Silas Weir Mitchell - Barraquer-Simons syndrome - Bernard-Horner
syndrome (Claude Bernard) - Mitchell's rest cure - Mitchell's
syndrome I Biography of Silas Weir Mitchell Silas Weir Mitchell
was born in Philadelphia to a family of Scottish origin, the
seventh physician in three generations. His father was John
Kearsley Mitchell (1798-1858), a physician and lecturer at
Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia; his mother was
Matilda Henry Mitchell (1800-1872). Weir Mitchell was accustomed
to wealth and cultural pursuits, and was deeply religious. As a
boy he was required to read a daily bible text and to attend
church twice on Sundays where he wiled away his time reading
novels such as «Midshipman Easy».When he first joined the
University of Pennsylvania at the age of fifteen he had a poor
record, preferring to play billiards, write poetry, and play
truant rather than to deal with subjects such as mathematics,
which he cordially disliked. His father said to him «you are
wanting in nearly all the qualities tha