BIO: DR. BENJAMIN W. DUDLEY, FAYETTE COUNTY, KENTUCKY Transcribed from History of Lexington Kentucky Its Early Annals and Recent Progress By George W. Ranck Publ: Cincinnati, Robert Clarke & Co, 1872 Pg. 238-239 Dr. Benjamin W. Dudley, who afterward became so famous as a surgeon, commenced his public career in 1809, in which year he was appointed to the chair of anatomy and surgery in Transylvania University. Dr. Benjamin Winslow Dudley was born in Spottsylvania county, Virginia, on the 12th day of April, 1785; was brought by his parents to Kentucky county, where they landed six miles east of Lexington, on the 3d day of May, 1786. His earlier education was obtained at country schools, and finished in Transylvania University. He came to Lexington in 1797, and for a time worked in the store of Samuel and George Trotter. He studied medicine with the late Drs. Ridgely and Fishback, after which he attended medical lectures in the old school of Philadelphia, graduated in 1806, and returned to Lexington, where he continued the practice of medicine, and acted as professor in the medical college until 1810, when he visited Europe, and spent four years, profiting by the instructions of the most distinguished medical and scientific teachers. During his stay in London, he was made a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. Returning to Lexington, he soon stood in the front rank of the profession. In 1818, on the reorganization of the medical college of Transylvania University, he was recalled to the chair of surgery and anatomy, and remained in that connection for forty years, during which time the college acknowledged no superior on this continent. Its great success was largely due to Dr. Dudley, whose professional fame spread throughout the civilized world. He attended a laborious practice for about fifty years, when he contracted poison in performing a surgical operation, from which he suffered greatly, and never recovered. He died suddenly, after about two hours of illness, at a quarter to one o'clock, on Thursday morning, January 20, 1870, of apoplexy. Dr. Dudley's achievements in the operation of lithotomy alone are so great as to be actually incredible to the most distinguished surgeons of Europe, and are sufficient of themselves to hand his name down to a distant posterity. He operated for stone in the bladder about two hundred and sixty times, losing only two or three patients. He operated upon the eye in numerous cases, and frequently perforated the cranium for the relief of epilepsy. In spite of the fact that he left no production of his pen behind, his scientific triumphs will long cause him to be remembered as the great surgeon of Kentucky. Dr. Dudley's office was on the corner of Mill and Church streets, and occupied the site of the present residence of E. Sayre. (I have no known connection to the Dudley line. pm) ********************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons.Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent.