David Williams Cheever / by David Cheever.

  • Cheever, David
Date:
[1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: David Williams Cheever / by David Cheever. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    perative work. Thus Cheever in his long life touched three great epochs: as a youth he helped his father operate before anasthesia; in his early prime he struggled with wound infection before the days of Lister, and in his maturity he enjoyed the security and certitude of healing conferred by Lister’s gift to humanity. His operative work was based on painstaking preliminary study and diagnosis, well-nigh perfect knowledge of anatomy, familiarity with gross pathology, and careful review beforehand of every step and anticipation of every complication. Let the event be what it might, it found him ready. His manual dexterity was average; he himself did not think he excelled as an operator. He was imperturb¬ able, steady, unruffled, but these qualities were due to iron control of a sensitive and high-strung temperament. His policy was of wise preparedness. “His fore¬ sight and forethought prevented mistakes, inspired confidence and insured favorable results.’' His wide experience in general practice gave him breadth of view and depth of judgment. Thirty-three classes of Harvard medical students delighted in his teaching which after all was the field where he was unrivalled. Perhaps the genius of the old Master of the Public Latin School in Boston was dominant again in him. The demonstration of an anatomical dissection, of an operation, of a clinical problem or the conduct of a ward visit, were to him prized opportunties to teach his precious art to others. The didactic lecture—now justly disparaged in its usual form, was in his hands an important and acceptable instrument of teaching. It was carefully prepared beforehand, but delivered extemporaneously in short crisp sentences of Anglo-Saxon English, wholly without theatrical effect, but lucid, comprehensive, logical. Its principles and epigrammatic precepts re¬ mained fixed in the student’s mind and guided his later practice. A young graduate, versed in short-hand took down the lectures as delivered, and later, with none but minor corrections, they were published in book form as Lectures in Surgery. In medical education he staunchly supported President Charles W. Eliot in raising pre-medical requirements, establishing a graded four-year course, and developing clinical teaching. Cheever felt strongly the obligations of the physician to the community. His steady purpose is expressed in a reminiscent sentence from his pen: “ I have tried to advance our profession.” He wrote, lectured, published, supported medical societies, and actively abetted all measures looking toward the health of the community and the dignity and high standing of the medical profession. He fought quackery and medical imposture in all their forms. He helped dethrone the notorious coroner system in Massachusetts, worked for privileged medical communications, and frequently appeared before legislative bodies. He was president of most of the local medical organizations, including the Massachusetts Medical Society, and was the seventh president of the American Surgical Asso-
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