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.
