Evening star., 1943-01-12
.Dr. H. A. Kelly, Wife
Die Within s Hours
OF Each Other
Noted Johns Hopkins
Surgeon Pioneered in
Rodium for Cancer
BY the Associated Press.

~ the A8s0Clateo PfesS.
BALTIMORE, Jan. l2.-Dr. How
ard Atwood Kelly, "a, International
Unknown medical authority and
member Of the "big four" OF the
original Johns Hopkins Medical
School faculty, died today after a
brief illness.
Mrs. Kelly, q patient at the same
hospital, died six hours later with
out knowing her husband already
was dead. Both had been uncon-
scious for several days.
They were married in Danzig, now
Germany, in 1888. Mrs. Kelly had
been an invalid for several years.
They met while DR.. Kelly was on a
European tour.
At Union Memorial Hospital where
DR.. Kelly was q patient for the last
week death was ascribed to q heart
condition complicated by his ad-
vanced age.
He was born in Camden, N. j.,
February 20, 1883 He was known
chiefly in his profession as a sur
geon Of the abdominal region. When
he was only % he became professor
Of gynecology and obstetrics in
johns Hopkins which was then Or
ganizing.
Pioneered In Use Of Radium.
Other members comprising the
so-called big four" Of the medical
school faculty were the late Dr.
william Osler. later Sir William
Osler; DR.. william H. Welch and
DR.. william T. Halstead.
Until his retirement several years
ago, DR.. Kelly was active head Of
the Johns Hopkins department Of
gynecology and became professor
emeritus in 1919. He was a pioneer
in the use Of radium for the treat
ment Of cancer and wrote many
books and articles dealing with a
wide field Of medical subjects.
He believed that cancer was not
caused by an undiscovered cell. but
by certain forces operating on the
normal cell to make 1t become abb
normal and run riot.
DR.. Kelly warned that radium
was not sure cure for cancer He
maintained that while it was use
less In some cases. it was unGoubted-
ly valuable in others.
A colorful personality, DR.. Kelly
caused wide discussion toward the
end of his scientific career by voic-
ing disbelief in some phases Of the
doctrine OF human evolution.
On his election in February, 1881,
as trustee of the william Jennings
Bryan University at Dayton, Tenn,
an institution which had its genesis
in the famous Scopes trial growing
out Of the teaching Of evolution in
Tennessee public schools, DR.. Kelly
stated that he accepted the evolu-
ton hypothesis with definite reser-
vations.
Religious Views Given.
He held that man, created in the
image Of God, had progressed down.
ward, rather than rising from lower
forms Of life. Animals he conceded,
had changed their forms through
the ages, but under q process d.
rected by God, the creator. -r
Il am . thoroughgoing believer in
the special creation of man, regard
ing which the Bible Is most definite !"
said Dr. Kelly. II am well aware
Of the difnculties such a statement
presents to many minds, but to a
Christian the rejection of the Bib
hcal statement Is incomparably
greater.
If man is but q product Of the
unaided forces Of mere matter and
no more, then what We call sin,
which is everywhere breaking down
the world today, is only an evolu-
tionary product and as such must
90 on.
THE continuity of the animal
creation is easily admissible from
the Bible, where we find several
accounts OF creation.
Advocated Prohibition.
This" he added, "is by no means
an apology: it, on the contrary, places
the Bible on higher spiritual level,
leaving it to man to investigate and
make his discoveries on the lower
level which we call science"
DR.. Kelly was an outspoken advo-
cate Of prohibition and favored re-
tention Of Maryland's blue laws" on
the statute books. He appeared be-
fore congressional committee to
oppose q bill that would have per-
mitted dissemination Of birth con-
troll information.
DR.. Kelly won his bachelors de-
gree at the University of Pennsyl-
vania when he was 10 years old and
then began the study Of medicine.
His studies, however, were inter-
rupted by impaired health and dur
ing part Of 1880 and part Of 1881. he
went to Elbert County. Colo, and
became cowboy. riding the range
In search Of health.
He returned to Philadelphia and
resumed the study Of medicine, tax
ing his degree in 1882.
His first medical work was as q
resident Of the Episcopal Hospital
in Philadelphia. There he built up
. genealogical clinic which attract
ed wide attention.
Led Active Life.
DR.. Kelly's life was filled with ac-
ton. At various times he was q
member Of an expedition studying
Indian skulls in Canada; q watcher
at the polls In Baltimore before the
days Of the Australian ballot law.
when physical violence played q
large part in the elections; the
champion swimmer of Philadelphia:
q crusader in the cause Of religion;
an expert canoeist, shooting many
dangerous rapids in this country
and Canada; q botanist of whom 1t
was said he might have made .
notable career in that science. and
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