Head and shoulders of figure facing forward, wearing jacket, vest, and tie. The base of the truncated torso is supported by a low, flat scroll with a lengthy inscription at the verso. Inscribed "C A Heber 19(27)" and "Francis X. Dercum M. D." Additional inscription at rear bottom: "one of the generalizations held out to us by the conception of the universe here outlined is that of a whole, all parts of which are expressive of manifestations of energy, manifestations cognate in correlative and intrinsically identical of necessity [.] such a conception must include living matter. Francis X. Dercum"