KNIGHT
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KNIGHT
Standard of Medical Education," Wash-
ington, 1878, and an excellent report on
"Typhoid Fever" presented to the Med-
ical Society of Washington, District of
Columbia, 1894. He also assisted Dr.
S. C. Busey and Dr. John M. Toner in the
preparation of numerous and valuable
monographs. G. M. K.
Knight, Frederick Irving (1841-1909).
Frederick Irving Knight, laryngologist, was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, May 18, 1841, the son of Frederick and Anne Goodwin Knight. His education was received at the Newburyport High School and Yale College whence he gradu- ated in 1SG2. Apparently he had already begun to look towards his profession, for he showed unusual interest in the Soldiers' Hospital — it was during the Civil War — and spent so much time in helping to watch and nurse the patients that he was often spoken of as " Doctor" Knight. In 1866 Yale gave him the degree of A. M. Having finished his academic course at New Haven, he en- tered the Harvard Medical School, from which he graduated in 1866. He then entered the City Hospital of Boston, where he passed the usual time as interne, and upon graduating went to New York City. There he associated himself with Professor Austin Flint, with whom he studied for one year when, declining an offered partnership, he returned to Bos- ton and became the assistant of Dr. Henry I. Bowditch (Harvard, 1828), which partnership was continued for twelve years.
Meanwhile in 1871-1872 Dr. Knight spent a year abroad at Vienna, Berlin and London, under the personal instruc- tion of the best masters of the day.
From the beginning he had devoted his attention to diseases of the chest and the upper air passages, and having perfected his knowledge of these subjects as far as possible he returned to Boston.
In 1872, while in Europe, he was made instructor in percussion, auscultation and laryngoscopy, and on his return estab- lished a clinic in New York to include
laryngology, largely limited to teach-
ing methods of examination. In 1879,
after seven years of instruction, per-
cussion and ascultation were separated
from laryngology and the title of
Teacher became that of Instructor of
Laryngology. In 1880 Harvard estab-
lished a voluntary fourth year. Dr.
Knight gave a course to the class of that
year, consisting of three exercises a week
for two months. In 1882 he was made
assistant and in 1886 clinical professor.
By this time the whole field of disease
was covered by systematic lectures,
demonstrations and the clinical use of
patients.
Although at a period when his mental and physical powers were in every respect at their best, he resigned this position in 1892 in order to allow of the appointment of his friend. Dr. Franklin H. Hooper, who had for some time aspired to attain it.
The high-minded unselfishness of this act was great, for Dr. Hooper was hope- lessly ill. It was not likely that his life would be prolonged sufficiently for him to occupy the place for any great length of time. It was equally probable that if Dr. Knight resigned the position he would not take it up again.
Dr. Knight was connected at various times with the Boston City Hospital, the Boston Dispensary and the Carney Hos- pital, but resigned these positions in 1872 to establish a special clinic in laryngo- scopy at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He was also consulting phy- sician to the Masaschusetts General Hospital,
While abroad he married in Berlin, October, 15, 1871, Louisa Armistead Appleton, daughter of William Stuart Appleton, formerly of Baltimore, Mary- land; one child, Theodora Knight, siir- vived him.
Dr. Knight was one of the founders of the American Laryngological Associa- tion. At the first meeting of the Asso- ciation held in New York City, June 10, 1879, the first scientific contribution pre- sented was the paper of Dr. Knight on " Retro-Pharyngeal Sarcoma."
