Edmund Randolph Peaslee, M.D.
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PEASLEE, Edmund Randolph, physician, was born at Newton, Hockingham co., N. H., Jan. 22, 1814, son of James and Abigail (Chase) Peaslee. He received his education at the Atkinson Academy, New Hampshire, and at the New Hampton Institute, and in 18!i2 entered Dartmouth College, where he was graduated in 18H6, and acted as tutor for two years. In 1840 he received tlio degree of M.D. from the Yale Medical School, having studied there, then to further perfect himself in the profession lie went abroad, and in the hospitals of Paris and London continued his studies and medical researches. He was appointed professor of anatomy and physiology in Dartmouth College while still abroad. In 1841 he commenced his duties in that professorship. In 1871 he resigned to become professor of gynecology in Dartmouth College medical department. Having resided in Hanover, N. H., until 1838, he sought wider fields of practice and removed to New York city, where his abilities as a gynecologist speedily received recognition. He was a member of the New York Academy of Medicine; the Medical and Surgical Society; New York County and Pathological societies; " Medical Journal" Association; Obstetrical Society; American Medical Association: American Gynecological Society; New York State Medical Society; Physicians'Mutual Aid Society, and the Society for the Relief of Widows and Orphans of Medical Men.
Dr. Peaslee had received the degree of A.M. from Dartmouth, and the same institution conferred upon him the degree of LL. D. in 1859. During the civil war he was connected with the New York State Hospital, and was one of the surgeons of the New England Hospital in New York city. Dr. Peaslee's fame extended throughout the United Statesand also through foreign lands, and the Obstetric Society of Berlin appointed him a corresponding fellow. He was also fellow of the London Obstetric Society and honorary meml>er of the Obstetric societies of Philadelphia and Louisville. Beside being president of the New Hampshire State Medical Society he was elected president of the Pathological Society of New York in 1858, and of the New York County Society in 1867. Dr. Peaslee was famous for having performed the first successful ovariotomy in New England by the large abdominal section (in September, 1850), and previous to 1857 he performed successfully all of his first six cases. Dr. Peaslee was the first to make use of injections into the peritoneal cavity after ovariotomy in 1855. In 1867 the Obstetric Society elected him as its president; the "Medical Journal" Association in 1875 made him its president, and from 1871 until 1873 Dr. I'easlee served as president of the New York Academy of Medicine. Few men have been able to accomplish as much as lie in his life of sixty-four years. His executive ability and his tact and sound judgment won for him many honors, and few physicians have occupied so many positions of trust and honor. He was a member of the New York Academy of Natural Sciences; of the New York Historical Society, and of the American Geographical Society. For seventeen years Dr. Peaslee held the position of professor of anatomy and surgery at the Medical School of Maine, having, in 1843, received that appointment. The New York Medical College in 1851 appointed him professor of anatomy and physiology. In 1853 he was transferred to the chair of physiology and general pathology, and later took the chair of obstetrics and diseases of women.
Dr. Peaslee, in 1860. resigned this professorship, and from 1872 until 1874 was lecturer upon the diseases of women in the Albany Medical College. When he returned to New York he was appointed professor of gynecology in the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, and this position he occupied at the lime of his death. After the reorganization of the Woman's Hospital in 1872 he was surgeon to that institution, and for seven years he was physician to the Demilt Dispensary in the department of the diseases of women. During his connection with the New York Medical College, Dr. Peaslee found time to serve as one of the editors of the "American Medical Monthly," in which appeared many of his reports and a number of his lectures. He also published a number of valuable papers and contributions to the literature of medicine; the first systematic work in the English language on " Human Histology" (1858); " Uterine Displacements" (1870); "Ovarian Tumors and their Treatment, Except by Ovariotomy," and "Ovariotomy," which were both read in 1864 before the New York Academy of Medicine; also the following: "Statistics of One Hundred and Fifty Cases of Ovariotomy," "Ketroflexion of the Unimpregnated Uterus" (1865); "Ovariotomy, When and How to Perform it and its Treatment" (1867); "History of Ovariotomy," and "Sketch of Dr. E. McDowell's Life," read before the "Medical Journal" Association; " Intro-Uterine Medication"; " Intra-Perito- ncal Injections" (1870); "Inflammations and Congestions of the Non-Gravid Uterus"; "Ovarian Tumors and Ovariotomy " (1872); the only complete monograph which has been published in any language on these subjects: "Incision and Discission of the Cervix Uteri" (1871) was also written bv him. He was married at Lebanon, N. H., July 11, 1841, to Martha T., daughter of Hon. Stephen Kendrick. Dr. Peaslee died in New York, Jan. 12, 1878. He left a son, Dr. Edward Henry Peaslee.
From Google Digital books
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Obstetrician.—B. Rock. Co., New Hampshire, Jan. 22, 1814; Dartmouth A. B. '36 and I.I,.D.'59. Yale M, D. '40. —Tutor Dartmouth '37-'39; succeeded Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes as Prof. Anat. and Physiology, '41-71. Prof. Gynecol. '71-'78. Prof. Anat. and Surg. Maine Med. Coll. '43 '59. Prof. Anat., Physiol. and Pathol. and Obstet. N. Y. Medic. College '51-60.—Prof. Gynaecol. Bellevue '75-'78.—President of N. Hamp State Med. Soc.; N. Y. Pathol. Soc.; N. Y. Co Med. Soc.; N. Y. Acad. of Med.; N. Y. Obstet. Soc. and Amer. Gynecol. Soc. Author of gieat number of works, including "Human Histology," "Ovariotomy." He removed Hanover to N. Y. City, 1858.—Performed first successful ovariotomy in N. England in 1850; d. New York, Jan, 12, 1878.
