Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr c1879

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (August 29, 1809 – October 7, 1894) was an American physician, poet, and polymath based in Boston. A member of the Fireside Poets, his peers acclaimed him as one of the best writers of the day. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table (1858). He was also an important medical reformer.

Early Life and Education

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to a prominent family. His father, Abiel Holmes, was a respected minister, and his mother, Sarah Wendell, came from a wealthy merchant family. Holmes pursued his education at Harvard University, where he graduated in 1829. He initially studied law but soon shifted his focus to medicine. Holmes received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1836, after which he studied medicine in Paris, a common practice among aspiring American doctors at the time due to the advanced state of medical knowledge in France.

Career

Upon returning to the United States, Holmes began practicing medicine in Boston and quickly became a respected member of the medical community. He was particularly interested in the fields of anatomy and physiology. In 1847, Holmes delivered a lecture entitled "The Contagiousness of Puerperal Fever," in which he argued that the fever was a contagious disease and suggested that doctors could prevent its spread by disinfecting their hands and instruments. This lecture is considered a landmark in the history of antiseptic practice, although his ideas were not widely accepted until years later.

In addition to his medical career, Holmes was a prolific writer. He contributed essays and poems to various magazines and journals, gaining fame for his witty and insightful prose. His series of essays, collected under titles such as The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, The Professor at the Breakfast-Table, and The Poet at the Breakfast-Table, were published in book form and became very popular. These works are notable for their conversational style and their blend of humor, philosophy, and insightful observations on American life.

Personal Life

Holmes married Amelia Lee Jackson in 1840, and the couple had three children. Their son, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., would go on to become a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Legacy

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. left a significant legacy both in literature and medicine. His advocacy for the scientific approach to medicine contributed to the development of antiseptic procedures in the United States. As a writer, his essays and poems have earned him a place among the most esteemed American authors of the 19th century. Holmes's ability to bridge the worlds of science and literature, combined with his wit and humanism, has made his work enduringly popular and influential.

Selected Works

• The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table (1858)
• The Professor at the Breakfast-Table (1859)
• The Poet at the Breakfast-Table (1872)
• "The Contagiousness of Puerperal Fever" (1843)

See Also

• Fireside Poets
• Harvard University
• Supreme Court of the United States