Description
Dr. Arthur Spohn: Surgeon, Inventor, and Texas Medical Pioneer (2018) by Jane Clements Monday, Frances Brannen Vick, and Charles W. Monday Jr., MD, chronicles the extraordinary life of a 19th-century physician who transformed medical care in South Texas. This comprehensive biography highlights Spohn’s innovative surgical techniques, including his development of a specialized tourniquet for “bloodless operations” later adopted by militaries worldwide, and his record-setting removal of a 328-pound tumor.
The book also details Spohn’s pioneering efforts to establish modern healthcare in South Texas, including the founding of the first hospital in Corpus Christi, which evolved into today’s Christus Spohn Health System. Combining medical history with social and regional context, it offers rare photographs and insights into life in 19th-century South Texas, making it an essential read for historians, medical professionals, and anyone interested in the legacy of a remarkable physician and inventor.
