Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/1012

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ROCKWELL 990 RODMAN ance and charming manners. He had many friends and wielded a large influence in the community. In 1852 he married Margaret Monroe, daughter of Bishop Delancey, first bishop of the diocese of Western New York; they had five children, one of whom. Dr. Delancey Rochester, was his father's successor in the chair of practice in the University of Buffalo. Dr. Rochester died at Buffalo, May 24, 1887. M. D. M.NN. Rockwell, William Hayden (1800-1873). Wilham H. Rockwell, alienist, was born February IS, 1800, graduating from Yale Col- lege in 1824 and from the medical school of the same in 1831. Trinity gave him her A. M. in 1829. Soon after graduating in medicine he was made assistant physician to the "Re- treat" at Hartford, Connecticut, and in 1836 superintendent of the Brattleboro Asylum, Ver- mont. This place had then no money for the erection of buildings, and during Rockwell's administration, largely through his efforts, nearly $200,000 was actually earned and put to this use. His whole medical life was devoted to the most unselfish care of the insane. He died at Brattleboro, November 30, 1873, after having been confined to bed from a fracture of the thigh caused by a fall from a carriage eighteen months previously. .'mer. Jour, of Insanity, 1877-78. vol. xxxiv. Trans. Ver. Med. Soc, 1874-6, St. Albans, 1877. Boston Med. and Surg. Jour., 1873, vol. Ixxxix. Rodgers, John Kearny (1793-1851). The eldest son of a physician of Scotch descent, John Kearny Rodgers was born in the City of New York in 1793, and fortunately had a kindly biographer in Dr. S. D. Gross. When Rodgers was a Princeton student under Dr. Stanhope Smith (with whom he was not a favorite) the latter one day told him in a fit of anger that if he did not mend his ways he might as well shut up his books, for he could never become useful or dis- tinguished, judging from his present behavior. To this the future surgeon promptly replied : "The world shall see, sir," and indeed the world did see. His ambition was stimulated, his dormant energies roused. He graduated A. B. at Princeton in 1811 and began his medi- cal studies under Dr. Wright Post (q. v.), pro- fessor of anatomy in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, where Rodgers graduated in 1816, yet even before that he had acted as demonstrator of anatomy for his master. After serving as house surgeon to the New York Hospital he went to London to study and became much interested in ophthal- mic surgery, and very soon after his return established with his friend. Dr. Edward Dela- field (q. v.), and others, the New York Eye Infirmary. In 1818 he was appointed demon- strator of anatomy in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, and four years after surgeon to the New York Hospital, an office he had much coveted, and retained up to his death. As an operator his crowning triumph was the ligation, in 1845, of the left subclavian artery within the scalenus muscle on account of a huge aneurysm, a feat which up to that time was universally regarded as impracticable. True, the patient did not re- cover, but the operation was masterly and nothing was left undone to insure a favorable result. Conscientious in dealing with his pa- tients, he never operated merely for the sake of operating. In consultations he was the wise counsellor and always a sympathizing and trusted friend and physician. His death, November 9, 1851, was caused by a rare disease, phlebitis of the liver, followed by peritonitis. It is to be regretted that he left no record of his vast experience save the publication of a few brief medical papers. One of them is : "Ligature of the Left Subclavian Artery Within Ihe Scalenus Muscle for Aneurysm," 1846. Autobiography of S. D. Gross, 1868. lioe. Sketch of ,T. " " ' — . New York. 1852. Biog. Sketch of .T. K. Rodgers, Dr. E. Delafield. w York. 1852. New Jersey Med. Reporter, 1851, vol. v. Rodman, William Loui. (1858-1916). William Louis Rodman, Philadelphia sur- geon and founder of the National Board of Medical Examiners, was the son of General John Rodman, who for many years was Attor- ney-General of Kentucky, and William was born in Frankfort, that state, September 27, 18.S8. He grew up in an ordered and cultured home and had his preliminary education at the Kentucky Military Institute, receiving there the degree of A. M. in 1875. The study of medicine was begun under the precep- torship of his uncle. Dr. James Rod- man, and his cousin. Dr. W. B. Rodman, and he graduated from the Jefferson Medical Col- lege, Philadelphia, in 1879. Then he served as interne in Jefferson Hospital, and entered the United States Army as acting assistant sur- geon, being stationed at Fort Sill for nearly two years. His army service gave him a mili- tary carriage that he bore through life. In 1882 he married Beth C. Stewart, daughter of Dr. J. Q. A. Stewart, a Kentucky alienist. They had three children, a son, J. Stewart, following in his father's footsteps. After practising for two years in Abilene,