A Note from History: Samuel D. Gross of Philadelphia: Pathologist, Surgeon, and Medical Historian

摘要

Samuel David Gross (1805-1884) (Fig. 1), a native of Easton, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, wrote his first book in 1828, just two years after he received his M.D. degree. The book, which was the first American treatise on orthopedic pathology and surgery, was an instant success, but Gross's attempt to establish a surgical practice was a failure. Gross had ample time to study and, since he was fluent in French and German, he read the pathology texts of Baillie (1761-1823), Bichat (1771-1802), Cruveilhier (179-1874), Horner (1793-1853), and Andral (1797-1876), published in 1793, 1801, 1829, 1829, and 1832 respectively. Based on his diligent study of these treatises and his experience in dissection of human and animal bodies, Gross soon became qualified for a pathology position. In 1833 he was appointed demonstrator in pathology at the Cincinnati College of Medicine and in 1835 he was promoted to professor of pathologic anatomy. He continued to autopsy human and animal bodies and he performed the first experimental pathology studies in the United States . He also organized the nation's first didactic course in pathology for medical students and aspirant pathologists.