Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-23
DR.. DERCUM DIES;
/ WILSON PHYSICIAN
Noted Scientist Stricken at
Meeting of Philosophical
Society.

BY the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, April 23.-Dr
Francis x. Dercum, noted neurologis
and president of the American Philo.
sophical Society, died suddenly today a:
he was about to open the annual meet
ing of the famous scientific organization
founded by Benjamin Franklin.
DR.. Dercum, who had been i'll, topplec
over as he sat in the presidents chair
surrounded by scientific men from diff
ferent parts of the country. and died If
an adjoining room in few minutes.
DR.. Dercum, who was one of the con-
sulting physicians during President
woodrow wilson's illness, was IA, and a
resident of Philadelphia. He was very i'll
last Winter, and friends urged him not
to take an active part in the society'S
annual gathering.
DR.. Dercum tainted so quietly in his
chair that many in the audience did
not notice it until he was picked up and
carried from the room.
He died as a scientist would wish, :"
was the remark made by a scientist
when word came that he had passed
away.
Takes Vacant Chair.
DR.. Bergman Scott, professor emeri-
tus of geology at Princeton University,
took over the vacant chair and. called
the meeting to order on time.
After announcing the death of the
said The meeting will proceed on
schedule time. This is as DR.. Dercum
would have wished"
The meeting then proceeded with
Arthur H. Compton, professor OF
physics of the University of Chicago,
reading a paper on THE Assault on
Atoms and Molecules
Part of the proceedings were being
broadcast and it was announced that
scheduled addresses must start on time.
Another paper read as DR.. Dercum's
body was being removed to his home
was on "Lengthening the Span of Life, "
by Lee K. Frankel, second vice presi-
dent Of the Metropolitan Life Insurance
Co., New York. in which he said that
1t may be expected that 10 years will
soon be added to the span of life.
Dercum President Seven Years.
DR.. Dercum was for seven years
president of the society. which was
founded by Franklin, in 1927, "for pro-
noting useful knowledge" It has met
in its present quarters in historic In
dependence Square for 142 years.
DR.. Dercum was a native of Philadel-
phia and was graduated from the
UniverEty of Pennsylvania in 1877. He
began his medical career as a family
doctor and built up large practice.
His ability as an anatonist was recog-
nized in 1878 when he was appointed as
assistant demonstration in the histology
cal and physiological laboratories of the
University Of Pennsylvania.
With other Philadelphia physicians
ne founded the Philadelphia Neurological
Society and became an authority on
nervous diseases. He was the author of
many papers and works on the subject.
Disease Bears Name.
Probably the work which will longest
keep his name alive in medical annals
was his Identification and description of
q disease of the adipoSe tissue. 1t is
known in medical literature as Der
GUMS disease" and referred to by French
writers as "Maladie de Dercum."
DR.. Dercum was a member Of many
societies within and without the
medical profession. In 1928 France
made him chevalier of the Legion of
Honor.
After President Wilson was stricken
while on his speaking tour in the West
in behalf Of the League Of Nations, DR..
Dercum was called in on the Presidents
return to Washington and made many
trips to the White House.
DR.. Dercum was married in 1891 to
Miss Elizabeth Comfy of Philadelphia.
They had three children.