author
Charles B. (Charles Bingham) Penrose
1862–1925
Best known for the surgical "Penrose drain," this Philadelphia physician also wrote a widely used textbook on women's diseases and built a life that ranged far beyond the operating room. He was a surgeon, teacher, zoologist, and conservation-minded naturalist whose work left a lasting mark on medicine.
1 Audiobook
A Text-book of Diseases of Women
by Charles B. (Charles Bingham) Penrose
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1862, Charles Bingham Penrose studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and went on to become a prominent gynecologist and surgeon. He taught at Penn, served at major Philadelphia hospitals, and wrote A Text-Book of Diseases of Women, a medical text that appeared in multiple editions.
Penrose is especially remembered for the Penrose drain, a soft surgical tube designed to help wounds drain after an operation. Beyond medicine, he also developed strong interests in zoology and wildlife conservation, and he was recognized as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
His life included an unusual western chapter as well: after going to Wyoming for his health in the 1890s, he became caught up in events connected with the Johnson County War. He died in 1925, but his name has remained familiar to generations of medical students and surgeons.