DE LEE, JOSEPH B.

DE LEE, JOSEPH B. (1869–1942), U.S. obstetrician and gynecologist. De Lee was professor of obstetrics and gynecology first at Northwestern University and later at the University of Chicago. He designed over 20 new obstetric instruments, the most important of which was the stethoscope to locate the easiest place for checking the heartbeat of the fetus. He also introduced the use of educational films to aid in teaching obstetrics. De Lee wrote three books which became standard texts in the field of obstetrics: Notes on Obstetrics (1904), Obstetrics for Nurses (1904; ten editions), and Principles and Practice of Obstetrics (1913; 11 editions). He also wrote numerous articles and monographs in his field. De Lee was the founder of the Chicago Lying-in Hospital and Dispensary and of the Chicago Maternity Center. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: S.R. Kagan, Jewish Medicine (1952), 482. (Suessmann Muntner)