Joshua I. Cohen

Joshua L. Cohen was pioneer otologist a branch of medicine which studies normal and pathological anatomy and physiology of the ear. He was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1800, graduated at the University of Maryland in 1823, and after having been a student in Dr. Nathaniel Potter’s office soon devoted himself to the study of ear disease. He was an intimate friend of George Frick, the oculist, and, like him, had wide interest in science beyond the domain of medicine. Thus for a time, he became professor of mineralogy in the academic department of the University of Maryland. He was much interested in the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty, and was the treasurer from 1839 to 1856, and president from 1857-58. He was also an active member of the Maryland Academy of Sciences. He practiced until about 1851, devoting himself almost exclusively to otology, and his reputation as an aurist (audiologist) was considerable. In 1840 he established, in connection with his friend, Dr. Samuel Chew, an eye and ear institute in Baltimore. Dr. Cohen was one of the earliest, perhaps the first aurist in this country. He has left us,   but one publication which pertains to diseases of the ear. It is entitled “Postmortem Appearlaces in a Case of Deafness,” American Medical Intelligencer, July, 1841, to July, 1842, p. 226, vol.1. He died in Baltimore in 1870.