Christian Fenger
Encyclopedia
Christian Fenger was a Danish
-born surgeon, pathologist, and medical instructor. In the later half of his life, he worked at several medical institutions in Chicago
, and became one of the most highly regarded surgeons in the United States.
Born to a farming family, Fenger studied engineering at the Copenhagen Polytechnic Institute
before his father convinced him to pursue a medical degree at the University of Copenhagen
. He gained experience as a surgeon during the Danish-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War
and received his MD
in 1874. From 1875 to 1877, Fenger worked in Egypt
, where he studied trachoma
and schistosomiasis
. However, he did not cope well with the Egyptian climate, and at the advice of a group of Americans he met in Cairo
, he set off for the United States. He eventually settled in Chicago, which had a prominent Scandinavian
community.
Fenger was invited to perform some autopsies at Cook County Hospital, and soon joined that hospital's surgical staff. He worked there until 1893, while also holding various teaching positions at the Chicago Medical College and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago
. From 1893 to 1899, Fenger worked as chair of surgery at the Chicago Medical College; he then became a professor of surgery at Rush Medical College
. Fenger's lectures were very popular, and over the years, he trained several prominent physicians, including William James Mayo
, Charles Horace Mayo
, Nicholas Senn
, James B. Herrick, Ludvig Hektoen
, and Howard Taylor Ricketts
.
In Chicago, Fenger helped demonstrate the bacterial origins of endocarditis
and developed techniques for cleft palate repair, vaginal hysterectomy
, and the relief of ureteral strictures. He also became one of the first surgeons to remove an intramedullary tumor from the spinal cord
. He performed thousands of autopsies, and used his knowledge of about twelve languages to keep abreast of medical literature. A writer in the Journal of the American Medical Association
declared, "There is nothing that he has written, at least nothing with which we are familiar, that does not contain something of value, valuable at least for the time at which it was produced."
In 1901, Fenger was named to the Order of the Dannebrog
by the king of Denmark. He died of pneumonia
a year later. Christian Fenger Academy High School in Chicago is named in his honor.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
-born surgeon, pathologist, and medical instructor. In the later half of his life, he worked at several medical institutions in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and became one of the most highly regarded surgeons in the United States.
Born to a farming family, Fenger studied engineering at the Copenhagen Polytechnic Institute
Technical University of Denmark
The Technical University of Denmark , often simply referred to as DTU, is a university just north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 1829 at the initiative of Hans Christian Ørsted as Denmark's first polytechnic, and is today ranked among Europe's leading engineering institutions, and the...
before his father convinced him to pursue a medical degree at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
. He gained experience as a surgeon during the Danish-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
and received his MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1874. From 1875 to 1877, Fenger worked in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where he studied trachoma
Trachoma
Trachoma is an infectious disease causing a characteristic roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. Also called granular conjunctivitis and Egyptian ophthalmia, it is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the world...
and schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by several species of trematodes , a parasitic worm of the genus Schistosoma. Snails often act as an intermediary agent for the infectious diseases until a new human host is found...
. However, he did not cope well with the Egyptian climate, and at the advice of a group of Americans he met in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, he set off for the United States. He eventually settled in Chicago, which had a prominent Scandinavian
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
community.
Fenger was invited to perform some autopsies at Cook County Hospital, and soon joined that hospital's surgical staff. He worked there until 1893, while also holding various teaching positions at the Chicago Medical College and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago
University of Illinois College of Medicine
The University of Illinois College of Medicine offers a four-year program leading to the MD degree at four different sites in Illinois: Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana–Champaign....
. From 1893 to 1899, Fenger worked as chair of surgery at the Chicago Medical College; he then became a professor of surgery at Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, a private university in Chicago, Illinois. Rush Medical College was one of the first medical colleges in the state of Illinois and was chartered in 1837, two days before the city of Chicago was chartered, and opened with 22 students on...
. Fenger's lectures were very popular, and over the years, he trained several prominent physicians, including William James Mayo
William James Mayo
William James Mayo, M.D. was a physician in the United States and one of the seven founders of the Mayo Clinic. He and his brother, Charles Horace Mayo, both joined their father's private medical practice in Rochester, Minnesota, USA, after graduating from medical school in the 1880s...
, Charles Horace Mayo
Charles Horace Mayo
-External links:*...
, Nicholas Senn
Nicholas Senn
Nicholas Senn was a surgeon, instructor, and founder of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States.He is the namesake for Senn High School in Chicago.-External links:* at www.rushu.rush.edu...
, James B. Herrick, Ludvig Hektoen
Ludvig Hektoen
Ludvig Hektoen was a noted American pathologist. Hektoen published widely and served as editor of a number of medical journals. In 1942, Hektoen received the American Medical Association's Distinguished Service Medal for his life's work.-Background:Hektoen was born into a Norwegian immigrant...
, and Howard Taylor Ricketts
Howard Taylor Ricketts
Howard Taylor Ricketts was an American pathologist after whom the Rickettsiaceae family and the Rickettsiales are named....
.
In Chicago, Fenger helped demonstrate the bacterial origins of endocarditis
Endocarditis
Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices...
and developed techniques for cleft palate repair, vaginal hysterectomy
Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total or partial...
, and the relief of ureteral strictures. He also became one of the first surgeons to remove an intramedullary tumor from the spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
. He performed thousands of autopsies, and used his knowledge of about twelve languages to keep abreast of medical literature. A writer in the Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
declared, "There is nothing that he has written, at least nothing with which we are familiar, that does not contain something of value, valuable at least for the time at which it was produced."
In 1901, Fenger was named to the Order of the Dannebrog
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
by the king of Denmark. He died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
a year later. Christian Fenger Academy High School in Chicago is named in his honor.