Senn, Nicholas Papers, 1866-1908

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IdentificationICU.SPCL.SENNN
TitleGuide to the Nicholas Senn Papers1866-1908
PublisherUniversity of Chicago Library
LanguageEnglish
Date1866-1908
Physical Description40 linear feet (159 boxes)
RepositorySpecial Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.
AbstractNicholas Senn (1844-1908) surgeon, professor of surgery, and author. The collection includes more than 150 manuscripts documenting Senn’s studies and career, primarily handwritten manuscripts for articles, books, and lectures. Also include case histories, studies of cancer, lectures on the history of military medicine, and notes taken by students after lectures and clinics led by Senn.

Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Senn, Nicholas. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Nicholas Senn was born in on October 31, 1844, in Sevelen, Switzerland, in the canton of St. Gallen. His parents were Johannes and Magdalena Senn. In 1852, at the age of eight, Senn emigrated to the United States with his family and settled in Ashford, Wisconsin. Senn was educated at a local high school.

In 1865, Senn enrolled in the Chicago Medical College. Upon his graduation, Senn was awarded with a competitive residency at Cook County Hospital. Following his residency, Senn began to practice medicine in Elmore, Wisconsin, near his childhood home. Wanting to continue his education, however, Senn travelled to Munich, Germany in 1877 to study bacteriology. By 1878, he had graduated and received his second M.D.

Senn’s career following his trip to Germany was illustrious. Back in the United States, Senn was appointed as Professor of Surgery at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, in 1878. In 1884, Senn accepted the position of Professor of Surgery at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago. Some of Senn’s most well-known experiments occurred in 1886. Seeking to test a diagnostic technique for gastrointestinal perforations, Senn used rubber hosing to inflate the intestinal tract with 15 liters of hydrogen gas. While he had previously carried out these experiments on dogs (something to the point of rupturing their intestines), Senn eventually tested his apparatus on himself. His successful findings were later published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Additionally, in 1901, Senn sought to test whether cancer was contagious, going so far as to insert a piece of cancerous lymph node from a patient into his own skin. When the transplant began to fade weeks later, Senn concluded that cancer was not contagious.

In 1887 until 1888, he served as the Vice President of the American Surgical Association. In 1890, Senn returned to Rush Medical College as a professor of practical and clinical surgery and surgical pathology. By 1891, he was name the head of the department of surgery. In 1891, he founded the Association of Military Surgeons and the United States, which served as the professional organization for all active and reserve healthcare professionals. In 1893, Senn simultaneously worked as the attending surgeon in Presbyterian Hospital, surgeon-in-chief of St. Joseph’s Hospital, professor of surgery at the Chicago Polyclinic, and lectured on military surgery at the University of Chicago.

In 1897, Senn was awarded his Ph.D. by the University of Wisconsin. He also served as the president of the American Medical Association from 1897-1898. The Spanish-American War then broke out and Senn was appointed as chief surgeon of the United States Sixth Army Corps. He achieved the rank of lieutenant-colonel and chief of staff. Additionally, during the years from 1890-1906, Senn served as a delegate to the International Medical Congress at Berlin, Moscow, Madrid, and Lisbon.

In addition to his illustrious career, Senn was a prolific writer. Senn published 25 books in his lifetime as well as countless scholarly articles. Throughout his life, he also amassed a collection of over 20,000 items relating variously to medicine and surgery from the 1500s onwards. His collections are stored in the John Crerar Library at the University of Chicago and the Newberry Library of Chicago, Illinois.

Senn married Aurelia S. Millhouser and together they had two children, Emanuel John Senn and William Nicholas Senn. He died at the age of 63 on January 2, 1908, in Chicago, Illinois.

Scope Note

The Nicholas Senn Papers contains a wide variety of materials documenting Senn’s career as a practicing surgeon and as an educator. A large portion of these are original manuscripts of papers that Senn contributed to professional journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Journal of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, and the American Journal of Medical Sciences, and many others. The collection also includes texts of speeches and lectures given by Senn before professional organizations, university audiences, and organizations throughout Chicago and the world. The subjects of his publications and lectures include medical studies on carcinoma, cystitis, the history of military medicine, diseases of the pancreas, peritonitis, and surgical procedures, as well as historical and travel accounts related to the medical profession (trips to Africa,1906; Antarctica, 1907; Arctic, 1905; India, 1905; Siberia, 1901; South America, 1907, etc.). Also included are case histories, patient records, studies of cancer, lectures on and notes taken by students after lectures and clinics led by Senn, including notes from Senn's lectures delivered at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1887-1888.

The “Senn numbers,” assigned to many of the manuscripts as part of the holdings of the John Crerar Library have been recorded with each manuscript description.