Henry Gassett Davis
Encyclopedia
Henry Gassett Davis was an orthopedic surgeon
.
He founded the traction
school of orthopedic surgery and created the first splint
for traction and protection of the hip joint.
Henry was a later descendent of Dolor Davis of early Cape Cod, Massachusetts. As a boy he intended to be a mechanic and a manufacturer of cotton bagging, similar to his father. But upon visiting his sister, diagnosed with a difficult case of scoliosis
, he abandoned his earlier goals to pursue medicine.
In March 1839 he received his M.D.
from Yale School of Medicine with clinical training at Bellevue Hospital
in New York City
. He was a practitioner and surgeon in both Worcester
and Millbury
, Massachusetts
for fifteen years. He then settled in New York City where he specialized in orthopedic medicine.
While in Millbury, he grew interested in the treatment of fractures and deformities and advocated the use of continuous traction to correct deformities and relieve joint discomfort. His successful work with weights and pulleys preceded Gurdon Buck's similar introductions of 1860. His practice bloomed and he soon opened a private hospital at 37th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan
primarily for foreign patients.
His beliefs formed the basis for the modern day approaches to such medical conditions as club foot
, congenital dislocation of the hip, chronic joint diseases and Poliomyelitis
related deformities. He recommended opening and evacuating abscess
es and washing them with warm water and chlorine, an early form of the more modern Carrel
-Dakin method of wound treatment.
His work influenced the future orthopedic practices of Lewis A. Sayre, Charles Fayette Taylor and Edward Hickling Bradford. He was a member of local medical societies of New York City and was an honorarily elected member of the then newly formed American Orthopedic Association in 1895. In addition, he may have once suggested to railroad engineers to elevate the outer rails of curved sections of rail lines.
He was survived upon his death at age 89 by his wife of 40 years, Ellen W. Deering Davis.
Orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
.
He founded the traction
Traction (orthopedics)
In orthopedic medicine, traction refers to the set of mechanisms for straightening broken bones or relieving pressure on the spine and skeletal system.There are two types of traction: skin traction and skeletal traction....
school of orthopedic surgery and created the first splint
Splint (medicine)
A splint is a device used for support or immobilization of limbs or of the spine.It can be used:* By the emergency medical services or by volunteer first responders, to immobilize a fractured limb before the transportation; it is then a temporary immobilization;* By allied health professionals such...
for traction and protection of the hip joint.
Henry was a later descendent of Dolor Davis of early Cape Cod, Massachusetts. As a boy he intended to be a mechanic and a manufacturer of cotton bagging, similar to his father. But upon visiting his sister, diagnosed with a difficult case of scoliosis
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
, he abandoned his earlier goals to pursue medicine.
In March 1839 he received his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from Yale School of Medicine with clinical training at Bellevue Hospital
Bellevue Hospital Center
Bellevue Hospital Center, most often referred to as "Bellevue", was founded on March 31, 1736 and is the oldest public hospital in the United States. Located on First Avenue in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, Bellevue is famous from many literary, film and television...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was a practitioner and surgeon in both Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and Millbury
Millbury, Massachusetts
Millbury is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,261 at the 2010 census. The town is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.-History:...
, 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...
for fifteen years. He then settled in New York City where he specialized in orthopedic medicine.
While in Millbury, he grew interested in the treatment of fractures and deformities and advocated the use of continuous traction to correct deformities and relieve joint discomfort. His successful work with weights and pulleys preceded Gurdon Buck's similar introductions of 1860. His practice bloomed and he soon opened a private hospital at 37th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
primarily for foreign patients.
His beliefs formed the basis for the modern day approaches to such medical conditions as club foot
Club foot
A club foot, or congenital talipes equinovarus , is a congenital deformity involving one foot or both. The affected foot appears rotated internally at the ankle. TEV is classified into 2 groups: Postural TEV or Structural TEV....
, congenital dislocation of the hip, chronic joint diseases and Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
related deformities. He recommended opening and evacuating abscess
Abscess
An abscess is a collection of pus that has accumulated in a cavity formed by the tissue in which the pus resides due to an infectious process or other foreign materials...
es and washing them with warm water and chlorine, an early form of the more modern Carrel
Alexis Carrel
Alexis Carrel was a French surgeon and biologist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1912 for pioneering vascular suturing techniques. He invented the first perfusion pump with Charles A. Lindbergh opening the way to organ transplantation...
-Dakin method of wound treatment.
His work influenced the future orthopedic practices of Lewis A. Sayre, Charles Fayette Taylor and Edward Hickling Bradford. He was a member of local medical societies of New York City and was an honorarily elected member of the then newly formed American Orthopedic Association in 1895. In addition, he may have once suggested to railroad engineers to elevate the outer rails of curved sections of rail lines.
He was survived upon his death at age 89 by his wife of 40 years, Ellen W. Deering Davis.
Written Works
- On the effect of pressure upon ulcerated vertebræ, and in morbus coxarius, and the relief afforded by mechanical remedies, with cases. New York: T. Holman, 1859.
- Medical testimony in regard to Dr. Davis's new mode of treating joint diseases. New York: Hall, Clayton, & Medole, 186-?
- Medical testimony in regard to the proper mechanical treatment of joint diseases. New York: Hall, Clayton & Medole, 1862?
- The American method of treating joint diseases and deformities. Philadelphia: Collins, 1863.