Page:American Medical Biographies - Kelly, Burrage.djvu/1007

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ROBERTS 985 ROBERTS on Orthopaedic Surgery, Club-foot," Medical Ncivs, March 13 and 20, 1886; "Clinical Lectures on Orthopaedic Surgery; Knock-knee and Bow-legs, with remarks upon Rhachitis," Medical Nritw, February 4 and 18, 1888; "Flat-foot; A New Plantar Spring for its Relief," Medical and Surgical Reporter, April 6, 1889; "Chronic Articular Osteitis of the Knee-joint, and Description of a New Me- chanical Splint," Medical Neirs, July 26, 1884; "Deformity of the Forearm and Hand," An- nals of Surgery, February, 1886. Dr. Roberts was born in Philadelphia, De- cember 19, 1855. He graduated in medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, Med- ical Department, in 1877, and received much of his inspiration and impetus from that school at a time when important changes in medical education were just taking place. Dr. Pepper and Dr. Keen, as well as Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, were close friends and exerted a considerable influence on the general trend as well as upon the details of Dr. Roberts' career. His choice of orthopedics was at the suggestion of Dr. Mitchell. Immediately upon graduation he received several hospital appointments. In connection with his position in the University Hospital, he personally established an orthopedic ap- paratus shop which has been continued with an endowment as the A. Sydney Roberts Ap- paratus Fund. He gave the first lectures upon orthopedic surgery delivered in Philadelphia. He became a fellow of the College of Physi- cians of Philadelphia, a fellow and vice-presi- dent of the American Orthopedic Association, a member of the Philadelphia County Med- ical Society, the Neurological Society, the state medical society, the American Medical Association, and a delegate to the International Medical Congress in London. Dr. James K. Young of Philadelphia, who was an assistant of Dr. Roberts and who succeeded him in several hospital appointinents, has provided an excellent biographical sketch as an introduction to a volume of Dr. Roberts' published writings, entitled "Contributions to Orthopedic Surgery," Philadelphia, 18^)8. Dr. Roberts died at Haliden Hill, Rhode Island, August 17, 1896. H. WiNNETT OrR. Roberts, Milton Josiah (1 S50- 1 893 ) . Milton Josiah Roberts, orthopedist, editor and teacher of New York City, was born in Ohio in 1850, was educated at Cornell Uni- versity and at the University of the City of New York, where he took his M. D. in 1878. After serving a brief term as hospital in- terne, he took up his residence in New York, and as an assistant to Dr. Lewis A. Sayre (q. v.), became interested in orthopedic sur- gery. In this department he was professor in the University of Vermont, Medical Depart- ment, and in the Post Graduate Medical School, New York (1882-1887). In the interest of Listerian surgery, then coming into vogue, he founded a monthly publication, known as the International Journal of Surgery and Anti- septics. Through its columns Roberts in- troduced to the profession not a few of his mechanical devices and new instruments which he had developed for use in bone and joint surgery. He was visiting orthopedic sur- geon to the City Hospital and to Randall's Island, where he rendered valuable services in the treatment of deformed children. He was a member of the New York Orthopedic Society, New York Academy of Medicine, the New York State Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. His pub- lications number ten titles in the Catalogue of the Surgeon-General's Library at Wash- ington. Dr. Roberts died of pneumonia and renal disease in New York City, April 26, 1893. Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 1893, vol. xx, p. 545. Emin. Amer. Phys and Surgs. R. F. Stone. 1894, p. 671. Roberts, William Currie (1810-1873). William Currie Roberts was born in London, England, in 1810. When about ten years old he was brought to this country, where demo- cratic customs and habits were so readily en- grafted upon his nature that but few knew he was of foreign birth. He did not have the advantage of a collegiate education, but great attention was given to his mental training and in 1828 he began to study medicine with the distinguished surgeon, Valentine Mott (q. v.). During the years 1828, 1829, 1830, he attended medical lectures at the Geneva Medical Col- lege, at the Medical Department of Rutgers' University; during the winter of 1830-31 at Philadelphia, and graduated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, in 1832. The same year he married Matilda, daughter of Martin Hoffman, of New York, who died after seven years, leaving him two sons and a daughter. In 1835, in conjunction with several of his medical friends, he founded the New York Infirmary for the Diseases of Women and Children, doubtless the first special institute of its character established in New York; but.