Makers of Modern MedicineWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
History
Makers of Modern Medicine
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Medicine -- Biography
After his publication of the article on "The Permanent Patency of the
Mouth of the Aorta," or "Inadequacy of the Aortic Valves," he at once
became recognized as one of the best clinicians in the city. This
article appeared, in April, 1832, in the _Edinburgh Medical and
Surgical Journal_, at a time when, as has been said, its author was
not yet thirty years of age. As soon as he began his work at the
Jervis Street Hospital, he gave a course of lectures, and as he was an
excellent talker and a good demonstrator, he at once attracted a large
class. In 1834 he joined Hargrave's School, in Digges Street, Dublin,
as lecturer on the practice of medicine, and continued to hold the
position for more than ten years. His success as a lecturer attracted
many students from the other medical schools. Corrigan's class was
often three times as large as that of other medical lecturers in the
city. It not infrequently happened that as a result of his {209}
popularity the medical class was two or even three times as large as
the surgical and anatomical classes at the same institution. This was
very unusual, for Dublin was famous for its anatomical instruction,
and there were often five times as many pupils enrolled in the anatomy
classes as in the medical classes.
It was not long before honors began to be showered upon Corrigan. When
he was about forty the diploma of the London College of Surgeons was
conferred upon him, and, as according to the by-laws of the
institution the diploma can only be conferred after examination,
Corrigan's examination was made to consist of the reading of the
thesis, "Inadequacy of the Aortic Valves," before the faculty and the
other members of the college. In 1849 the University of Dublin
conferred upon him the degree of M.D., _honoris causa_.
There was only one setback in Corrigan's medical career in Dublin.
When first proposed for honorary fellowship in the Irish College of
Physicians, he was rejected. The reason was entirely apart from
medical matters. Corrigan was the most active member of the Irish
Board of Health, which had charge of the famine cases in Ireland,
during the awful years between 1845 and 1850. This Board proposed to
allow about five shillings per day to physicians who would be sent to
the country to attend famine fever cases. It is easy to understand
that this remuneration was considered inadequate and the Board's
decision in the matter raised a storm of protest. Graves wrote very
bitterly with regard to it, and blamed Corrigan for any part he might
have had in it. The result was that for some time Dr. Corrigan was the
most popularly hated physician in the medical profession of Dublin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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