ROBERT H. BABCOCK, M.D., LL.D. 441 



cal diagnosis of the Chicago Post-Graduate Medical School, and 

 remained there from 1887 to 1892. He was professor of clinical 

 medicine and diseases of the chest at the College of Physicians 

 and Surgeons of Chicago from 1901 to 1905, and attending 

 physician to the Cook County Hospital from 1891 to 1897, when 

 he became one of its consultants. He is a consulting physician 

 to a number of other Chicago institutions, a member of the Asso- 

 ciation of American Physicians, the Climatological Association, 

 and many other medical associations, among them the Medico- 

 Chirurgical Society of Edinburgh and the International Anti- 

 tuberculosis Association. From the day of the untimely death 

 of the late Theodore B. Sachs until January first of the year 1921 

 Dr. Babcock served faithfully as director of the Chicago Tuber- 

 culosis Institute. 



Dr. Babcock's interest in the tuberculosis problem has been 

 unusual. When asked to send a list of his contributions on the 

 subject of tuberculosis, he modestly wrote : "I have contributed 

 a few articles to current medical literature on subjects pertaining 

 to pulmonary tuberculosis, but cannot now give their titles or 

 dates." This is much to be regretted because he has written 

 much more than his bibliography would indicate. His out- 

 standing work is his book, entitled, "Diseases of the Lungs," 

 which, although published more than a decade ago, is still con- 

 sidered and will for a long time to come be considered as a classic. 



The author now desires to digress from the usual order of these 

 biographies to relate the circumstances of his first meeting with 

 this great blind master of medicine. During the author's student 

 days in the late eighties at the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, 

 Dr. Babcock, while attending one of the clinics held at the old 

 amphitheater, was introduced to the class. All were deeply 

 moved and impressed when Professor Edward G. Janeway 

 introduced the blind physician from Chicago. A patient was 

 brought in, and Dr. Janeway courteously asked whether our 

 honored guest would care to examine the case. He consented. 

 Gently palpating over the posterior and anterior portions of the 

 chest, he turned to the class and said : "This is an aneurism of the 

 aorta." He made the diagnosis even without placing the ear or 

 stethoscope to the chest. Dr. Janeway then examined the case, 



