Abraham Colles
| Abraham Colles | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
23 July 1773 Milmount, Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Died | 16 November 1843 (aged 70) |
| Education | University of Dublin, Trinity College |
| Known for | Treatise on surgical anatomy Paper On the Fracture of the Carpal Extremity of the Radius (Colles' fracture). |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Surgeon, Physician |
| Institutions | Dr Steevens' Hospital |
| Specialism | Anatomy, Physiology, Surgery |
Abraham Colles (23 July 1773 – 16 November 1843) was professor of Anatomy, Surgery and Physiology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Descended from a Worcestershire family, some of whom had sat in Parliament, he was born to William Colles and Mary Anne Bates of Woodbroak, Co. Wexford. The family lived near Millmount, a townsland near Kilkenny, Ireland, where his father owned and managed his inheritance which was the extensive Black Quarry that produced the famous Black Kilkenny Marble. The father died when Colles was 6, but his mother took over the management of the quarry and managed to give her children a good education.
While at Kilkenny College, there was a flood in which a local physician's house was destroyed. Abraham found an anatomy book belonging to the doctor in a field and returned it to him. Sensing the young man's interest in medicine, the physician let Abraham keep the book. He went on to enroll in Trinity College, University of Dublin in 1790 and received the Licentiate Diploma of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1795. Abraham went on to study medicine at Edinburgh Medical School, receiving his M.D. degree in 1797. Afterwards, he lived in London for a short period, working with the famous surgeon Sir Astley Cooper in his dissections of the inguinal region.
Following his return to Dublin, in 1799, he was elected to the staff at Dr Steevens' Hospital where he served for the next 42 years. He was a well regarded surgeon and was elected as president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1802 at the age of only 28 years. In 1804, he was appointed Professor of anatomy, physiology and surgery at the college.
In 1811, he wrote an important treatise on surgical anatomy and some terms he introduced have survived in surgical nomenclature until today. He is remembered as a skilful surgeon and for his 1814 paper On the Fracture of the Carpal Extremity of the Radius; this injury continues to be known as Colles' fracture. This paper, describing distal radial fractures, was far ahead of its time, being published decades before x-rays came into use.
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