Places rendered famous by Dr. J. Marion Sims, in Montgomery, Ala. ; Notes on a trip to the meeting of the American Surgical Association in New York, May, 1895 / by Edmond Souchon.

  • Souchon, Edmond, 1841-1924.
Date:
[1896]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Places rendered famous by Dr. J. Marion Sims, in Montgomery, Ala. ; Notes on a trip to the meeting of the American Surgical Association in New York, May, 1895 / by Edmond Souchon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    3/20
    PLACES RENDERED FAMOUS BY DR. MARION SIMS, IN MONTGOMERY, ALA.* By Edmond Souchon, m. d.. Professor of Anatomy and Clinical Surgery, Tulane University, New Orleans, La., Fellow of the American Surgical Association. Reprivted from the February, iSqb, number of the New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal On my way to the meeting of the American Surgical As- sociation last May, I stopped in Montgomery, Ala., where, through the courtesy and kindness of several of the local physicians, but especially of Dr. F. M. Thigpen and Dr. Wal- ler, I was enabled to accomplish a pilgrimage, for many years close to my heart, to the places rendered famous by their con- nection with Dr. J. Marion Sims. Dr. Thigpen was so gener- ous as to have the photographs of these places taken, and to him we owe the happiness of contemplating the humble places from which the eagle sprang to take its flight and carry highei and farther than any the genius of American surgery. These places are: the dilapidated house of the first patients, free negroes who sent for him when he first came to Mont- gomery ; the modest office which he occupied, and in the rear yard of which was erected the forever famous little hospital in which he experimented upon Lucy, Betsey, Anarcha, and finally cured them; the hardware store where he bought the legendary pewter spoon from which developed the great and celebrated duck-bill speculum; tbe jew^eler’s store where the memorable first silver wire for sutures was drawn ; the second house in which he lived, and in which he was living when he determined to leave Montgomery to go to New York. * Read at the meeting of the Orleans Parish Medical Society, June, 1895.