Deaths and Obituaries. Decapsulation of Kidney for Chronic Bright's Disease. Christian Fenger. Hot Springs, Ark., March 4, 1902. Christian Fenger was born, Nov. 3, 1840, in Copenhagen, Den¬ To the Editor:\p=m-\Sincereading the admirable article of Dr. mark. Following in the footsteps of his uncle, Professor Emil Geo. H. Edebohls, on decapsulation of the kidneys for chronic Fenger, he decided to study medicine. While still a student, Bright's disease (Medical Record, Dec. 21, 1901, and The war broke out between Denmark and Germany, and he served as that In 1867 he received his Journal, Jan. 4, 1902, p. 62), I am impressed with its far\x=req-\ surgeon throughout campaign. For two he was assistant to Wilhelm reaching possibilities. It opens up a vast field of work in the diploma. years Mayer in his ear clinic, and 1868 and 1869, an interne in the cure of otherwise cases. could not this same during hopeless Why Friedrich's Hospital, Copenhagen. When war was declared procedure be resorted to in cirrhosis of the liver before the stage between France and Germany Dr. Fenger became surgeon in of atrophy sets in? Decapsulation cf the upper surface of the Red Cross ambulance corps and served in that capacity this organ would certainly take away a very great obstacle to during the war with the French army. He then studied in the speedy formation of many large blood vessels for anasto- Vienna under Professor Billroth, returned in the winter of 1871 Denmark and the motic duty. True, we have this anastomosis in a certain de- to was prosector at Copenhagen City Hospital from 1871 1874. In 1874 he and defended a thesis gree when we remove the means of our friction to presented epithelium by "Carcinoma of Its and with but it is to the vast difference on the Stomach ; Anatomy, Development gauze sponges; easy see which for him the of lecturer at the between the small vessels which would this Extension," gained position penetrate capsule Late in 1874 he was made extraordinary professor and the free circulation which would ensue if this mem¬ university. very of pathological anatomy. In 1875 he went to Egypt, was made a brane is partially removed. member of the Conseil Militaire and surgeon-in-charge of the Hence I would urge: 1, that the operation of Talma for Khalifa quarter of Cairo. Two years later he came to America acites be performed while the liver is large and swollen with and settled in Chicago. In 1878 he was appointed to the at¬ inflammatory products, and before the period of organization tending staff of Cook County Hospital, and in 1880 was made and contraction, the of sets in; and curator of the Rush Medical College museum. In 1887 he was consequent stage atrophy, of clinical the of 2, that in addition to the omental and abdominal wall anasto¬ elected professor surgery at College Physicians and later he was made of mosis that the of the surface of the liver be Surgeons ; nine years professor capsule superior clinical at the Medical and in 1899 he instead of rubbed with surgery Chicago College, resected, being simply gauze. was appointed to the same chair in Rush Medical College. This could very easily be carried out by making an additional During the last twenty-five years he has been surgeon to Cook incision along the edge of the ribs when the surface of the County, Presbyterian. Mercy, Tabitha Norwegian, Passavant liver could be easily reached. Such additional incision will Memorial, Lutheran, German, and German-American Hospitals. not materially augment the dangers of the operation, and we He died at 9:45 p. m., March 7, 1902, at his home in Chicago, after an illness one week. The cause of his death was provide means whereby the inflammatory material may of quickly had so be absorbed and removed. Yours croupous pneumonia. True to his principles that he truly, often he when he knew that he James T. Jelks, M.D. taught, requested, might die, that a postmortem examination be made. This request was complied with. In addition to the pneumonia, which involved Membership in County and National Societies. the upper and middle lobes of the right lung, there were found healed tubercular with calcareous San Feb. 1902. an obliterating, pleuritis Diego, Cal., 28, bronchial and three in the A To the The Journal of glands, gallstones gall-bladder. Editor:\p=m-\In February 22, page 525, few months before his death, Dr. Fenger had had a slight attack is a communication suggesting to the effect that a clause in of what he himself recognized as gallstone colic. the by-laws affecting membership in the Association be so drawn The funeral services were held at the New England Congre¬ as to except from its operation those members who for any gational Church, of which Dr. Fenger had for ten years been a reason have not maintained membership in the county society member, the pastor, Rev. W. Douglas Mackenzie officiating. and do not desire to re-enter it. It seems to me that such a The interment was at Rosehill Cemetery. clause would be objectionable, distinctly retrograde and im- The active pall-bearers, selected from Dr. Fenger's personal were Drs. William E. It is one of the avowed in fact the chief assistants, Ludvig Hektoen, Morgan, politic. objects, Samuel C. Stanton, James B. Herrick, M. L. Harris, . object, of the re-organization to effect a more thorough and Holmboe, C. Doepfner and Andreas Frick. The honorary pall¬ perfect organization of the profession generally, and the county bearers, representing the University of Chicago, the medical society is, by the proposed scheme of reorganization, to be the colleges, medical societies and hospitals, were as follows: Uni¬ unit. I submit that it would be, to say the least, impolitic to versity of Chicago, President William R. Harper; Rush Medical create a class who might remain members of the Association College, affiliated with the University of Chicago, Drs. N. Senn and Frank Northwestern Medical School, and yet not be members of the local society; it would be a bad Billings; University Dr. N. S. Jr. ; of and Dr. It should be no for member of the Davis, College Physicians Surgeons, precedent. hardship any William E. Quine; Policlinic, Dr. Fernand Henrotin; a member of his Chicago Association to become county society; indeed, Chicago Medical Society, Dr. N. S. Davis, Sr.; German Medical I deem it his to the and to himself duty profession generally, Society, Dr. Gustav Fiitterer : Scandinavian Medical Society, especially, to be an active member of his county society, which Dr. N. Johnsen; Chicago Gynecological Society, Dr. Lester will, by the way, be just what the local profession make it. Frankenthal; Chicago Surgical Society, Dr. John B. Murphy; A physician in practice, if he is young and inexperienced, Chicago Pathological Society, Dr. Frank B. Earle; Medico- L. Baum of should be an active member that he may learn and benefit by legal Society, Dr. W. ; Chicago Academy Medicine, such membership; if he is learned and experienced it is his duty Dr. Harold N. Mover; Journal of the American Medical Asso¬ ciation, Dr. E. Fletcher Dr. to attend and instruct those who are or have been less favored Ingals; Presbyterian Hospital. Arthur D. Bevan; Passavant Memorial Hospital, Dr. H. B. than he; indeed, they ought to have the right to require such Favill; Evanston Hospital, Dr. John Ridlon; German Hospital, service at his hands. If it be required of a new member of the Dr. J. H. Hoelscher; German-American Hospital, Dr. John Association that he be a member and maintain membership and Fisher; Tabitha Norwegian Hospital, Dr. B. Meyer; Cook standing in his county society, surely an old member ought not County Hospital, Dr. Arthur R. Edwards and Dr. Frank S. to object to the application of the rule himself, "equal rights to Johnson. all, special privilege to none." While it may not be germane to Christian Fenger was generally recognized as one of the the subject at this time, I wish to state that it is my belief that greatest surgeons of America, and his reputation was interna¬ tional. His contributions to medical literature were" no more effective way of raising the standard of ethical practice numerous, more than articles credited to him. When one be devised than that a rule should that no license eighty being can prevail remembers that he had made thousands of in to should be issued that the be a autopsies Europe practice except applicant and in that he was an had and in and that Chicago, expert mieroscopist, having member of the county society good standing, training in Arnold's laboratory, that he made it a practice to he should, in order to retain his license, retain his membership examine histologieally and bacteriological!}7 the specimens he and standina. William M. Cummings, M.D. obtained at his operations or at autopsies on his patients who Downloaded From: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/ by a Carleton University User on 06/20/2015 died, one understands why these articles are always based upon He was never a rapid workman. His operations on tubercular a sound and scientific pathological foundation, and are not glands of the neck or carcinoma of the breast were lessons in solely the so-called "practical" articles. Experimental work thoroughness that often made other surgeons who flattered upon the lower animals and the cadaver was frequently em¬ themselves that they had been careful in the removal of all ployed to prove his points. At the time of his death he was diseased tissues, blush with shame as they thought of their engaged in experimental work upon the kidney, in a knowledge own comparatively hasty and careless work.