Background
Truman William Brophy was born on April 12, 1848 at Goodings Grove, Illinois, the son of William Brophy and Amelia (Cleveland) Brophy.
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Truman William Brophy was born on April 12, 1848 at Goodings Grove, Illinois, the son of William Brophy and Amelia (Cleveland) Brophy.
Truman Brophy received his academic education at Elgin Academy, Elgin, Illinois, 1863-65 and at Dyrenforth's College, 1867-69; and his professional training from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery, where he graduated with the degree of D. D. S. , in 1872. In 1880 he graduated from Rush Medical College with the degree of M. D.
As it turned out, Truman Brophy's long professional career was devoted to this problem of reconstruction whereby from the vestiges of natural parts were produced, in so far as possible, a hard palate of normal breadth, a flexible soft palate, and a well-shaped lip and nose.
After much study and experimentation, he hit upon a plan to immobilize the maxill', when brought into contact, by means of lead plates secured by silver wire, and this kind of splint was first used by him on a human subject in 1886. When the union of the bones was established, the cleft lip was united, and later the edges of the soft palate were brought together. This procedure, with minor improvements, has become the accepted method the world over for the treatment of a deformity which had been considered hopeless of correction except by mechanical appliances.
Early in his career Truman Brophy became interested in the surgery of the mouth. This determination of his life's work was made through an interesting incident. While visiting surgical clinics in the leading cities of the eastern states, he attended in New York a clinical demonstration to medical students given by Dr. Lewis Sayre, the distinguished orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Sayre presented a case of extreme cleft palate and double harelip in an infant two weeks old, a condition which, should the child survive, meant a repulsive and life-long deformity. The mother, in obvious poverty, had brought her baby to the great surgeon, hoping that it might be cured. Dr. Sayre took the child in his hands and explained the details and extent of the deformity--calling attention to the wide cleft between the maxillary bones.
By grasping the child's face he could press the flexible bones nearly to contact, saying that if only it were possible to carry the bones to actual contact, with freshened edges, and to immobilize them, and so to effect a union, "we could go far toward correcting the most conspicuous deformity known to mankind. " He then stated to his audience the fact that such an operation had never been performed--"we have no way of doing it. " The child was returned to the pale-faced and disappointed mother with the conclusive though kindly word that surgery could do nothing in that sad case. Brophy was deeply stirred by the pathos of the incident and at the same time fired with enthusiasm to devise a way to overcome a surgical difficulty so intricate and so important.
Truman Brophy took an active and prominent part in the work of local and national and international dental and medical associations.
Truman Brophy was married twice: on May 8, 1873, to Emma Jean Mason, who died in 1899; and on March 31, 1908, to Mrs. E. W. Straw-bridge.