Dr. Samuel Beresford Childs, Sr., was born on 6 November 1861 in East Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.
, in 1908, Dr. Childs was first married to Henrietta Willette, who died in 1906 and with whom he had a son John Wood Childs. After Anna's death, he remarried to Nan Bullione in 1936. Dr. Samuel Beresford Childs, Sr., died on 21 May 1938 in Denver, Denver Co., CO,
Obituary -- (Findagrave.com):
SAMUEL BERESFORD CHILDS, M.D.
1861-1938
Samuel Beresford Childs was born Nov. 5, 1861, in East Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Seth Lee and Juliet Wood Childs.
The simple relation of the chronological events and incidents of his life is a poor substitute for having known the man. Those who were fortunate enough to have met and talked with him, however briefly, must cherish the impression of a life full, rich, kindly, and valuable; one whose contact was worth having and which enriched the world by simply having been.
Dr. Childs' primary and secondary school education was obtained in Hartford. In 1883, he graduated from Yale University with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and in 1887, he obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the New York University Medical College.
His internships were at the Outpatient Department of the Chambers Street Hospital, New York (1887), and as resident in the Hartford (Connecticut) Hospital (1887-1888). Doctor Childs practised medicine in Hartford from 1888 to 1895, during which time he married Henrietta Willette, of West Hebron, New York (1890)
In 1895, he went to Texas because of pulmonary tuberculosis. On Dec. 15, 1896, his son, John Wood Childs, was born. In 1898 Dr. Childs began the practice of medicine in Denver, and in November, 1899, he was elected to membership in the Denver and Arapahoe Medical Society. Shortly after that he was given the Chair of Anatomy at the University of Denver Medical College, which later became the Denver and Gross Medical College, which in turn was absorbed by the University of Colorado Medical School.
In 1906, his wife died, and in 1908 he married Anne Starling, of Henderson, Kentucky. A second son, Samuel Beresford Childs, Junior, was born Jan. 14, 1910.
The second wife died April 12, 1935, and about eighteen months later Dr. Childs married Mrs. Nan Bullione Palmer, who, with his sons and three grandchildren, survive him.
About 1928, he developed high blood pressure. Although this condition responded to medical therapy, he had occasional disturbances which probably influenced him to retire from active practice in August, 1937. He died May 21, 1938, of bronchial pneumonia.
Dr. Childs was one of those who became interestedin the x-ray soon after it was announced, and as early as 1900 he began employing it in his practice. By 1902 he had obtained a Waite and Bartlett static machine, had studied skin therapy under Dr. Pusey in Chicago, and had spent some time with Mr. John McIntosh who was the demonstrator for the Waite and Bartlett Company.
After his return from Chicago he specialized in radiology, and from that time on he devoted his energies to improvement of technic and development of skill in diagnosing and treating disease by the roentgen ray. His interest in radiology made him a pioneer in that field and prompted him to make constant contributions to medical publications. A partial bibliography of his work is appended.
On Aug. 14, 1902, he had an unique experience. He made a roentgenogram of the right kidney of a patient, with an exposure of fifteen minutes. When he related this incident to the interviewer several years ago, his face took on a glow of combined humor and whimsicality. He said, "I put the plate in the developer, and waited. After what I thought a reasonable time, I looked at it, but I could see nothing. So I rocked the pan, for-oh, what seemed to me about an hour; anyhow, until I was disgusted and put the plate in water and left the dark room. I ordered new developer, made it up, and put the plate in it. This was different: in about two or three minutes I began to see a shadow. When it was dark enough I finished the dark room manipulation.
Later when I studied the dry plate, I saw not only the outline of the kidney, as I expected, but another shadow which I interpreted to be a stone in the pelvis. I reported accordingly to the physician, Dr. W. A. Jayne, and he confirmed the diagnosis at operation later."
Dr. Childs was an early advocate of the lateral as well as anteroposterior roentgenogram to determine the position of fractures. Dr. Robert Levy recalled an instance illustrative of Dr. Childs' ever-present willingness to improve his own technic as well as help others to do the same. In 1905, a patient was referred to Dr. Levy for removal of a foreign body from a bronchus. The roentgenogram revealed the object, but there was doubt as to the exact location and especially as to the particular bronchus in which it lay. To orientate himself for bronchoscopy, Dr. Levy obtained a cadaver and injected the bronchial tree in situ with an opaque medium. Dr. Childs made a roentgenogram of the injected cadaver thorax, which Dr. Levy studied carefully, comparing it with the one of the living patient. The bronchoscopic removal was successful.
Dr. Childs was a member of the Yale baseball team while a student there, and later played professional baseball as a member of the Hartford team in the National League. He and Connie Mack were very close friends. In later years he took up golf; also, he loved to hunt and fish.
Prior to his retirement from active practice in August, 1937, Dr. Childs had won many honors for his years of medical service. He served the Denver County Medical Society as treasurer for a term, as vice-president in 1916, as president in 1917, and as trustee from 1918 until August, 1937. For a number of those years he was chairman of the board of trustees.
He was vice-president of the Colorado-Yale Association in 1909, and president in 1911. He was president of the staff of St. Luke's Hospital (Denver) 1923-1925, of the American College of Radiology 1925-1926, of the Colorado State Medical Society 1928-1929, and of the American Medical Golfing Association. He was the first President of the Denver Radiological Club.
At the time of his death he was a member of the staff of the following hospitals, all of Denver: St. Luke's, St. Joseph's, Mercy, Denver General, Colorado General, and National Jewish.
He was a member of the Denver County Medical Society, the Colorado State Medical Society, the American Medical Association, the Denver Clinical and Pathological Society, the American Roentgen Ray Society, the Radiological Society of North America, the American College of Radiology, the Denver Radiological Club, the Colorado-Yale Association, and Professor emeritus of Roentgenology of the University of Colorado Medical School.
JOHN S. BOUSLOG, M.D.
He was buried in May 1938 in Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Denver Co., CO, Findagrave #59953075.