A Synopsis of Gerald Imber’s Published Biography of William Halsted: ‘‘Genius on the Edge—The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted’’

摘要

Williams Stewart Halsted (1852–1922) is considered by many as the father of modern surgery. His emphasis on aseptic techniques would lead a drastic and lasting change of surgery from quick and devastating procedures to tedious and thought-out operations performed to preserve tissue and prevent postoperative infection. ‘‘Halsted believed that crystal-clear thinking and a decisive unemotional approach were the duty of the surgeon.’’ In a recent biography by Gerald Imber,1 WilliamHalsted who was born on September 23, 1852, in New York City, was brought up by a family that includeda mix of businessmen/merchants and physicians. His father, William Mills Halsted, Jr., was abusinessman with Halsted, Haines, and Company. Hisuncle, Thaddeus Halsted, was an attending surgeon at New York Hospital (chartered by King George IIIin 1771). Up until the age of 10 years, William was homeschooled by governesses and would then be enrolled in Phillips Academy, a preparatory school in Andover, Massachusetts. From there, he would attend Yale University in 1869, where he would spend hisearly years focused in sports.