In Memoriam Charles Edward Buckingham BY GEORGE H. JLYMftN. M.D. BOSTON, MASS. REPRINT FROM VOLUME n ffijnecologtcal transactions 1878 IN MEMORIAM. CHARLES EDWARD BUCKINGHAM. Hardly has our Society entered upon its new career than it is called upon to mourn the loss, by death, of some of its mem- bers. The distinguished Simon, of Heidelberg, from whose experi- ence we had anticipated such valuable contributions, was sud- denly taken from us, before he could even learn of his election as Honorary Fellow. Previous to this our second annual meeting, another of our small original number, Dr. Charles E. Buckingham, of Boston, has died, thus depriving us of one from whose professional culture and experience we had also looked for rich contributions. It seems fitting that the Society should not allow such events to pass unnoticed, and that some allusion should be made to the virtues and labors of those taken from us, if only as an added stimulus to work while work be possible. Dr. Buckingham was born in Boston, in 1821 ; was graduated at Harvard College in 1840 (M. D. 1844). He inherited from his father, who was an able and influential journalist, a vigorous style, with which he was always ready in debate, having opinions of his own, and never hesitating to ex- press them ; too much a man and too earnest for the truth to fear generous criticism, — honorable and upright himself, he was caustic and severe in denunciation of anything savoring of mean- ness or trickery in professional conduct. In his earlier professional years he had a hard struggle with adverse circumstances, and limited means, with no outside influences to help or push him forward, — conscious of his own ability but condemned as it were to inaction, — it is not strange that with his temperament he should, when occasion offered, 2 IN MEMO RI AM. have resented with perhaps too much causticity anything which savored of favoritism or pretense in others. As he advanced in years, his real merits becoming better known, he entered gradually but surely upon a full and remunerative practice, and it may safely be said, that but few physicians in this city have enjoyed to a greater degree the confidence and affection of a larger circle of patients. To the profession he is, by general admission, a great loss ; being always foremost in promoting, its interests ; despising every taint of charlatanism, whether regular or irregular ; prompt to rec- ognize and assist in every Way those who were ready and willing to help themselves ; in council generous and considerate, leaving no trace of superiority behind him either by word or look to poison the family of the sick one with doubts of the wisdom of their own adviser ; in his social relations with his brethren every whit a gentleman,—this Society may well join his more immediate friends in deploring his loss. As a writer Dr. Buckingham was clear and vigorous, but in his later years too busily occupied and too much an invalid for any elaborate literary work. He had, however, made consider- able progress in the accumulation of material for a treatise on Obstetrics which he hoped at some time to complete. His interest was always manifest in all questions relating to the public welfare, such as the organization of the Board of Health, protection against small-pox, and other contagious dis- eases, and his contributions to these and kindred subjects in the medical and daily journals were frequent and valuable. In his earlier years he was active in the establishment of the Boylston Medical School in cooperation with Drs. Bacon, Walker, Knee- land, E. H. Clarke, Thayer, Dalton, and Williams. Later he was appointed one of the surgeons of the Boston City Hospital, Ad- junct Professor of Theory and Practice in the Harvard Medical School and subsequently became Professor of Obstetrics in the same institution, where he proved himself an instructive teacher and an impressive lecturer, his large experience enabling him to illustrate his teachings in such a graphic way as to fix them in the mind of his hearers. He was also at the time of his death Consulting Physician to the City Hospital, and the Boston Lying- in Hospital; Fellow of the London Obstetrical Society, and of the American Gynecological Society, and corresponding member of CHARLES EDWARD BUCKINGHAM. the Philadelphia Obstetrical Society. The last few years of his life were years of suffering from complicated cardiac troubles which finally resulted fatally on the ioth of February, 1877, at the age of 56. The loss of such a man can only be fully appreciated by his more immediate professional associates, but this Society knew enough of his merits to desir§ that he should be one of its origi- nal Fellows. George H. Lyman. Boston, June 2, 1878. TRANSACTIONS OF The American Gynecological Society. VOL. I., FOR THE YEAR 1876. 4.00 pages. Many illustrations. The Annual Address by the President, Dr. Fordyce Barker, of New York, and the following papers : — I. Etiology of Uterine Flexures, with the proper mode of treatment indicated. By Thomas Addis Emmet, New York. II. Cicatrices of the Cervix Uteri and Vagina. By Alexander J. C. Skene, M. D., New York. III. Extirpation of the Functionally Active Ovaries for the Remedy of otherwise Incur- able Diseases. By Robert Battey, Rome, Ga. IV. On Central Rupture of the Perineum. By J. Matthews Duncan, M. D., Edinburgh, Scotland. V. Viburnum Prunifolium (Black Haw); its Uses in the Treatment of the Diseases of Women. By Edward W. Jenks, M. D., Detroit, Mich. VI. An Illustration of Xenomenia. By Theophilus Parvin, M. D., Indianapolis, In- diana. VII. Relations of Pregnancy to General Pathology. By Robert Barnes, M. D., Lon- don, Eng. VIII. The Spontaneous and Artificial Destruction and Expulsion of Fibrous Tumors of the Uterus. By W. H. Byford, Chicago, 111. IX. Case of Abdominal Pregnancy, treated by Laparotomy. By T. Gaillard Thomas, M. D., New York. X. Pneumatic Self-Replacement in Dislocations of the Gravid and Non-gravid Uterus. By Henry F. Campbell, M. D., Augusta, Ga. XI. Hydrate of Chloral in Obstetrical Practice. By W. L. Richardson, M. D., Boston, Mass. XII. Labor Complicated with Uterine Fibroids and Placenta Previa. By James R. Chadwick, M. D., Boston, Mass. XIII. Latent Gonorrhea, with Regard to its Influence on Fertility in Women. By Emil Noeggerath, M. D., New York. XIV. Death from Urinemia in Certain Cases of Malignant Diseases of the Uterus. By Alfred Wiltshire, M. D., London, England. XV. Clinical Memoir on some of the Genital Lesions of Childbirth. By William Good- ell, M. D., Philadelphia, Pa. XVI. Hermaphroditism. By Lawson Tait, F. R. C. S., Birmingham, England. XVII. Cases of Cystic Tumors of the Abdomen and Pelvis. By George H. Bixby, M. D., Boston, Mass. XVIII. Case of Solid Uterus Bipartitus; both ovaries removed for the relief of epileptic seizures ascribed to ovarian irritation. By E. Randolph Peaslee, M. D., New York. XIX. The Origin and History of Calculi found in the Bladder after the Cure of Vesico- Vaginal Fistula by Operation. By Henry F. Campbell, Augusta, Ga. XX. Rare Forms of Umbilical Hernia in.the Fetus. By James R. Chadwick, M. D., Boston, Mass. XXL In Memoriam Gustav Simon. By Paul F. Mund£, M. D., New York. Price of Volume I., $5.00. As contributions to advanced gynecology they exceed in value anything which we have ever before seen collected in any one volume. — N. Y. Medical Record. This volume of Transactions is certainly superior to any book of the kind that has been issued by the American Press.— St. Louis Clinical Record. Now we have the first of, we hope, a long row of volumes which will bear comparison with the Transactions of European Societies. Indeed, these must look to their laurels in this noble emulation. — Edinburg Medical Journal. This volume is one of the best collections of gynecological papers that has been published this year. —Annales de Gynicologie. VOLUME II. 650 pages, 12 chromo-lithographs and many other illustrations. Contains the following papers, with the discussions to which they gave rise : — I. Annual Address, on Medical Gynecology. By the President, Dr. Fordyce Barker, of New York. II. The Functions of the Anal Sphincters, so called. With two wood-cuts. By Dr James R. Chadwick, of Boston, Mass. III. Excision of the Cervix Uteri; its Indications and Methods. With one wood-cut. By Dr. John Byrne, of Brooklyn, N. Y. IV. Report on the Corpus Luteum. With twelve chromo-lithographic plates. By Dr. John C. Dalton, of New York. V. The Pathology and Treatment of Puerperal Eclampsia. By Professor Otto Spiegel- berg, of Breslau, Prussia. YI. Dilatation of the Cervix Uteri for the Arrest of Uterine Hemorrhage. By Dr. George H. Lyman, of Boston. VII. The Principles of Gynecological Surgery applied to Obstetric Operations. By Dr. A. J. C. Skene, of Brooklyn, N. Y. VIII. On the Necessity of Caution in the Employment of Chloroform during Labor. By Dr. William T. Lusk, of New York. IX. The Present Status of the Intra-Uterine Stem in the Treatment of Flexions ot the Uterus. By Dr. Ely Van de Warker, of Syracuse, N. Y. X. Supplement to the report of a case of Xenomenia made at the first Annual Meeting in 1876. By Dr. Theophilus Parvin, Indianapolis, Ind. XI. A Case of Vaginal Ovariotomy. By Dr. William Goodell, of Philadelphia, Penn. XII. Is there a Proper Field for Battey’s Operation? By Dr. Robert Battey, of Rome, Ga. XIII. Subsulphate of Iron as an Antiseptic in the Surgery of the Pelvis. By Dr. H P. C. Wilson, of Baltimore, Md. XIV. Tetanus after Ovariotomy. By Dr. Theophilus Parvin, of Indianapolis, Ind. XV. Sarcoma of the Ovaries. By Dr. Washington L. Atlee, of Philadelphia, Penn. XVI. The Value of Electrolysis in the Treatment of Ovarian Tumors, as seen in the Light of Recent Experience. By Dr. Paul F. Munde, of New York. XVII. Congenital Absence and Accidental Atresia of the Vagina; Mode of Operation to Establish the Canal, and to Evacuate retained Menstrual Blood. With three wood- cuts. By Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet, of New York. XVIII. Case of Sarcoma of the Kidney in a negro child. With Heliotype. By Dr. W. H. Geddings, Aiken, S. C. XIX. The Hystero-Neuroses. By Dr. George J. Engelmann, of St. Louis, Mo. XX. Cases illustrating Important Points connected with Ovariotomy. By Dr. Gilman Kimball, of Lowell, Mass. XXL The Radical Treatment of Dysmenorrhea and Sterility by Rapid Dilatation of the Canal of the Neck of the Uterus With one wood-cut. By Dr. Ellwood Wilson, of Phil- adelphia, Penn. XXII. Dr. Uvedale West’s Views of Rotation, as illustrated by the Contrast between the Mechanism of Simple Ocdpito-Posterior Positions and those of the Bregmato-Coty- loid Variety. By Dr. John P. Reynolds, of Boston, Mass. XXIII. Vascular Tumors of the Female Urethra; with the Description of an Instru- ment devised to Facilitate their Removal. By Dr. A. Reeves Jackson, of Chicago, 111. XXIV. Lying-in Hospitals; especially those in New York. By Dr. Henry J. Gar- rigues, of Brooklyn, N. Y. XXV. The Simpler Varieties of Perineal Laceration; their Consequences and Treat- ment. By Dr. Thaddeus A. Reamy, of Cincinnati, Ohio. XXVI. The Cyclical Theory of Menstruation. By Dr. John Goodman, of Louisville, Ky. XXVII. In Memoriam Charles E. Buckingham. With a Heliotype Portrait. By Dr. George H. Lyman, of Boston, Mass. Index of Obstetric and Gynecological Literature of all Countries, from July 1, 1876, to January 1, 1877. The price of Volume II. is $6.59. The 2 volumes will be sent by mail or express, post-paid, for $10.00. Address, HOUGHTON, OSGOOD & CO., Boston.