Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-14
NOTED SURGEON
PASSES AWAY
DR.. GEORGE N. FOWLER DIES
AT ALBANY
Physician Who Had Removed over
Two Thousand Appe endlxes suc-
eunbs to Appendicitis After
an Operation

News has just been received in Los
Angeles of the death of Dr. George r.
Fowler, who expired at Albany, N. Y,
one week after an operation for appen
dicitis had been performed on him.
Dr. Fowler had proba bly, operated for
appendicitis upon more patients than
any other surgeon in the world. Thou
sands of cases had passed beneath his
sktllful hand before he himself was
stricken by the malady. One of the
pioneers in surgery DR.. Fowler per.
formed the operation of appendectomy
when others were seriously question
ing the wisdom Of such work Among
those who were operated on for appen-
dicitis by DIR. Fowler was his son, DR..
Russell Fowler.
The elder DR.. Fowler went to Albany
to attend a meeting of the New York
State Medical society. He was stricken
on the train and at the Albany hos
pital his case was diagnosed as appen-
dicitis and an operation was performed
by Drs. Albert Wander Veer, Willis o.
Macdonald and Leo Neuman. DR..
Fowler rallied from the operation, but
he was In weakened condition brought
on largely by overwork, and there was
from the first little hope of his recovery.
In spite of the constant attendance of
the physicians he sank slowly. His wife
and son DR.. Russell Fowler were with
him when he died.
Was a Pioneer Surgeon
DR.. Fowler was born in New York
December %, 1S4S, and has been con-
nected with many hospitals and noted
ca ses. DR. Fowler was brevet brig
adler general and surgeon on the staff
of Maj. Gen. Roe of the National guard
and member of the state board of
medical examiners.
DR. George n Fowler wall kpor1,t,
in Los Angeles both personally and by
his world wide reputation as a surgeon.
He has added greatly to surgical liter
ature and at the time of his death was
working on the second volume of his
book on general surgery. DR.. Fowler
was a contributor to many medical and
surgical publications and has always
been regarded as one of the highest au-
thorities on modern surgery.
DR.. Fowler was one of the first ex-
ponents of antiseptic methods and was
the first to recognize appendicitis as a
|separate disease and surgical affection.
At the time of his death DR. Fowler
was at work on an extensive treatise
entitled Surgical Diseases of the In
testines.' which was to be issued in
eight volumes, edited by DIR. Joseph c.
Bryant.
Renowned for Great Skill
DIR. Paul A. Adams. who has an office
in the Byrne building, was greatly
shocked when told by a Herald repre-
sentative Of the death of DIR. Fowler.
II was closely associated with DIR.
Fowler in Brooklyn for some time. He
was one of the worlds greatest sur
geons and personally a very loveable
man. 1t Is strange that he should die
as a result of an attack of appendi-
citis. DR.. Fowler probably removed
more appendices than any surgeon in
the world. He was one of the most
surgeon in charge of the Methodist
Episcopal hospital in Brooklyn at the
time l was there.
DIR. Fowler was widely known in
surgical and medical circles and had
many friends in Los Angeles"
DR.. Lemoyne Wills, who has an office
in the Wilcox block, was also ac-
quainted with DR.. Fowler, having met
the noted surgeon at Philadelphia in
1897. When told of the death of DR..
Fowler, DIR. Wills said;
This is sad news indeed. In the
death of DR.. Fowler surgery suffers
a great loss. We was a wonderfully
clever operator and a tireless student.
DR.. Fowler has done a great deal to
enrich surgical literature in America
and his reputation was international.
Impressed by CIeverness
after hearing DIR. Fowler lecture at
Philadelphia in 1897 I visited his hos
pital in Brooklyn. He was at that time
at the head Of the Methodist Episcopal
hospital there. 1 saw him operate and
have never forgotten my impression
of his cleverness. While he was one
of the most resourceful men in the
country and one of the best author
tiles on surgical literature, DIR. Fowler
never put himself forward and was
very modest man. Several of the
operations which were first performed
by Dr. Fowler, which have been of great
benefit to humanity, bear the great
surgeons name. He first performed
the operation known as 'Fowler's in
traperitoneal hernia DR.. Fowler's death
takes away one of the most skillful
surgeons the world has ever known
DIR. Andrew Stewart Lobingier said
he had heard of the illness of DR..
Fowler, but was surprised and panied
to hear of the eminent physician s
DEATH
II knew DIR. Fowler through meet
ing him at the American Medical asso-
ciation's conventions. He was a dis
tinguished surgeon and it is singular
that he should succumb to the disease
of which he has made such speciality.
DIR. Fowler was a brilliant man and an
accepted authority on appendicitis"