David Nevin Rankin (October 27, 1834 – January 1, 1900) was an American medical doctor.

Biography

He born in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania on October 27, 1834. After graduation at

Jefferson Medical College Thomas Jefferson University is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in its earliest form in 1824, the university officially combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. To signify its heritage, the univer ...

in 1854, he practiced with his father in his native town until the beginning of the United States Civil War, in which he served as acting assistant surgeon, and aided in opening many of the largest United States army hospitals during the war, among which were the Mansion-house hospital in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...

, and the

Douglas Hospital The Douglas Mental Health University Institute (french: Institut universitaire en santé mentale Douglas; formerly the Douglas Hospital and originally the Protestant Hospital for the Insane) is a Canadian psychiatric hospital located in the borou ...

in Washington, D.C. Afterward he was made one of the thirty surgeons in the volunteer aid corps of surgeons of Pennsylvania, which rendered efficient service. From 1864 to 1966 he was medical examiner of the

Pension Bureau The Bureau of Pensions was an agency of the federal government of the United States which existed from 1832 to 1930. It originally administered pensions solely for military personnel. Pension duties were transferred to the United States Department o ...

, and from 1865 on he was chief physician of the Penitentiary of Western Pennsylvania in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

. Dr. Rankin was a member of the British medical association in 1884, a delegate to the 8th and 9th International Medical Congresses, and was a member of various medical societies. He contributed numerous articles to medical journals. He died on January 1, 1900.

Notes

References

William Biddle Atkinson. ''The physicians and surgeons of the United States''. page 34. Online Google Books. March 18, 2009
Attribution {{US-physician-stub 1834 births 1900 deaths Union Army surgeons People from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania