Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/1249

NAME WHITE 1227 WHITE on account of additional studies. He was ap- pointed a member of the staff of Professor Louis Agassiz (q.v.) on the Hassler Elxpedition which sailed from Boston, December 4, 1871. Dr. White contributed to the columns of the Nezi' York Herald a series of letters descrip- tive of the places visited and the work accom- plished by the expedition. On his return to Philadelphia he became resident physician of the Philadelphia Hos- pital, and the next year was appointed to the same position at the Eastern Penitentiary, holding the latter office until 1876, when he resigned to take up private practice. He asso- ciated himself as an assistant with Professor D. Hayes Agnew (q.v.), and after holding some minor positions was appointed professor of genito-urinary diseases in the University of Pennsylvania, and subsequently, professor of cUnica! surgery, and then John Rhea Barton, professor of sbrgerj', occupying the last office until January 1, 1911. He was at various times surgeon to the Philadelphia Hospital, the German Hospital and the University Hospital, and was consulting surgeon to the Jewish, Bryn Mawr and Maternity Hospitals. He was a member of the American Surgical Associa- tion ; a member and president of the American Genito-Urinary Association, and a fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. He was joint translator and editor of "Cornil on SyphiHs" (Simes and White), 1875; joint author of the "American Text-book of Surgery" (Keen and White), 1896; "Genito- Urinary Surgery" (White and Martin), 1897; and Piersol's "Human Anatomy" (1907). He published numerous articles on medical and surgical subjects in medical journals, of which the following special!}' deserve mention : "Hereditary Syphilis ;" "Iodide of Potassium in Syphilis;" "The Surgery of the Spine;" "The Present Position of Antiseptic Surgery ;" "The Supposed Curative Effect of Operations Per Se;" "The Treatment of Glandular Tumors of the Neck;" "The Abortive Treat- ment of Syphilis;" "The Topical Treatment of Focal Epilepsy;" "The Surgery of the Hyper- trophied Prostate ;" "The Diagnosis and Treatment of _ Appendicitis ;" "The Value of Early Operation in New Growths;" "The Surgical Affections of the Kidneys;" also a memoir of Dr. D. Hayes Agnew, and numer- ous addresses. In surgical hterature his claim to originality will probably rest especially on "The Surgery of the Hypertrophied Prostate" which brought forward the idea of orchidectomy as a means of bringing about atrophy of the prostate. Though this method has fallen into disuse, the thought underlying it, stimulated research in other directions regarding the effect of abla- tion of certain endocrine glands lipon the structure and functions of other glands. In surgical practice he will be remembered chiefly as a careful diagnostician and as a cautious and successful, rather than a brilliant, opera- tor. His lucid lectures and writings, which will be long remembered by his contemporaries and pupils and which will, undoubtedly, through the latter leave lasting impressions upon the surgery of the future, constitute his greatest service to the profession he loved and adorned. Throughout his life. Dr. White was deeply interested in athletics and physical education and was the first professor of physical educa- tion at the University of Pennsylvania, having himself been the founder of that department. At different times of his life he was a devotee of swimming, rowing, cross-country riding, bicycling, pedestrianism and mountain climb- ing. He was a member of both the American and Swiss Alpine Clubs. On one occasion he swam from Narragansett to Newport, a dis- tance of ten miles, in cold, rough water, in five hours and forty minutes. As might be assumed from his interests, his personal char- acteristics were essentially virile and remained so to the end of his life. His public spirit was shown by his interest- in Fairmount Park of Philadelphia and in various enterprises for the betterment of con- ditions in his native city. Upon the outbreak of the European War in 1914 he entered upon a large correspondence with friends in Eng- land and France and contributed two books, "A Primer" and a "Text-book of the War" for the purpose of presenting to the American public the facts leading up to the war and the reasons for American participation on the Allied side. In March, 1888, he married Letitia, daugh- ter of Benjamin H. Brown, Esq., of Phila- delphia. There was no issue from this marriage. In 1906 a serious abdominal condition neces- sitating operation developed that was thought to be malignant disease of the sigmoid. He sought the services of Dr. William Mayo of Rochester, Minnesota, and fortunately, the condition turned out to be non-malignant (Diverticulitis). His recovery from this oper- ation was speedy, and in the same year he was able to be present at the four hundredth anni- versary of the University of Aberdeen, where he was chosen to make the speech of congrat- ulation on behalf of all of the American universities, and at the same time received the