Henry Ernest Schmid, M.D., who is a well-known member of the medical profession, was born in Saxony, Prussia, May 1, 1824. His father, who was a publisher and connected with the famous family of Tauchnitz, intended him to follow his profession. After receiving his early education at the great Latin school at Halle, Dr. Schmid commenced a higher literary course for that purpose. His father,, unfortunately, incurred the censure of the government, and this changed the whole tenor of the son's life. The

latter emigrated to this country in 1853, and soon after his arrival went to Virginia, and having an early predilection for the study of medicine, pursued that branch of science at Winchester and at the University of Virginia. For a while he was connected with a newspaper in Richmond, and in 1859 was sent, under the auspices of the Episcopal Board of Foreign Missions, as medical missionary to Japan. While in that country he organized a hospital and his practice increased to an enormous extent among the natives, who were quick to learn the superiority of foreign practitioners. Owing to the failure of his health he obtained a position on board the flag-ship of an English surveying fleet as interpreter. In this capacity he visited Corea and northern China, Borneo, Java and Sumatra. The ship, having narrowly escaped destruction in a typhoon, went to Cape Town for repairs, and Dr. Schmid embraced the opportunity to make an extensive tour in southern Africa. He afterwards went to St. Helena and the Azores, and thence to England, returning to this country in 1862.