John Benjamin Murphy: el signo y la medicina basada en evidencias / John Benjamin Murphy: the sign, and evidence-based medicine

RESUMEN

Objetivo: Narrar la vida y obra de John Benjamín Murphy. Diseño: Ensayo histórico (16 referencias). Sede: Departamento de Investigación, Escuela de Medicina. Resultado: John Benjamin Murphy nació en Apletton, Wisconsin el 21 de diciembre de 1857. Egresó del Rush Medical College en 1876. Tras ejercer algunos años, en 1882 decide continuar su preparación en Europa siendo discípulo de Theodore Billroth. Regresa a su país como profesor en su Alma Mater, al tiempo que comenzó sus prácticas quirúrgicas e investigación clínica ante la Chicago Medical Society. Su investigación a lo largo de esos años lo llevó, en 1895, a convertirse en Jefe de Cirujanos en el Hospital Mercy en Chicago. A lo largo de su desempeño profesional, trabajó en distintas áreas de la medicina; se le reconocen valiosas aportaciones en cirugía vascular, tuberculosis pulmonar, neurocirugía y principalmente en semiología digestiva, donde define el signo de Murphy revolucionando el tratamiento para pacientes con colecistitis. Murphy publicó sus primeros trabajos en los primeros números de lo que hoy son Clínicas Quirúrgicas de Norteamérica. En el hospital Mercy, innovó en la enseñanza de la medicina a través de sus ''wet clinics''. Sin duda, un hombre muy propositivo para su época, que marcó la diferencia en la práctica quirúrgica, respetado y a la vez muy criticado por sus colegas. Falleció el día 11 de agosto de 1916, marcando los inicios de la práctica médica moderna.

ABSTRACT

Objective: To narrate the life and work of John Benjamin Murphy. Design: Historical Assay (16 references). Setting: Research Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Cristobal Colón, Veracruz, Mexico. Result: John Benjamin Murphy was born in Apletton, WI, USA, on the 21st of December 1857. He graduated from Rush Medical College in 1876. After practicing medicine for some years, in 1882, he decided to continue his preparation in Europe and became a pupil of Theodore Billroth. He returned to his country as a professor at his Alma Mater, and at the same time he started his surgical practices and clinical research at the Chicago Medical Society. His research along these years, led him, in 1895, to become the surgeon-in-chief at the Mercy hospital in Chicago. Along his professional career he worked in different areas of medicine, and he is known for valuable work done in vascular surgery, pulmonary tuberculosis, neurosurgery, and mainly in digestive semiology, where he defined the Murphy sign, changing completely the treatment of patients with cholecystitis. Murphy published his first works in what is known today as The Surgical Clinics of Northamerica. At the Mercy hospital, he innovated the teaching of medicine through his ''wet clinics''. Without any doubt, he was a very purposeful man for his time, who made a difference in the surgical practice, he was respected and, at the same time, criticized by his colleagues. He died on August 11, 1916, hallmarking the start of modern medical practice.