author
John Green Curtis
1844–1913
A key early American physiologist, he helped build physiology as a field in the United States and hosted the first meeting of the American Physiological Society in his Columbia laboratory. His career joined medical teaching, laboratory work, and a lasting influence on how physiology was taught.
1 Audiobook
Harvey's Views on the Use of the Circulation of the Blood
by John Green Curtis
About the author
Born in New York City in 1844, John Green Curtis studied at Harvard and later at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He also trained in Europe, including work with well-known physiologist Carl Ludwig, before returning to the United States.
Curtis spent most of his career at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he taught physiology and worked to strengthen laboratory-based medical education. He is remembered less for a single famous discovery than for helping establish physiology as a serious academic discipline in America.
He was one of the founding members of the American Physiological Society, and its first meeting was held in his laboratory. Curtis died in 1913, leaving behind a reputation as an important teacher and organizer in early American medical science.