Evening star., 1936-06-07
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Many members of Congress are max
ing the trip to the United States Naval
Academy at Annapolis, Md, to see a
unique exhibit Of naval and other
medals, the bequeSt of the late and
famous DR.. Malcolm Storer Of Boston,
Mass, accepted year ago by Secretary
Swanson, obedient to a special act of
Congress. Representative William L.
Higgins OF Connecticut, recent visitor,
was told by the curator, Lieut.. Wade
De Weese:
This collection is unique and ar
rangement for its permanent exhibition
is an innovation in the display of
medals and coins. They are being
mounted on swinging leaf stands so that
both diverse and reverse sides of every
medal can be seen at glance. The
manner Of insertion and securing in the
stands, as well as the medals themselves,
is of interest to all numismatists."
DR.. Storer, who died January g. 1885,
was one of the most noted gynecologists
and numismatiSts Of his generation He
came from long line Of distinguished
and sturdy New England ancestry, in
cluding many noted physicians, mostly
Harvard graduates. After graduation
1IOIIl fd1u Ill 1000 1lC SIuOlSu III
Vienna and Dublin, and was surgical
house officer in the Massachusetts Gen.
eral Hospital an instructor in gynecol-
ogy at Harvard Medical School, on the
staff of Carney Hospital, st. Elizabeths
Hospital and Boston Dispensary. For
more than 80 years he was conspicuous
in many administrative positions-chief
of staff of the Boston Dispensary, secre-
and nrPSiHHnt nf the ROSfnr Oh
Stetrical Society, president of the food
clinics for the Massachusetts General
Hospital, on the Executive Committee
of the Boston Medical Library, counselor
of the Harvard Medical Alumni Asso-
citation. member of the Society for Med
ical improvement of Boston, the MaSsa-
chusetts Medical Society and the Amer
ican Medical Association. He was the
author of numerous papers and books
in the field of gynecology.
Alongside his medical duties and
leadership. he INDUCED in his avocation
for numismatics-to distinction. He was
the author of many books on this sub
ject which are recognized as authorita-
tive. Five years ago he edited his
fathers "Medicina in Nummis." One
of his most important works was "The
History of Massachusetts, Medals" pub
hshed by the Massachusetts, Historical
Society. 1t mentions 1900 medals and
establishes a standard for like publica-
tionS.
Another of DR.. Storer's most interest
ing works was on Pine Tree Shillings
and Other Colonial Money in Old Time
New England" He was intrusted with
the care of the most important numis-
matte collections in the Boston area. He
himself specialized in collecting naval
medals, which have now been presented
to the United States Naval Academy. He
was curator of the collection Of medical
medals presented by his father to the
Boston Medical Library, of the coins and
medals of the Massachusetts, Historical
Society and was honorary keeper Of
the coins at the Boston Museum of Fine
Arts. He was for IL years on the council
of the Massachusetts, Historical Society,
q vice president of the Bunker Hill Mon
ument Association and the Naval History
Society.
He was well read, had a retentive
memory and a command of English,
French, German, Spanish and Italian
all Of which well qualified him as
reader" to pass upon books for the
Boston Public Library.
Just before his death he wrote:
What a fine thing life is"
The Post Office Department in its
issuance of many special stamps to COM
memorate historical events and cele-
brations finds a keen rival in the au-
thorization by Congress of many special
coins One of the most recent and in
teresting- is a 50-cent piece in COM
memoration of the 350th anniversary
Of Sir Walter Raleigh's colony on Roa-
noke Island, N. c., known in history as
the Lost Colony" and the birth OF
Virginia Dare, the first child Of English
parentage to be born on the American
continent, and her baptism. When the
bill passed the House, Representative
Rich of Pennsylvania, the great objector
from the Republican side, emphasized
that "this is the fifty-ninth bill that has
been presented to Congress requesting
the coinage of silver money for some
kind of a show. 1 think we have begun
the Democratic administrations infla-
ton measure through this channel"
1888
Theodore Roosevelt is generally given
credit for originating the expression,
"innocuous desuetude." He revived and
memorialized 1t, but the records date
back to Grover Cleveland, who used these
words In q message on March /, 1885.