Evening star., 1939-01-10
Dr.. D. P. Hick|inq,
Veteran AIienist,
Dies al IS
Former D. G. Official
Was Nationally Known
As Specialist

DR.. Daniel Percy Hickling, District
alienist for 10 years until his retire
ment in 1888 and nationally known
nervous disease specialist, died early
today in Georgetown University
Hospital. He was IS years old.
Relatives said DR.. Hickling had
entered the hospital not long ago
with a foot infection which neces-
STATED amputation of his leg and
then contracted pneumonia. He
died at 6:15 am.
AS alienist for the District from
1914 to 1888, when he was retired
DR.. Hickling passed upon thousands
of persons to determine if they were
of sound or unsound mind. In leay-
ing Office he recommended to the
Commissioners the establishment of
a lunacy commission to handle the
work he had been doing.
Such commission, he felt
should have jurisdiction under the
law not only for the admission of
patients to st. Elizabeth's Hospital
but for the discharge of District
cases who have been previously COM
mitted.
Appeared in Thaw Case,
He was consulting alienist at st.
Elizabeth's, psychiatrist in chief at
Gallinger Municipal Hospital and
also had charge of the neurology
department at Georgetown Hospital
during the years following his re-
tlrement from public Office. Since
1919 he has been attending special
ist in the neuro-psychiatric service
OF the United States Veterans Bu-
reau and he has also been a con-
sulting neuro-psychiatrist at Prov
idence Hospital.
DR.. Hickling was one of the
alienists called in to determine the
sanity of Harry K. Thaw. Broad
way playboy charged with the mur-
der of Stanford White, well-known
architect, about 1906. Thaw was
declared insane.
The Well-knoWn specialist was
also asked to appear at the famous
Loeb-Leopold trial, but refused tc
do so.
DR.. Hickling, who is native of the
District, was seriously injured a few
years ago when he fell down an ele-
vator shaft in his old home at 1904
Rhode Island avenue NV, the VIC
tim OF habit of 30 years. The lift
was being installed in what had been
his old medicine closet.
NJ. ID. From GEORGETOWN.
A graduate OF the old Columbian
College, now George Washington
University, he took his M. D. from
Georgetown in 1884 and a master OF
arts degree in 1925. In April of 1887
Georgetown University made hin,
doctor of science.
He pursued the graduate study OF
neurology at Fordham following
study in Paris, London, Chicago and
Boston.
In the early days before the turn
OF the century he was resident phv-
slcian at Providence Hospital for a
year and in 1897 took charge of the
Washington Asylum Hospital as a
visiting physician. In this latter
capacity he remained until 1914.
AS an educator, DR.. Hickling had
an impressive record. In addition
to his aftiliation with the George
town Medical School, he was a pro-
lessor of medical Jurisprudence at
National University. He wrote many
monographs on medical subjects
and belonged to the Committee on
Organization for the First Interna-
tlonal Congress on Mental Hygiene
A member of the American Medi-
cal Association and the District
Medical Society, he was chairman
OF the Executive Committee of the
Society of Mental Hygiene of the
District of Columbia.
Many Professional Societies.
He belonged to the American
Psychiatric Society. the national and
local Psychopathic Psychological So
cleties, and was chairman at one
time of the Public Health Commit
tee of the Board of Trade. His ac-
tivitles further included the Acad-
emy of Sciences and the Anthropo-
logical Society of the District.
In Freemasonry he held the 32d
degree and was Knight Templar
and Shriner.
Dr.. Hickling is survived by his
widow. Mrs. Harriet Stone Hickling
daughter of former Gov. Stone of
Pennsylvania; daughter, Mrs.
Sarah Shovel, and a son, Daniel
Percy. jr. His home was at GIL
Thirty third street NV.
Funeral services will be at Lees
Funeral Home, Fourth and Massa-
chusetts avenue NE. Thursday at
2 pm. and burial will be in Rock
Creek Cemetery.