American Medical Biographies/Alexander, Samuel
Alexander, Samuel (1858–1910)
Samuel Alexander was born in New York City April 2, 1858, the son of Henry M. and Susan Brown Alexander and the grandson of Matthew Brown, D. D., for many years president of Washington and Jefferson College. He graduated from Princeton in 1879 and from Bellevue Medical College in 1882. In 1883 he went abroad, studying in London Leipsic and Vienna. Upon his return to America he was appointed attending surgeon to Bellevue Hospital and in 1887 became professor of genito-urinary surgery in Bellevue Hospital Medical College. In 1898 he was made professor of clinical surgery in the department of genito-urinary diseases in Cornell University Medical College. He died in New York City November 29, 1910, of acute gangrenous appendicitis. He was unmarried.
Dr. Alexander was an indefatigable worker and an enthusiastic and successful teacher. He began his professional life as a partner of Dr. E. L. Keyes and devoted himself to genito-urinary diseases in which he became one of the foremost authorities in America. He gave particular attention to the relief of enlarged prostate and developed an admirable operation based on exhaustive and scientific work in anatomy and pathology.
Among his writings are: "Syllabus of introductory lectures to the clinical courses on the surgical diseases of the genito-urinary system." Booklet in two parts, 1905–1908; "The technique of median prostatectomy." Tr. Phila. Acad. of Surgery, 1911.