Dr. Arthur Spohn:
Surgeon, Inventor, and Texas Medical Pioneer
by
JANE CLEMENTS MONDAY &
FRANCES BRANNEN VICK
Genre: Non-Fiction / Medical / Texas History / Biography
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Publication Date: September 12, 2018
Number of Pages: 352 pages. 78 b&w photos. Map. 4 Appendices. Index.
In this first comprehensive biography of Dr. Arthur Edward Spohn, authors Jane Clements Monday, Frances Brannen Vick, and Charles W. Monday Jr., MD, illuminate the remarkable nineteenth-century story of a trailblazing physician who helped to modernize the practice of medicine in Texas.
Arthur Spohn was unusually innovative for the time and exceptionally dedicated to improving medical care. Among his many surgical innovations was the development of a specialized tourniquet for “bloodless operations” that was later adopted as a field instrument by militaries throughout the world. To this day, he holds the world record for the removal of the largest tumor—328 pounds—from a patient who fully recovered.
Recognizing the need for modern medical care in South Texas, Spohn, with the help of Alice King, raised funds to open the first hospital in Corpus Christi. Today, his name and institutional legacy live on in the region through the Christus Spohn Health System, the largest hospital system in South Texas. This biography of a medical pioneer recreates for readers the medical, regional, and family worlds in which Spohn moved, making it an important contribution not only to the history of South Texas but also to the history of modern medicine.
PRAISE FOR DR. ARTHUR SPOHN:
The chapters in the book are mesmerizing…the photographs in the book are priceless and probably cannot be seen by the general public except in this book. This is much more than a biography of Dr. Spohn and his medical triumphs. It is a book about life in South Texas from 1865 to the 1920s and beyond. Dr. Arthur Edward Spohn was part of that history and his contributions to medicine and the development of South Texas have guaranteed his legacy for years to come. This book is the proof.
— Dr. Manuel Flores, Texana Reads
This is no dry medical text. Even if you have little interest in the medical field, you’ll be astonished at the life of this accomplished physician and surgeon.
— Allison Ehrlich, Corpus Christi Caller Times
“As was his usual demeanor, he refused to walk away from a difficult case and was determined to take the extra care needed to cure a patient.”
This quote beautifully sums up the life and legacy of Dr. Arthur Spohn. Biographies such as this are so valuable and should continue to be written and treasured. Dr. Spohn’s accomplishments and contributions to healthcare and medical practices are astounding. He never stopped learning and sharing his ideas and knowledge throughout his entire life.
Biographies can sometimes be tedious to read, with so many facts, names, dates, and places; however, acknowledging and understanding the legacies of these heroes and innovators are important for every generation that comes after. Fortunately, this book by Monday and Vick is filled with interesting details and anecdotes, and each chapter offers a glimpse into the medical realm from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s in the Texas Gulf Coast region and along the Texas/Mexico border. Canadian-born Dr. Spohn tirelessly pursued his passion for discovering and practicing innovative medical procedures to ease human suffering and save lives, including inventing implements to improve surgeries, advocating cleanliness and sterile hands and instruments, and caring for anyone and everyone who needed his skill, knowledge, and endless compassion.
Dr. Spohn was a wealthy man, by his education and hard work and by his marriage into an affluent family. But what sets this man apart is that he didn’t turn people away and wasn’t afraid to do whatever was needed to save a life. He never shied away from treating the poor and sharing his knowledge far and wide so that other physicians, nurses, and caregivers could benefit and treat their patients better and more successfully.
While Dr. Spohn no doubt had his faults, as do we all, this fascinating narrative focuses on his benevolence, successes, and propensity to serve where ever he was needed, even if that meant traveling miles in the dark along bad roads in a horse and buggy to get there in time to do everything necessary to save a life.
The narration is extensive, and it is sometimes difficult to keep straight all the names and facts, but the overall impression is quite entertaining and almost mesmerizing. The healthcare industry has come so far in such a short time, and the novel techniques developed out of necessity and even desperation are fascinating to read about, especially when they are still practiced today. In our modern world, it is easy to take what we have for granted and forget that many lives were lost simply because the surgeon did not wash his hands or because people disregarded quarantine initiatives to keep epidemics in check.
This biography expertly shows that people like Dr. Spohn were not afraid to blaze trails and go the extra mile to change the world and make it a better place. The snapshots scattered throughout are engaging and provide an entertaining peek into the past. Through this biography, the authors have impressively preserved and honored Dr. Spohn’s history and legacy and that of his family and colleagues for us to enjoy and appreciate.
One of my favorite anecdotes is when Willie Chapman was attacked by a rabid coyote, and Dr. Spohn took him to Paris, France, to be treated by none other than Louis Pasteur himself. What is most astonishing is that they had to travel by sea, and time was of the essence. This story is one of many fascinating, harrowing, and even a bit gruesome stories in this biography.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around Dr. Spohn treating a woman with a 328-pound tumor! Read this compelling biography to find out more about this poor woman and about other medical wonders Dr. Spohn performed throughout his prolific medical career.
JANE CLEMENTS MONDAY is the author of numerous books and coauthor, with Frances Brannen Vick, of award-winning Petra’s Legacy: The South Texas Ranching Empire of Petra Vela and Mifflin Kenedy and Letters to Alice: Birth of the Kleberg-King Ranch Dynasty. She has served as chair of the Texas State University System Board of Regents and mayor of Huntsville, Texas. She resides in Huntsville.
║ Jane Clements Monday’s Amazon Author Page ║
_________________________________
FRANCES BRANNEN VICK is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Petra’s Legacy and Letters to Alice. She founded E-Heart Press and cofounded the University of North Texas Press. Vick has served as president of the Texas Institute of Letters, the Texas State Historical Association, and the Philosophical Society of Texas. She resides in Dallas.
║ Frances Vick’s Amazon Author Page ║
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This sounds amazing — so many biographies are dry but this sounds like it’s sprinkled with lots of diversions from pure informational text. Thanks!
Love learning about these people who made such a difference!