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Nicholas SENN Newton M. SHAFFER Who’s Who in Orthopedics Senn was the first surgeon to advocate the reduction and nailing of hip fractures on the basis of animal experiments. In this aspect he was far ahead of his time. When his paper, “The treatment of fractures of the neck of the femur by immedi- ate reduction and permanent fixation,” was first presented at the meeting of the American Surgi- cal Association on June 1, 1883, its concepts were vigorously opposed by all of his listeners, pro- voking Senn to say: “Any person who can hit the head of a femur in a cat will certainly not miss it in operating on a human subject.” However, because of this opposition, he eschewed nailing his patients with hip fractures and treated them by reduction and immobilization in plaster spicas, a method popularized by Royal Whitman. His emphasis on the importance of the impaction of the fractures after reduction was echoed years Nicholas SENN later by Cotton.1 1844–1908 Reference Nicholas Senn was born in Switzerland and was brought by his immigrant parents to Fond du Lac, 1. Salmonsen EM (1928–1935) Nicholas Senn, MD, Wisconsin, as a child. After graduating from the PhD, LLD, (1844–1908) Master surgeon, patholo- local high school, he taught school for a short gist, and teacher. Bulletin of the Society for Medical time before working as a preceptee with a local History (Chicago) 4:268 physician. He graduated from the Chicago Medical School in 1868 and was an intern at the Cook County Hospital for 18 months, before returning to a rural practice in Wisconsin. After 6 years, he moved to Milwaukee and was on the staff of the Milwaukee Hospital. In 1877, he spent a year studying in Munich with Professor Nussbaum, who had visited Lister and was a strong advocate of antiseptic–aseptic surgery. After his return to the United States, Senn was made professor of surgery in the College of Physi- cians and Surgeons in Chicago, and moved on to become professor of surgery at the Rush Medical College in 1888. About this time, his surgical clinic was one of the busiest in the world, and he attracted international students. A man of inexhaustible energy, Senn wrote incessantly, traveled, served as a medical officer in the Spanish–American War, and even found time to serve as president of the American Medical Asso- ciation in 1897. He was chairman of the editorial board at the inception of Surgery, Gynecology, Newton M. SHAFFER and Obstetrics in 1905. Following his death in 1908, his library of 40,000 volumes and 60,000 1846–1928 pamphlets became the nucleus of the great medical reference section of the John Crerar Newton M. Shaffer succeeded Charles Fayette Scientific Library in Chicago. Taylor as chief of the New York Orthopedic Dis- 303 Who’s Who in Orthopedics pensary and Hospital. In addition he was ortho- pleted in 1940 and Shands became surgeon-in- pedic surgeon at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York chief, a position he held until 1962. He remained City. He was the first to describe clinically the medical director of the institute until 1969. deformity that since has acquired a number of During World War II, Shands served as the senior synonyms, including that of high contracted arch. consultant for orthopedics for the United States His name was used as an eponym for several Air Force. decades: “Shaffer’s nondeforming club foot.” Shands made many contributions to the care of children who are crippled, which are reflected in his numerous publications. His Handbook of Orthopedic Surgery became an important educa- tional resource; nine editions were published. Perhaps his greatest contribution to orthopedics was his essential role in the formation of the Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation, and his support of the Orthopedic Research Society. He was honored by elected positions in various orthopedic and other groups. He was a recipient of numerous honorary memberships and honorary degrees. His distinguished presence was noted at the annual meetings of orthopedic societies, where he was especially friendly and encouraging to the young investigators. As a historian, Shands will be remembered for his article about the development of orthopedics as a specialty in the United States. Many historic articles were published in The Early Orthopedic Surgeons of America.1 Alfred Rives SHANDS Reference 1899–1981 1. Shands Jr AR (1970) The Early Orthopedic Sur- geons of America. St. Louis, CV Mosby Co Alfred Rives Shands, Jr., was born in Washington, DC. His father was the first ortho- pedist to practice in the district. When he was 14 years of age, his father, Alfred R. Shands, Sr., was president of the American Orthopedic Associa- tion. The young man graduated from the Univer- sity of Virginia in 1918 and enrolled in Johns Hopkins Medical School. He remained at Johns Hopkins Hospital for surgical and orthopedic training until 1927. He returned to Washington, DC to join his father in practice until 1930, when he was invited to Duke University Medical School to initiate the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and the orthopedic residency program. In 1937, Shands left Duke University to become medical director of the Alfred I. duPont Institute in Wilmington, DE. His first task at the institute was to plan and supervise the construction of a children’s ortho- pedic hospital on the grounds of Nemours, the estate of Alfred I. duPont. The hospital was com- 304.
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  • ASSOCIATION NEWS. Preston, Lynchburg, Va
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