American Medical Biographies/Asch, Morris Joseph
Asch, Morris Joseph (1833–1902)
Morris Joseph Asch, New York laryngologist, was born on July 4, 1833, and was the second son of Joseph M. and Clara Ulman Asch. His early education was mainly under private tutors and in the autumn of 1848 he entered the University of Pennsylvania where he was graduated on July 2, 1852, with the baccalaureate degree. His Master's degree was received in course July 3, 1855. He was a member of the Alpha Chapter (University of Pennsylvania) of the P. K. E. fraternity. In the fall of 1852 he entered the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia from which he received the doctorate in 1855. Soon after graduation Dr. Asch was appointed clinical assistant to Dr. Samuel D. Gross, with whom he remained for several years.
When war was declared and his country called, it was but natural that he should enter the Army where three brothers had already volunteered. He passed the examination for assistant surgeon of the United States Army, which he entered on August 5, 1861. He was on duty at the surgeon-general's office from August, 1861, to August, 1862. He subsequently became surgeon-in-chief to the Artillery Reserve of the Army of the Potomac, medical inspector Army of the Potomac, medical director of the 24th Army Corps, medical inspector of the Army of the James, staff surgeon of General P. H. Sheridan from 1865 to 1873. Some of the battles of the Civil War in which Dr. Asch participated were Chancellorsville, Mine Run, Gettysburg, The Wilderness and Appomattox Court House. On March 13, 1865, he was brevetted major for faithful and meritorious services during the war. He resigned from the Army of the Potomac on March 3, 1873, and entered into the practice of medicine in New York City, devoting himself largely though not exclusively to the study and treatment of diseases of the nose and throat and holding the position of surgeon to the throat departments of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital. When the American Laryngological Association was formed he was one of its founders, and he was president in the work of the section of laryngology. He sociation and was always zealous in its behalf. He was also a member of the New York Academy of Medicine and actively interested in the work of the section of laryngology. He held for a time the position of professor of laryngology to the New York Polyclinic. He was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, of the Union, University, Century and New York Yacht Clubs. His contributions to the literature of his chosen specialty were many. He wrote the article of "Stenosis of the Larynx" in the "Reference Hand Book of the Medical Sciences," Vol. IV. Dr. A. H. Buck, editor, the one on "Chronic Affections of the Nose," and a description of an operation for the cure of deviations of the cartilaginous septum, in the "American Text Book of Diseases of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat," DeSchweinitz and Randall. Of all his writings his name will ever be connected with the one descriptive of the operation for the cure of septal deviations, which for some time past has been known as the Asch operation: "A New Operation for Deviation of the Nasal Septum, with a Report of Cases," N. Y. Medical Journal, vol. LII, 1890. He gave to it years of study of the most patient kind, perfecting it in its minutest detail, waiting until the results could be fully demonstrated before he presented his report, and this is well attested by the fact that the first published description of his manner of operating was never changed. He realized that no one method could ever be presented that would answer for every kind of deformity, but he demonstrated fully that his operation answered for the vast majority of cases, and he lived to see it become the most popular method in the country, and to know that it was performed in every part of the world.
Whatever Dr. Asch undertook was always conscientiously and well done, and faithful attention to duty was the surest way to win his esteem and friendship. Of courteous bearing, with a commanding presence, with a wide knowledge of human nature, he was withal gentle, retiring and far too modest.
An honorable career was ended on October 5, 1902, when Dr. Asch died at the age of seventy at Irvington-on-Hudson. Although a sufferer for nearly three years the end came suddenly from an attack of cerebral embolism.