John M. T. Finney: distinguished surgeon and Oslerphile Marvin J. Stone, MD, MACP

John Finney (1863–1942) was born near Natchez, Mississippi. After receiving his medical degree from Harvard, he interned at Massachusetts General Hospital and then went to Baltimore to become one of the first interns at the new Johns Hopkins Hospital. He met William Osler the day the hospital opened and became a lifelong admirer of “the Chief.” Finney specialized in gastrointestinal surgery and was recognized for his expertise in the field. Osler recommended Finney to a physician colleague, writing, “You could not be in better hands. . . . Finney has been most successful and his judgment is so good.” Finney served for 33 years under William Halsted at Hopkins. After Halsted’s death, Finney was offered the chair of surgery at Johns Hopkins but declined. He was a founder and first president of the American College of Surgeons. He also served as president of the American Surgical Association and the Society of Clinical Surgery. Finney became chief surgical consultant for the Allied Expeditionary Forces in World War I. He was decorated by the United States, France, and Belgium. Finney was a master surgeon and a role model for generations of students and physicians.

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ohn M. T. Finney (1863–1942), the son of a clergyman, was born near Natchez, Mississippi, in a plantation house in the midst of a Civil War battle. After the death of his mother when he was only a few months old, he lived with four different foster mothers (1). His fourth foster mother, “Aunt Lizzie,” had a major impact on his life, enabling him to attend Princeton University and taking care of him later in Boston when he was a medical student. Finney was the only person to play varsity football at both Princeton and Harvard. He received his medical degree from Harvard in 1888 and interned at Massachusetts General Hospital, following which he moved to Baltimore in 1889 to join the new Johns Hopkins Hospital and Medical School. Finney served 33 years under Chief of Surgery William Halsted. During this prolonged period of time, he received only one compliment from Halsted. Finney was a member of the “All-Star” surgical team (Figure 1) (2). He performed an appendectomy on Halsted’s wife, Carolyn Hampton Halsted. Finney developed special interest and expertise in abdominal surgery, especially surgery of the stomach and duodenum, and was one of the pioneers in the operation of pyloroplasty. He saw a number of private patients, particularly at the Union Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2016;29(1):91–93

Figure 1. Halsted and the “All-Star” surgical team. The occasion was the opening of the new surgical building at Johns Hopkins in 1904. Halsted is operating on a patient with osteomyelitis of the upper femur. He is performing a resection holding a wooden hammer. Finney is first assistant and is directly across the table from Halsted. Harvey Cushing is on Finney’s right. Photo: Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Protestant Hospital, and developed a first-rate surgical program at that hospital. Later on he was able to admit private patients at Johns Hopkins and held the appointment of professor of clinical surgery. Finney had a long and close relationship with William Osler. The two met when the hospital first opened in 1889, and Finney referred to him as “the Chief.” Finney was a lifelong admirer of Osler. In his autobiography, Finney described Osler on rounds: But in order to get a glimpse of the real “Chief,” of the many sides of his character; his wonderful memory for cases, the inexhaustible storehouse of medical lore with which his mind was filled, his remarkable insight into human nature, his intimate knowledge of disease and its protean manifestations; in order From the Departments of Internal Medicine and Oncology and the Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas; the Departments of Internal Medicine and Humanities, Texas A&M College of Medicine; and the School of Arts & Humanities, The University of Texas at Dallas. Presented in part at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Osler Society, Baltimore, MD, 2015. Corresponding author: Marvin J. Stone, MD, MACP (e-mail: marvstonemd@ gmail.com). 91

Figure 2. Osler with the first resident staff at Hopkins, 1889–1890. Finney is in the back row, second from the left. Photo: Osler Library of the History of Medicine, McGill University. William Osler Photo Collection.

to feel the magic of his personality, one must watch him by the bedside of his patient, surrounded by his students, the ideal clinician and teacher. There he sits in characteristic pose in the midst of them, his exquisite hands palpating the patient or toying with a stethoscope, of thoughtful mien, his mind alert, never missing an opportunity to direct attention to some point of interest illustrated by the case or to point out to the students some way in which by study and research additions could be made to existing knowledge. Nor does he fail to take advantage of the opportunity to try in his own delightful way to stimulate in the minds of his students the desire for real accomplishment in their work (3).

Finney was a member of the first resident staff at John’s Hopkins (Figure 2) (4, 5). Finney recommended William Thayer, his medical school classmate at Harvard, to replace Henry Lafleur, Osler’s first chief resident. Thayer stayed on in that capacity with Osler for 7 years. Harry Friedenwald, an ophthalmologist and son of Aaron Friedenwald, also an ophthalmologist, contacted Osler in Canada when the elder Friedenwald became ill with an abdominal mass. Osler wrote a letter back to Friedenwald recommending surgical exploration by Finney, saying, “You could not be in better 92

hands.” Moreover, Osler said, “Finney has been most successful . . . and his judgment is so good.” Not only was Finney an Oslerphile, but Osler was quite definitely a Finneyphile. Figure 3 shows Osler’s handwritten letter to Friedenwald (author’s collection). Osler said he would not be able to do anything other than urge surgical exploration because of the progressive loss of weight, the discomfort and uneasiness in the abdomen, and a palpable abdominal mass. Later on in the letter, Osler concluded by saying, “Do give your father my kindest regards and best wishes, and if he is anxious to see me or if you feel my presence would be a source of comfort to him or to your mother let me know and I will come at once.” The letter was signed, “Sincerely yours, Wm Osler.” Finney had a number of offers during his career, one of which was to become the president of Princeton. After consideration, he decided not to do that but did become a life trustee of the university. After Halsted’s death, Finney was offered the chair

Figure 3. Osler’s handwritten letter to Harry Friedenwald about his father. The elder Friedenwald died 16 days after this letter was written. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings

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Figure 4. Finney at age 50 when he was elected first president of the American College of Surgeons. Photo: American College of Surgeons.

of surgery at Hopkins but declined, feeling that he was too old and that the post should go to a younger person. At one point he was touted to run for senator from Maryland, but he did not really pursue that opportunity. Finney received a number of prestigious job offers during his career, including becoming a founder and first president of the American College of Surgeons (Figure 4) (6, 7). He served on the editorial board of Surgery Gynecology & Obstetrics from 1913 until his death. Finney was also the president of the American Surgical Association and the Society of Clinical

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Surgery. He was a member of the board of trustees at Lincoln University and received a number of other honors and degrees throughout his career. Finney served in the Armed Services during World War I, achieving the rank of brigadier general in the US Army Medical Corps. He also served as chief surgical consultant to the Allied Expeditionary Forces and participated in a number of studies for new methods of wound care. Finney was decorated by the United States, France, and Belgium and received the Legion of Honor from France. Finney had a long career as mentor and counselor to students and young physicians in training. He made a number of addresses to Princeton college students in an informal medical club atmosphere. These were collected in a small book called The Physician (8). Twenty-one topics were published, including chapters on experience, ethics, criticism of colleagues, altruism, humor, the grateful patient, and causes of failure. At the conclusion of his autobiography Finney stated, “The true physician is supremely happy in his work. He could not be happy doing anything else. Once having caught the vision as it unfolds before his gaze, all else fades into insignificance.” John M. T. Finney died in 1942 at the age of 78 and is buried in Churchville, Maryland. He was an outstanding clinician and a master surgeon who rose to international prominence during his long career at Johns Hopkins. His standards and ideals were of the highest caliber. Finney was an inspiration and role model for generations of students and physicians. 1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Finney JMT. A Surgeon’s Life: The Autobiography of J.M.T. Finney. New York: Putnam, 1940. Harvey AM, Brieger GH, Abrams SL, Fishbein JM, McKusick VA. A Model of Its Kind: A Pictorial History of Medicine at Johns Hopkins, Vol 2. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press, 1989:81. Finney JMT, A Surgeon’s Life: 280. Harvey AM et al., A Model of Its Kind: 39. Bliss M. William Osler: A Life in Medicine. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999: 213–214. Finney JMT. Presidential address, American College of Physicians, first convocation, November 13, 1913. Cameron JL. John Miller Turpin Finney: the first president of the American College of Surgeons. J Am Coll Surg 2009;208(3):327–332. Finney JMT. The Physician. New York: Scribner, 1923.

John M. T. Finney: distinguished surgeon and Oslerphile

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John M. T. Finney: distinguished surgeon and Oslerphile.

John Finney (1863-1942) was born near Natchez, Mississippi. After receiving his medical degree from Harvard, he interned at Massachusetts General Hosp...
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