Henry Jacob Bigelow
Encyclopedia
Henry Jacob Bigelow was an American
surgeon
and Professor of Surgery at Harvard University
. He was a vocal opponent of vivisection
and was best known for his description of the hip joint and for a technique for treating patients with kidney stones.
, Massachusetts
. His father was Jacob Bigelow
who also taught medicine at Harvard. Bigelow entered Harvard College in 1833, when he was fifteen years old. In addition to studying medicine at Harvard, he also studied at Dartmouth College
with Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
He received his M.D. at Harvard in 1841. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1846.
His article, "Dr. Harlow's case of Recovery from the passage of an Iron Bar through the Head," American Journal of the Medical Sciences 20:13-22 (1850) brought the case of Phineas Gage
out of absolute obscurity into merely relative obscurity, and largely neutralized remaining scepticism about the case.
Bigelow described the structure and function of the Y-ligament
of the hip joint in great detail, and it still carries his name.
In 1878 he published his essay, "Lithotrity by a Single Operation." In this he described his method and technique for "the crushing and removal of a stone from the bladder at one sitting." Prior to this, surgeons would crush a bladder stone and then spend no more than two to five minutes removing the pieces. The remaining fragments would remain for a later session for removal. This resulted in much discomfort and complications as the remaining fragments found an exit on their own. Removing the entire bladder stone in one procedure was a great advancement.
Bigelow died on October 30, 1890 due to complications resulting from an accident at his country home in Newton, Massachusetts. He is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
and Professor of Surgery at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He was a vocal opponent of vivisection
Vivisection
Vivisection is defined as surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure...
and was best known for his description of the hip joint and for a technique for treating patients with kidney stones.
Biography
Bigelow was born on March 11, 1818 in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. His father was Jacob Bigelow
Jacob Bigelow
Jacob Bigelow was an American medical doctor, botanist, and architect of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.-Biography:...
who also taught medicine at Harvard. Bigelow entered Harvard College in 1833, when he was fifteen years old. In addition to studying medicine at Harvard, he also studied at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
with Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat...
He received his M.D. at Harvard in 1841. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1846.
His article, "Dr. Harlow's case of Recovery from the passage of an Iron Bar through the Head," American Journal of the Medical Sciences 20:13-22 (1850) brought the case of Phineas Gage
Phineas Gage
Phineas P. Gage was an American railroad construction foreman now remembered for his improbablesurvival of an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain's left frontal lobe, and for that injury's reported effects on his personality and...
out of absolute obscurity into merely relative obscurity, and largely neutralized remaining scepticism about the case.
Bigelow described the structure and function of the Y-ligament
Iliofemoral ligament
The iliofemoral ligament is a ligament of the hip joint which extends from the ilium to the femur in front of the joint. It is also referred to as the Y-ligament or the ligament of Bigelow, and any combinations of these names....
of the hip joint in great detail, and it still carries his name.
In 1878 he published his essay, "Lithotrity by a Single Operation." In this he described his method and technique for "the crushing and removal of a stone from the bladder at one sitting." Prior to this, surgeons would crush a bladder stone and then spend no more than two to five minutes removing the pieces. The remaining fragments would remain for a later session for removal. This resulted in much discomfort and complications as the remaining fragments found an exit on their own. Removing the entire bladder stone in one procedure was a great advancement.
Bigelow died on October 30, 1890 due to complications resulting from an accident at his country home in Newton, Massachusetts. He is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery", or the first "rural cemetery", with classical monuments set in a rolling landscaped terrain...
.