Dr. Sidney Isaac Schwab (1871-1947) was a neurologist and psychiatrist who began his practice in St. Louis. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1896. Upon graduation, Schwab traveled overseas to pursue postgraduate studies at universities in Paris, Berlin, and Vienna. Dr. Schwab took his first teaching post at St. Louis University as Professor of Nervous and Mental Diseases in 1904, and he held this position until 1912. In addition to his duties at St. Louis University, he also taught at the University of Missouri from 1909 to 1910.
After leaving his position at St. Louis University, Dr. Schwab joined the faculty of Washington University in 1913 where he maintained many responsibilities as Professor of Clinical Neurology. In addition to teaching, private practice, and research, he was on staff at the neurological clinic of the dispensary, and he worked as a neurologist at area hospitals including St. Louis City, Jewish, Barnes, McMillan and Children's. After the Red Cross called for the formation of a base hospital unit at Washington University during World War I, Schwab along with his fellow doctors and nurses traveled to Rouen, France where they treated soldiers from June 1917 until the end of the war. Dr. Schwab's exemplary service during WWI led to him becoming widely known for his work with shell shock cases.
After the war, Schwab became president of the American Neurological Association in 1921. He later collaborated with Borden Veeder on a landmark work The Adolescent: His Conflicts and Escapes in 1929. In 1930, he joined the editorial staff of the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. A prolific medical writer, his research focused on neuropsychiatric disease and the mechanism of neurosis. Many of Dr. Schwab's writings discuss war neurosis and the minor psychoses.
From the description of Sidney I. Schwab lecture notes at Harvard Medical School, 1892-1896. 1892-1896 (Washington University in St. Louis). WorldCat record id: 239635922
