Robert Jones (surgeon)
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Jones, 1st Baronet
, KBE, CB
(28 June 1857, Rhyl
– 14 January 1933, Bodynfoel, nr. Llanfechain
) was a British
orthopaedic surgeon
who helped to establish the modern specialty of orthpaedic surgery in Britain.
He was an early proponent of the use of radiography
in orthopaedics, and described the eponymous Jones fracture
.
, in Liverpool. He learned about fracture
care and the manufacture of braces from his uncle, and attended the Liverpool School of Medicine from 1873 to 1878.
He continued to work with his uncle, and was subsequently appointed Honorary Assistant Surgeon to the Stanley Hospital in Liverpool in 1887. At this time, Jones and his uncle were among the few surgeons interested in the treatment of fractures, while the majority of orthopaedic surgery was aimed at correcting deformity in children and was carried out by general surgeons. He received his FRCS
in 1889.
, responsible for the injured among the 20,000 workers during the seven year project. He organised the first comprehensive accident service in the world, dividing the 36 mile site into 3 sections, and establishing a hospital and a string of first aid posts in each section. He staffed the hospitals with medical personnel trained in fracture management. The hospitals were linked by a railway which ran the length of the canal, and Sir Robert could be contacted in Liverpool by telegraphy
if his presence was required. He personally managed 3,000 cases and performed 300 operations in his own hospital. This position enabled him to learn new techniques and improve the standard of fracture management.
On 3 November 1894, Robert Jones and Alfred Tubby convened a group of surgeons at the Holborn Restaurant in London to Found the British Orthopaedic Society. The society had 31 members, most of whom were still general surgeons with an interest in orthopaedics; this lack of committed orthopaedic surgeons is likely to have been the reason that the society disbanded after 4 years.
In 1913 Jones served as the President of the orthopaedic section of the International Medical Congress held in London. The subsequent congress was to be held in Munich
three years later.
military orthopaedic hospitals. His advocacy of the use of Thomas splint
for the initial treatment of femoral
fractures resulted in a dramatic reduction in morbidity and mortality from this injury. Jones was promoted serveral times for his war service, ending his military career as a major general
.
s on 28 December 1895. This discovery was published in the Frankfurter Zeitung
newspaper which was translated for Robert Jones by Mrs. Wimpfheimer, a volunteer in his Sunday clinic in Liverpool.
On 7 February 1896, Jones and Oliver Lodge took a radiograph of the wrist of a 12 year old boy to locate a bullet that could not be found by probing. The X-ray required a 2 hour exposure, but successfully demonstrated the bullet lodged in the third carpometacarpal joint. This case was published in The Lancet in February 1896, the first published clinical radiograph.
Jones continued to value the use of X-rays in his practice. In a paper published a few months before he died, he remarked:
, and a baronet
. After his death, his ashes were laid to rest in Liverpool Cathedral
.
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, KBE, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(28 June 1857, Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
– 14 January 1933, Bodynfoel, nr. Llanfechain
Llanfechain
Llanfechain is a small village located in northern Powys, mid-Wales, between Llanfyllin and Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain. It has a population of approximately 600 people....
) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
orthopaedic surgeon
Orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
who helped to establish the modern specialty of orthpaedic surgery in Britain.
He was an early proponent of the use of radiography
Radiography
Radiography is the use of X-rays to view a non-uniformly composed material such as the human body. By using the physical properties of the ray an image can be developed which displays areas of different density and composition....
in orthopaedics, and described the eponymous Jones fracture
Jones fracture
A Jones fracture is a fracture of the diaphysis of the fifth metatarsal of the foot. The fifth metatarsal is at the base of the small toe. The proximal end, where the Jones fracture occurs, is in the midportion of the foot. Patients who sustain a Jones fracture have pain over this area, swelling,...
.
Life and work
Robert Jones was born in North Wales in 1857, and was brought up in London. His father gave up his career as an architect to take up writing, so his family became quite poor. At the age of 16 he left London to live with his uncle, Hugh Owen ThomasHugh Owen Thomas
Hugh Owen Thomas was a Welsh surgeon. He is considered the father of orthopaedic surgery in Britain.-Early life:...
, in Liverpool. He learned about fracture
Bone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
care and the manufacture of braces from his uncle, and attended the Liverpool School of Medicine from 1873 to 1878.
He continued to work with his uncle, and was subsequently appointed Honorary Assistant Surgeon to the Stanley Hospital in Liverpool in 1887. At this time, Jones and his uncle were among the few surgeons interested in the treatment of fractures, while the majority of orthopaedic surgery was aimed at correcting deformity in children and was carried out by general surgeons. He received his FRCS
Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons
Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons is a professional qualification to practise as a surgeon in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland...
in 1889.
Manchester Ship Canal
In 1888 he was appointed Surgeon-Superintendent for the construction of the Manchester Ship CanalManchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
, responsible for the injured among the 20,000 workers during the seven year project. He organised the first comprehensive accident service in the world, dividing the 36 mile site into 3 sections, and establishing a hospital and a string of first aid posts in each section. He staffed the hospitals with medical personnel trained in fracture management. The hospitals were linked by a railway which ran the length of the canal, and Sir Robert could be contacted in Liverpool by telegraphy
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
if his presence was required. He personally managed 3,000 cases and performed 300 operations in his own hospital. This position enabled him to learn new techniques and improve the standard of fracture management.
On 3 November 1894, Robert Jones and Alfred Tubby convened a group of surgeons at the Holborn Restaurant in London to Found the British Orthopaedic Society. The society had 31 members, most of whom were still general surgeons with an interest in orthopaedics; this lack of committed orthopaedic surgeons is likely to have been the reason that the society disbanded after 4 years.
In 1913 Jones served as the President of the orthopaedic section of the International Medical Congress held in London. The subsequent congress was to be held in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
three years later.
First World War
At the outbreak of the First World War Jones was mobilised as a territorial surgeon. He observed that treatment of fractures both at the front and in hospitals at home was inadequate, and his efforts led to the introduction of military orthopaedic hospitals. He was appointed Inspector of Military Orthopaedics, with responsibility over 30,000 beds. The hospital in Ducane Road, Hammersmith became the model for both British and AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military orthopaedic hospitals. His advocacy of the use of Thomas splint
Traction splint
A traction splint most commonly refers to a splinting device that uses straps attaching over the pelvis or hip as an anchor, a metal rod to mimic normal bone stability and limb length, and a mechanical device to apply traction to the limb...
for the initial treatment of femoral
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
fractures resulted in a dramatic reduction in morbidity and mortality from this injury. Jones was promoted serveral times for his war service, ending his military career as a major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
.
Radiography
Wilhelm Röntgen announced the discovery of X-rayX-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s on 28 December 1895. This discovery was published in the Frankfurter Zeitung
Frankfurter Zeitung
The Frankfurter Zeitung was a German language newspaper that appeared from 1856 to 1943. It emerged from a market letter that was published in Frankfurt...
newspaper which was translated for Robert Jones by Mrs. Wimpfheimer, a volunteer in his Sunday clinic in Liverpool.
On 7 February 1896, Jones and Oliver Lodge took a radiograph of the wrist of a 12 year old boy to locate a bullet that could not be found by probing. The X-ray required a 2 hour exposure, but successfully demonstrated the bullet lodged in the third carpometacarpal joint. This case was published in The Lancet in February 1896, the first published clinical radiograph.
Jones continued to value the use of X-rays in his practice. In a paper published a few months before he died, he remarked:
Radiography here, as in all branches of medicine, is an essential aid to diagnosis. No matter how experienced we may be, we cannot afford to dispense with it, even in the apparently simple and obvious case. Not only should we insist upon procuring a film, but it is equally important that we should welcome the radiologist's reading of it. Some surgeons resent this and say, "Give me the film so that I can read it for myself," but this is an arrogant and stupid attitude, and not to the patient's advantage.
The Jones fracture
Robert Jones described the fracture of the fifth metatarsal which bears his name in the Annals of Surgery in 1902. In his paper, Jones describes the fracture in a series of 6 patients, the first of which was himself. He had injured his foot while dancing several months earlier, and had thought the injury to be to a tendon in the foot. He examined himself the day after the injury, and found that the tendon was intact, but he could not find definite evidence of bony injury. He asked a colleague, Dr. David Morgan, to X-ray his foot, and a fracture above the base of the fifth metatarsal was found. The finding of similar fractures in several patients after his own prompted him to write about it. He also noted that the fracture was not caused by direct trauma to the bone, as had always been written before, but by a cross-strain being applied to the bone.Honours
Jones was the recipient of many honours from surgical institutions and societies at home and abroad and received honorary degrees from six universities, of which the D.Sc. from the University of Wales (1917) was one. The universal tribute to him as an orthopaedic surgeon was revealed by his election as first president of the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery. He was made KBE, CBOrder of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, and a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
. After his death, his ashes were laid to rest in Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool but it is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
.
Further reading
- F. Watson, The Life of Sir Robert Jones, 1934 (London, 1934)
- A. Rocyn Jones in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 1907 ff , 1937