American Medical Biographies/Hughes, Charles Hamilton
Hughes, Charles Hamilton (1839–1916).
Charles Hamilton Hughes, neurologist and medicolegal expert, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, May 23, 1839. He came of a Welsh family, an early member of which settled in Ireland; Richard Hughes came from Tipperary to America about 1760. Hughes's father was Harvey J. Hughes, his mother, Elizabeth Rebecca, daughter of Zaccheus Stocker, founder of Elizabethtown, Indiana, named in honor of his daughter. Hughes's academic education was received at Grinnell (Iowa) College, and his M. D. was had at St. Louis Medical College in 1859. He served as surgeon during the Civil War, and was mustered out in 1865. In 1866 he was appointed superintendent of the Missouri State Lunatic Asylum, at Fulton, where he remained five years. He was a founder of the Marion-Sims Medical College, St. Louis, and was professor of psychiatry and neurology; was the first president of the faculty, and professor of nervous diseases at Barnes Medical College.
In 1876, before the psychiatry section of the International Medical Congress, at Philadelphia, he read a paper on "Simulation of Insanity, by the Insane." He was interested in the Italian contributions to psychiatry and suggested translations which led to a wider knowledge of the Italian School.
In 1880 he founded the Alienist and Neurologist and became its editor, holding this position until his death. He was a very prolific writer of papers, in his specialty, and of numerous monographs.
He was a member of the British Medico-psychological Association, and of several American medical societies.
Hughes married Addie, daughter of Luther Case, of St. Louis, in 1862; after her death he married (1873) Mattie Dyer, daughter of H. Lawther, of Calloway County, Missouri, who died before him.
He died at his home in St. Louis, July 13, 1916.