Complex sentence: The Purvises had eight children, including son Charles Burleigh Purvis (1841-1926), who became a surgeon and professor for 30 years in the medical school at Howard University.
Split into simpler sentences: The Purvises had eight children, including son Charles Burleigh Purvis (1841-1926). He became a surgeon and professor for 30 years in the medical school at Howard University.