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American Medical Biographies/Jacobson, Nathan

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2779898American Medical Biographies — Jacobson, Nathan1920Frederick W. Sears

Jacobson, Nathan (1857–1913)

Nathan Jacobson, born in Syracuse, New York, June 26, 1857, received his early training in the common schools and the high school of his native city and studied medicine with Dr. Roger W. Pease and in the College of Medicine of Syracuse University, graduating in 1877.

He continued his post-graduate studies in Vienna under such men as Strieker, Bilroth and Hebra, returning to practice in Syracuse in 1878. His grounding in laryngology secured him an appointment in his own college in 1885 as instructor, followed by the lectureship coupled with clinical surgery, ending in the professorship of laryngology and of clinical surgery in 1889. In 1892 he abandoned laryngology for clinical surgery alone.

He married Minnie Schwartz of Buffalo in 1884 and had one daughter and a son.

In 1906 he was elected to the professorship of clinical surgery in his alma mater, a position he held until he died. He was actively identified with the local state medical societies, and was a member of the American Surgical Association. He wrote much and delivered many addresses and was actively interested in broad public health questions, such as pure water, tuberculosis, hospital building and epilepsy. Much of his surgical work was done at St. Joseph's Hospital.

Jacobson was one of the important elements in the teaching force which conspired to give Syracuse its high rating in the country. He wrote the chapter on tubercular peritonitis in American Practical Surgery, edited by Bryant & Buck in 1910. (For other memoranda see Alumni record, Syracuse University 1872–1910, vol. iii, part I., page 436.)

Dr. Jacobson died while making a professional call Sept. 16, 1913, death being due to heart disease.

Memorial tribute to Nathan Jacobson by J. L. Heffron, New York State Jour. of Med., Oct., 1913.