1613 ; died in 1660. Kirsten, (Michael,) a learned physician and scientific writer, born in Moravia in 1620; died in 1678. Kirsten, [Lat. Kirste'nius,] (Peter,) a distinguished physician and Oriental scholar, born at Breslau in 1577. He studied at the most celebrated universities of Ger¬ many, and travelled extensively in Europe. He was sub¬ sequently invited to Sweden by Chancellor Oxenstiern, where he was appointed physician to Queen Christina and medical professor in the University of Upsal. He is said to have been master of twenty-six languages. He wrote, among other works, an “ Arabic Grammar,” (1608-10,) and “Notes on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, from the Collation of Arabic, Syriac, Egyptian, Greek, and Latin Texts,” (1611.) Died at Upsal in 1640. Kirstenius. See Kirsten, (Peter.) Kirt/land, (William A.,) an American naval officer, born in North Carolina in 1836. He entered the navy in 1850, served through the civil war, and was made captain in 1880, commodore in 1893, and rear-admiral in 1895. He retired July 3, 1898, and died August 12, 1898. Kirwan, ker'wan, (Richard,) a distinguished chemist and geologist, born at Galway, in Ireland, about 1733, or, as others say, in 1750. He was elected president of the Royal Irish Academy, Fellow of the Royal Society of London, and member of various scientific associations on the continent. He published “ An Essay on the Constitution of Acids,” (1787,) which was translated by Lavoisier and refuted by him, “Elements of Mine¬ ralogy,” (1794,) an “Essay on the Analysis of Mineral Waters,” “ An Estimate of the Temperature of Different Latitudes,” and other scientific works. Died in 1812. Kis, klsh, (Stephen, ) a Hungarian theologian, born at Szegedin in 1505, was a disciple of Luther. He preached at Temesvir, and published several works. Died in 1572. Kischtasp. See Gushtasp. Kisfaludy, klsh'foh loody, almost kish'foh-looj, (KAroly,) a celebrated dramatist, the founder of Hun¬ garian comedy was born at Tete in March, 179a On account of his fiery and turbulent disposition, he was placed in the Austrian army at an early age. He served as an officer in Italy in 1805 against Napoleon, and was afterwards taken prisoner by the French. Having been exchanged, he fought in Germany in 1809. He left the army in 1810, and fixed his residence at Vienna, where he gained,a li\ ing as an artist. In 1819 he acquired a sudden celebrity by his play “The Tartar in Hungary.” Soon after he produced “ Ilka,” a tragedy, “ Stiber the Chieftain,” and several other plays, all of which were received with the greatest applause. Among the most popular of his comedies are the “Student Matthias,” of which the emperor Matthias Corvinus is the hero, “The Suitors,” and “The Insurgents.” Kisfaludy es¬ tablished an able and successful literary annual, entitled the “Aurora.” Died in November, 1830. Kisfaludy, (SAndor,) an elder brother of the pre¬ ceding, and one of the most eminent of the poets cf Hungary, was born in the county of Szalad in 1772. He entered the army in 1793, and formed an attachment for the beautiful Rosalia Szegedy, who rejected him. H© subsequently served against Napoleon in Italy, and was \aken prisoner by the French. While a captive in the place where Petrarch had poured forth his immortal strains to Laura, the young Hungarian resolved to ad¬ dress the object of his love in a similar poem. In 1800 he regained the affections of the lady Rosalia, to whom he was married. He left the army and retired to his paternal estate. The same year the anonymous publica- tj >n of his poem, under the title of “ Himfy,” produced a sensation among men of letters never equalled in Hungary. In 1807 he made himself known in publish¬ ing a poem entitled “ Happy Love.” He afterwards wrote several other poems and dramas, of which “John Huniades” and “ Ladislaus the Rumanian” were greatly admired. Died in 1844. Three years later his complete works were published at Pesth, in 6 vols. Several extracts from “ Himfy” have been translated into English. See T. Mundt, “Geschichte der Literatur der Gegenwart, Leipsic, 1853; also the article on the “Language and Literature of the Magyars” in the “ Foreign Quarterly Review” for September, 1828. Kiss, kis, (Augustus,) a distinguished Prussian sculp¬ tor, born at Pless, in Upper Silesia, in 1802. He studied under the celebrated Rauch. He was professor in the Academy of Fine Arts of Berlin. Among his most admirable works are an equestrian statue of Frede rick the Great, and two colossal groups in bronze,—an “Amazon attacked by a Tiger,” and “Saint George and the Dragon.” Died in 1865. Kitch^n-er, (Horatio Herbert,) Baron, an English soldier, born in 1850. He entered the army in 1871, was in civil life 1874-82, took part in the Nile expedition 1884-85, and commanded a brigade I in the Suakim campaign of 1888. He was governor of Suakim 1886-88, adjutant-general of the Egyptian army 1888-92, and sirdar of the Egyptian army in 1890. He commanded the Khartum expe¬ dition of 1898, his brilliant success therein winning him the title of Baron Kitchener of Khartum. After the disasters in Natal in the British-Boer war of 1899- 1900, he went with Lord Roberts to South Africa, and aided efficiently in the subsequent successful opera¬ tions. Kitch'en-^r, (William,) an English physician and writer on gastronomy, born in London about 1775- He was the author of “The Cook’s Oracle,” “The Art of Invigorating and Prolonging Life,” “The Traveller’s Oracle,” “Observations on Vocal Music,” and other works on various subjects. Died in 1827. See William Jerdan, “Men I have known,” London, 1866; “Blackwood's Magazine” for October, 1827. Kit/cliin, (George William,) D.D., an English author, born at Naughton, in Suffolk, December 7, 1827. He graduated at Christ Church, Oxford, in 1850, and remained connected with the university until 1883, when he became Dean of Winchester, and Dean of Dur¬ ham in 1894. He issued editions of Bacon’s works, and of the “ Faerie Queene,” and wrote a “ History of France,” (1873,) “ Life of Pius II.,” (1881,) etc. Kite, (Charles,) an English physician and writer bom at Gravesend about 1768 ; died in 1811. Ki-Tseu or Ki-Tse. See Kee-Tse. Kit'to, (John,) an English writer, distinguished as a biblical scholar, born at Plymouth in 1804. He suffered much privation and neglect in his childhood in conse¬ quence of the intemperance of his father. About the age of twelve he wras rendered incurably deaf by a fall from the roof of a house. He became an inmate of the poor-house, where he manifested such an earnest desire to improve his mind that some persons procured for him admission to a college in Islington. As tutor to the children of Mr. Grove, he travelled in Russia, Arme¬ nia, and Persia in 1829-32. About 1833 he was engaged by Charles Knight to write for the “ Penny Magazine.” He edited “The Pictorial Bible” published by Charles Knight, (1838,) and produced numerous valuable and successful works, among which are “The Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature,” (4 vols., 1845-50,) “4 he Lost Senses—Deafness and Blindness,” which contains an autobiography, and “ Daily Bible Illustrations,” (7 vols.,