PURPLE, Samuel Smith, physician, born in Lebanon, Madison County, New York, 24 June, 1822. He received a common-school education and was graduated at the medical department of the University of the city of New York in 1844. In 1846-'8 he was physician to the New York city dispensary, and he was ward physician in the board of health during the cholera epidemic of 1849. He was vice-president of the New York academy of medicine in 1872-'5, its president from 1876 till 1880, and was made second vice-president of the New York genealogical and biographical society in 1888. His publications are " The Corpus Luteum" (1846); "Menstruation" (New York, 1846) ; "Contributions to the Practice of Midwifery " (1853); " Observations on the Remedial Properties of Simaba Cedron" (1854); " Observations on Wounds of the Heart" (1855);" Genealogical Memorials of William Bradford, First Printer of New York " (1873); " In Memoriam : Edwin R. Purple" (1881) ; and "Memoir of the Life and Writings of Hon. Teunis G. Bergen " (1881).--His brother, Edwin Ruthven, lawyer, born m Sherburne, New York, 30 June, 1831 ; died in New York city. 20 January, 1879, was educated at Earlville academy. In 1850 he emigrated to California, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1855, and served as county supervisor and justice of the fifth township in Calaveras county. In the autumn of 1862 he discovered, in connection with John White and five others, the first gold in Montana, on Willard's creek, a tributary of Beaver Head river. He contributed to the " New York Genealogical and Biographical Record," and published " Genealogical Notes on the Colden Family in America" (New York, 1873); "Biographical and Genealogical Notes of the Provoost Family in New York" (1875); "Genealogical Notes relating to Lieutenant-Governor Jacob Leisler and his Family Connections in New York" (1877); " Contributions to the History of the Kip Family of New York and New Jersey" (1877) ; and " Contributions to the History of Ancient Families of New Netherland and New York," which were collected and published by his brother, with a memoir (New York, 1881).