The Biographical Dictionary of America/Battey, Robert

​BATTEY, Robert, surgeon, was born in Richmond county, Ga., Nov. 26, 1828, son of Cephas and Mary (Magruder) Battey. He was educated at Augusta, Ga., and at Phillips academy, Andover, Mass., and studied medicine at the Philadelphia college of pharmacy, the University of Pennsylvania and the Jefferson medical college, graduating from the college of pharmacy in 1856, and from the Jefferson medical college in 1857. Soon after graduation he began practice at Rome, Ga., residing there during the rest of his life, except during an interval of two years, in which he filled the chair of obstetrics in the Atlanta medical college, and edited the Atlanta Medical and Surgical Journal. In 1858 he devised a new and successful method of treating club foot by means of curved splints and roller bandage. In 1859 he suggested and successfully performed a new operation for the cure of vesico-vaginal fistula. He originated and introduced to the profession a new combination known as iodized phenol, for the cure of chronic uterine diseases. In 1859 he visited Europe for study in the hospitals of Great Britain and France, and returned to America in time to take part in the civil war. In July, 1861, he was commissioned a surgeon in the Confederate states army with the rank of major, and served till the close of the war. In June, 1869, he performed successfully the operation of perineal cystotomy for chronic cystitis, suggested by Dr. Willard Parker of New York. On Aug. 17, 1872, he originated and successfully performed at Rome, Ga., a new operation in surgery, since known as Battey's operation for the removal of the ovaries, afterwards recognized and performed all over the civilized world. In 1872 he discovered that water introduced by the rectum may (the subject being etherized) be readily passed into the living body, throughout the colon, the small intestines and stomach, coming out at the mouth; the entire practicability of which was afterwards demonstrated, first on the cadaver at the Atlanta medical college in December, 1873, and later in actual practice by the profession. In 1882 he established at Rome, Ga., one of the largest private infirmaries in the United States. He was president of the American gynecological society, of the medical association of Georgia, and of the tri-state medical association; and a member of the American medical association, and of the British gynecological society. He was also honorary fellow of the obstetrical society of Edinburgh, Scotland, the American gynecological society, the Philadelphia college of pharmacy, and the medical society of Virginia. He contributed papers to medical societies and journals in Europe and America. In 1859 the Jefferson medical college conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. He died Nov. 8, 1895.