John Benjamin Murphy

John Benjamin Murphy, born John Murphy (December 21, 1857 – August 11, 1916), was an American physician and abdominal surgeon noted for advocating early surgical intervention in appendicitis appendectomy, and several eponyms: Murphy’s button, Murphy drip, Murphy’s punch, Murphy’s test, and Murphy-Lane bone skid. He is best remembered for the eponymous clinical sign that is used in evaluating patients with acute cholecystitis. He was tall and strong with a red beard and mustache.

Murphy died of heart disease in Mackinac Island, Michigan after having been ill for six months. From 1882–1884 he performed practical work at universities and hospitals in Vienna, Munich, Berlin and Heidelberg.

Academic career

After his sojourn in Europe, he returned to the US to start a general practice.

Experiences Early in his career, on May 4, 1886, he was one of the doctors summoned to the scene of the Haymarket Affair in the Near West Side community area of Chicago. He dressed approximately 30 men while working until 3:30 am. A bomb had been thrown at the Chicago Police officers leading to several deaths and a high-profile trial, in which Murphy was called to testify. The labor unrest leading up to and surrounding the events led to the tradition of May Day labor rallies.

After an October 14, 1912 assassination attempt on former United States President Theodore Roosevelt in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Roosevelt was brought to Chicago's Mercy Hospital. When he asked Roosevelt about any fears he might have about his bullet wound he said that Roosevelt responded, "I've hunted long enough, Doctor, to know that you can't kill a Bull Moose with a short gun." He was awarded Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame in 1902, and a Doctor of Science by University of Sheffield, England in 1908.