Some considered Murphy’s approach to medicine to be overly pretentious. In fact, his work was more highly regarded and accepted in Europe than in Chicago. Murphy died on August 11, 1916 on Mackinac Island, Michigan of aortitis after suffering from angina. Two days prior to his death he had written, “I think the necropsy will show plaques in my aorta” and, indeed, this was later confirmed at autopsy