NICHOLAS SENN

!1844-19081

The American Journal of Surgery N S. Vol. xm,Jul~.1931

” SENN’S TEST ” ‘ICHOLAS SENN was born in N Buchs, Canton of St. GaII, Switzer-

Iand, October 3 I, 1844. He was brought by his parents to the United States in 1852. They settIed in the town of Ashford, Wisconsin. He graduated from the Fond du Lac High SchooI, Wisconsin, 1864, taught schoo1 for two years and at the same time read medicine with Dr. Munk. In 1868 he graduated from the Chicago MedicaI CoIIege with the degree of M.D.

After an interneship of eighteen months in Cook County HospitaI he moved to Elmore, Wisconsin, and began the practice of medicine. In 1874 he moved to M& waukee but three years rater went to Germany to study, returning in 1880, at which time he was caIIed to be professor of surgery in the CoIIege of Physicians and Surgeons, Chicago. In 1884 he was made professor of the principIes and practice of surgery at the same coIIege. In 1888 he became professor of surgery and surgica1 pathoIogy in Rush MedicaI CoIIege and in 1891 at Rush succeeded CharIes T. Parkes in the chair of practice of surgery and cIinica1 surgery. In addition he was professor of surgery in the Chicago PoIycIinic. He was chief surgeon to severa hospitaIs.

EarIy in his career he did much research work in abdomina1 surgery. He was a Ieader in this fieId. In his researches in intestina1 perforation, especiaIIy in gun- shot wounds, he introduced hydrogen gas into the rectum; then a light was heId near the coiIs of intestines and in this way the point of perforation discovered by the igniting gas (Senn’s test). Senn aIso empIoyed pIates of decaIcified bone in intestina1 anastomosis. He is responsibIe

for much of our modern ideas of surgica1 tubercuIosis. In 1885 he pubIished an exceIIent book on “Surgery of the Pan- creas.” He was a rapid and voIuminous writer. He wrote at a11 times, seIdom using reference works. This resuIted in Ioose, sIipshod work and aIthough he is credited with 160 voIumes, few had more than a short Iife.

Senn was the first in the West to conduct experiments on animaIs and report his ConcIusions. In 1896 he deIivered the surgica1 oration, and in 1897 was president of the American MedicaI Association.

-He saw service in the Spanish American War. He gave wonderfu1 books, especiaIIy of the oIder writers, to the Newberry Library. He endowed the Senn room in St. Joseph’s HospitaI (Chicago) where he was confined in his Iast iIIness. To Rush MedicaI CoIIege he gave a cIinica1 buiIding at an approximate cost of $Ioo,ooo.

Senn was a pioneer pathoIogist in this country and brought it into practical appIication with his surgery.

He was short, thick set, nervous, untir-

ing, simpIe minded, sympathetic. He founded no schoo1; neither did he train younger men to carry on from where he left off. He was jeaIous of competition.

In his Iater years he was wideIy traveIIed and wrote of what he saw and experienced. On what was to be his Iast trip he cIimbed a mountain 16,000 feet high which was responsibIe for a cardiac diIatation. Re- turned home he rapidIy grew worse, entered a hospita1 and died, Ieaving a widow and two sons, both physicians, at the age of sixty-four years, on January 2, 1908.

T. S. W.