American Medical Biographies/Battey, Robert
Battey, Robert (1828–1895)
Robert Battey, son of Cephas and Mary Agnes Margruder Battey, was born November 26, 1828, in Augusta, Georgia. He was educated in Richmond Academy, Augusta, Phillips Academy, Andover, Masachusetts, and was graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy March 17, 1856. He began to study medicine in 1849, at Rome, Georgia, under Dr. George M. Battey (his brother), and later studied under Dr. Ellwood Wilson of Philadelphia; attended two courses of lectures at Jefferson Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania, graduating from the former March 7, 1857, and receiving her LL. D. in 1891. The year 1859–60 was spent in post-graduate studies in the hospitals of Paris. Dr. Battey commenced practice in May, 1857, at Rome, Georgia, and remained there continuously with the exception of the years 1872– 75, when he was professor of obstetrics in Atlanta Medical College, and editor of the Atlanta Medical and Surgical Journal, 1873–76. He was four years, July, 1861–65, in the Confederate service as surgeon of the Nineteenth Regiment of Georgia Volunteers; surgeon of Hampton's Brigade. He was surgeon-in-charge of the Gynecological Infirmary, Rome, and consulting surgeon, treasurer and business manager of the Martha Battey Hospital, Rome, Georgia, an institution incorporated under the laws of Georgia, the buildings and grounds the gift of Dr. Battey and named for his wife in recognition of her aid in his surgical work.
What is known as Battey's operation—oöphorectomy—was first done by him in Rome, Georgia, on August 27, 1872, and reported in the Atlanta Medical and Surgical Journal for September of that same year. The patient was thirty years old and had been an invalid for sixteen years, having only menstruated twice. Both ovaries were removed by abdominal section and the woman cured. Battey afterwards tried vaginal section but reverted to his first method. So far as Battey knew and so far as published cases enabled anyone else to know, his operation had no precedent.
Battey's idea was to remove the ovaries whether diseased or not to do away with painful menstruation and neurotic conditions, whereas Tait's idea was to remove diseased uterine appendages, ovaries and Fallopian tubes because they were diseased. Battey's original conception of the feasibility of removal of the ovaries by the vaginal route had in it much more than he dreamed of and the operation of to-day is the infant thought of Battey grown to great magnitude.
In 1859 he devised an improved apparatus for vesico-vaginal fistula and was the originator of iodized phenol.
His thorough anatomical knowledge gave him confidence so that he was a bold and prudent operator. It must have required courage of a high order to do his first oöphorectomies and he told me how a band of men, among them prominent physicians of his vicinity, awaited the results of his first case, intending, in case of the patient's death, to have him arrested and prosecuted for murder.
He is said to have been the friend of almost every inhabitant of the little town wherein his life was spent. For two years previous to his death, which occurred near Rome, November 8, 1895, his health was so broken that he was unable to work.
He was president of the American Gynecological Society in 1888 and of the Medical Association of the State of Georgia, 1876, and honorary fellow of the Obstetrical Society of Edinburgh, fellow of the British Gynecological Society and of other medical societies.
Battey was not a prolific writer, but without circumscription reached the core of the matter in a few words and stated his views lucidly. He contributed to the Transactions of the American Gynecological Society: "Extirpation of the Functionally Active Ovaries for the Remedy of Otherwise Incurable Disease," vol. i.; "Is There a Proper Field for Battey's Operation?" vol. ii.; "Intrauterine Medication by Iodized Phenol," vol. iv.; "What is the Proper Field for Battey's Operation?" vol. v.; And to the "Transactions, Medical Association of Georgia, Atlanta, 1886: "Antisepsis in Ovariotomy and Battey's Operation; Seventy Consecutive Cases with Sixty-eight Recoveries;" "Normal Ovariotomy," Atlanta Medical and Surgical Journal, 1873.
He married on December 20, 1849, Martha B. Smith of Rome, Georgia, and had fourteen children, eight of whom survived him. Henry Halsey Battey, a son, became a physician.