national Arthroscopy Association in Toronto when he was suddenly stricken with a myocardial infarction, and he died 2 weeks later, after return- ing home.
death, was honored by election as Membre d’Honeur, Société Française d’Orthopédie et de Traumatologie.
His contributions comprised in papers and books reflect his broad interests in orthopedics.
He described the syndrome of ischial epiphysitis, bone changes in Gaucher’s disease, and the entity which, when fully outlined, became osteoid osteoma. He pioneered in the study of bone form by means of photoelastic stress analysis, urged cross-union in the treatment of tibial pseudarthro- sis, and discussed the effects of resection of the distal end of the ulna and cuff resection of the ulna.
He was interested in joint-axis disturbances. He studied dislocations of the head of the radius, of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb, of the distal end of the ulna, and of the temporo- mandibular joint; he investigated anomalous instabilities of the elbow, shoulder and hip joints and sought to restore joint stability, devising pro- cedures for the reconstruction of the deltoid liga- ment in pronated flat foot, for repair of the tibial collateral ligaments of the knee, for correction of the buttonhole rupture of the finger extensors, and for reinforcement of the unstable metacarpopha- langeal joint of the thumb. He studied the signif- icance of localized cruciate ligament loss.
Problems of alignment and osteotomy attracted him; he wrote on rotation osteotomy of the ulna for pronation contracture of the forearm and on extension osteotomy of the femora for alignment of the severely flexed trunk in spondylitis ankylopoetica.
An avid mathematician since college days, he never ceased being interested in mathematical analysis of alignment disturbances. Deformities of the long bones, especially at the upper end of the femur, occupied much of his time in later years. His major interest was the study of the effect of resection of the femoral neck combined with a pelvic-support osteotomy on the disability caused by hip ankylosis (angulation-resection operation).
Monographs on osteotomy of the long bones, on injuries and diseases of the ischium, and on fracture surgery, combined with approximately 175 papers reflect his enthusiasm, his energy, and his imaginative and often individualistic approach to the field of medicine to which he was so devoted.
A critical worker, he regretted, like many before him, that he could not start his professional life where he had to leave off—that he would not
233Who’s Who in Orthopedics
Henry MILCH
1895–1964
Dr. Milch was born in New York City, December 20, 1895, the son of Jacob Milch. He was edu- cated at Columbia College and served as a lieu- tenant in the infantry in World War I. He received his medical education at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, interned at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, spent a year abroad studying pathology and returned to be an adjunct surgeon at the Broad Street Hospital. In 1927 he married Pearl Salzberg. He was survived by his wife, his daughter June Ruth Dubow, his son Robert Austin Milch and four grandchildren. In 1923, he joined the staff of the Hospital for Joint Diseases. In 1960, in his 40th year of hospital service, he became emeritus attending orthopedic surgeon. He was also consulting orthopedic surgeon to numerous city hospitals throughout these years.
His activities, locally, were many. From 1929 to 1956 he taught anatomy at his medical school.
He accepted civic responsibility, giving much
time to the New York City Police Department, the
American Legion, and the Civil Service Com-
mission. He was an active member in many pro-
fessional societies and, several years before his
Who’s Who in Orthopedics
live to see the maturing of the union of clinical orthopedics with the burgeoning exact sciences.
He followed closely the progress of the younger generation of orthopedists, noting with pleasure original contributions as they appeared.
He sought, by precision in speech and diction, to define the extent of the contributions of clini- cal experience pending its ultimate enrichment by basic research.
He will be warmly remembered and missed by friends and colleagues. His dynamic probing was a stimulus to thought. To him the spice of science was friendly controversy.
He was a wistful man to those who knew him intimately. He ranged widely in his interests and was stirred by archeology, philosophy, and music.
He was a chamber music enthusiast, a founder member of the Doctor’s Orchestra of New York, and remained active in an international group to his passing.
In Yucatan he and an internist friend traveled for days in tropical heat to inspect the ruin of an ancient pyramid. The friend relates that for himself, it was enough to look at and ponder the gigantic memento of a past people. Henry Milch, who had recovered from one vascular accident, would not rest until he had laboriously climbed 300 steep steps to the pyramid top to see what might lie behind and beyond.
The sudden passing on March 3, 1964, of Henry Milch by a cerebrovascular accident in his 68th year removed from orthopedics a man of parts.
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