Francis Edward Stewart, physician, pharmacist, and author, was born on 13 September 1853 in Albion, New York. After attending Oberlin College in Ohio, he entered the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, but decided to graduate in pharmacy before completing his medical course. He did this under the tutorship of H. C. Blair's Sons of Philadelphia, receiving his diploma from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1876. Stewart continued his medical studies at Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia and graduated with the class of 1879. During the period between his first and second course in medicine Stewart was employed in New York City as manager of Hunter's Pharmacy and then as chemist and director of H. T. Helbold Buchu Manufacturing Company. At the same time, under the same financial auspices, he served briefly as president of F. E. Stewart and Co. These three years of varied experience gave him an insight into the retail drug business, “patent” medicine business, and manufacturing pharmacy. He also became a member of the Hospital Committee of New York State Charities' Aid Association, and chairman of its Committee on Almshouses.
After graduation, Stewart opened an office for the practice of medicine in New York City and worked as a staff physician of the New York Loan Relief Association from 1880 to 1882. In 1882, as a result of the publicity generated by his preparation of desiccated, defibrinated bullock's blood and his proposal for a National Bureau of Materia Medica, Parke, Davis and Co. asked Stewart to establish their Scientific Department. Stewart maintained a connection with Parke, Davis and Co. for six years. During this time he continued to practice medicine in Philadelphia, edited the Therapeutic Gazette, and served as Demonstrator and Lecturer in Materia Medica and Pharmacy at the Medico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia, Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, and Jefferson Medical College. He served as House Physician for Glen Springs Sanitarium during the years 1892 to 1894. Pharmacy continued to interest Stewart, however, and he became director of the Scientific Department of Frederick Sterns and Co. in 1894. After working there for three years he resigned to become Chairman of the Medical Board of Merck and Co. and Editor of the Merck Archives from 1897 to 1901. From 1902 to 1905 Stewart was involved in the organization of the National Pharmacy Company in San Francisco, California. He also served as Director of the Scientific Department. Finally, in 1906, Stewart took a position as Founder and Director of the Scientific Department of H. K. Mulford and Co. He stayed with Mulford until his retirement in 1920.
Stewart was very active in professional associations and through his involvement advocated reform in materia medica, the pharmaceutical supply business, and patent and trademark law. He proposed a National Bureau of Medicines and Foods, organized the American Pharmacologic Society, was instrumental in forming the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry of the American Medical Association, and served as chairman of the Committee on Patents and Trademarks of the American Pharmaceutical Association.
A prolific writer, Stewart published scientific works on pharmacy, including Stewart's Compend of Pharmacy, which went through ten editions, as well as articles resulting from his work as director of the scientific departments of three pharmaceutical firms. He also wrote a large number of articles on patents and trademarks, the position of pharmacy as a profession, and the relation of pharmacotherapeutics to medicine. In the last years of his life, Stewart began to organize materials for an autobiography at the request of Robert P. Fischelis. Although he wrote drafts, this project was never completed.
Stewart married Mary Ida Seidel on 17 March 1885. They had two daughters, Mildred Penrose Stewart and Frances Marjorie Mathews Stewart. After the death of his wife on 15 December 1925, Stewart married Susan Palmer on 26 December 1927. He died on 20 February 1941 in Germantown, Pennsylvania.
