Murphy, John Benjamin

Murphy, John Benjamin

(1857–1916) surgeon; born near Appleton, Wis. He spent his medical career in Chicago, where, in addition to his surgical practice, he taught at Rush Medical College and Northwestern University Medical School and was on the surgical staff at Mercy Hospital and Cook County Hospital. He was one of the first to investigate the cause and treatment of peritonitis following appendicitis, and he developed the "Murphy button" (1892), a device used in abdominal surgery. He also made notable contributions to lung, nerve, and bone/joint surgery.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.