Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/327

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DENISON 305 DERBY DenUon, Charles (1845-1909). Charles Denison was born in Royalton, Ver- mont, November 1, 1845. His parents were Dr. Joseph Adam and Eliza Skinner Denison of Royalton, both of New England stock. Charles Denison married Ella H. Strong, daughter of Gen. Henry Strong, December 26, 1878, and three children survived infancy — Clara, Elsa, and a son, Dr. Henry S. Denison, of Denver. Charles Denison died in Denver, Colorado, on January 10, 1909, of gangrene following cholecystitis. He was one of the most active pioneers in the war against tuberculosis, in- separable obstacles only increasing his untiring energy. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1859, and while in Hartford, in 1873, tuberculosis with pulmonary hemor- rhages set in, and he removed to Denver and devoted his attention to the study of clima- tology with especial reference to tuberculosis. For fourteen years he was professor of dis- eases of the chest and climatology in the Uni- versity of Denver, and afterwards emeritus professor. He was the author of a valuable work on the climate of Colorado, entitled "Rocky Mountain Health Resorts," and of a series of climatic maps of the United States. Dr. Denison took part in the International Congress on tuberculosis in London in 1901, and was a frequent contributor to the "Trans- actions of the Climatological Association," in which he was deeply interested from the date of its organization. Davina Waterson. Derby, George (1819-1874). George Derby, hygienist, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, February 13, 1819. He grad- uated at Harvard University in 1838 and at Harvard Medical School in 1843, then set- tled to practise in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1861 he was commissioned surgeon in the 23rd Massachusetts Volunteers ; he was med- ical inspector of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina; later surgeon-in-chief of divisions and when his health failed was brevetted lieutenant-colonel of volunteers and in 1868 given command of the National Sol- diers' Home at Togus, Maine. He returned to Boston in 1866, became a surgeon to the Boston City Hospital for two years and aided in establishing a State Board of Health, of which he was secretary and executive officer. From 1867 to 1871 he was lecturer at the Harvard Medical School. In 1871 he was appointed to the new professorship of hy- giene at Harvard, holding the position until his death on June 20, 1874. He was author of "Annual Reports Massachusetts State Board of Health, 1866-1873" ; "Anthracite and Health." Universities and Their Sons, by Joshua L. Cham- berlain, Boston, 1889, 5 v. Hist. Har. Med. School, T. F. Harrington, N. Y., 1905. Derby, Hasket (1835-1914). Hasket Derby was born in Boston, June 29, 1935. His family had been well known and influential in Salem for many years. He studied at Amherst College, from which he was graduated in 1855, and three years later took his degree from the Harvard Medical School. Then he served as house pupil in the Massachusetts General Hospital for one year, after which he went abroad for four years. While abroad he studied general medicine for eighteen months, but devoted the rest of his time to the study of the eye under that brilliant group of distinguished men who were making ophthalmology a scientific undertak- ing at that time. In Vienna he worked under von Arlt and Jaeger; in Berlin von Graefe was his master. He also studied under Bow- man and Critchett, Greenfield and Hutchinson in London, under Donders in Utrecht, and with Desmarres and Sichel in Paris. Von Graefe, however, had the greatest influence upon his subsequent career and he placed a bust of the distinguished German in his con- sulting room at the Massachusetts Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary on his return. While Dr. Derby was in Europe the Civil War broke out and he was anxious to enter the military service. He completed his studies, however, and on his return volunteered and served under the Sanitary Commission at Fortress Monroe. In 1862 Dr. Derby settled in Boston and contrary to the custom of the time he did not begin to practice general medicine but devoted himself exclusively to ophthalmology. He was a pure specialist from the beginning. He also was one of the earliest to separate his business from his home, occupying an office in another street. He had a large private practice and his patients had great confidence in him. He was an excellent diagnostician, being prompt, accurate, resourceful and observ- ing. He was also very positive in his opinions and as Dr. David W. Cheever (q. v.) has writ- ten, "What he knew, he knew he knew ; and there was no latitude allowed." Not only did he know, but he acted on this knowledge. For example, before the discovery of local anes- thesia, he operated upon most cases of senile