Philip Syng Physick - The Father of American Surgery
Philip Syng Physick is considered the Father of American Surgery.
Philip Syng Physick
Philip Syng Physick certainly has a strange name, but his place in American history is uniquely important.
Physick grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania just as the Revolutionary War was coming to a close.
Philip went to London and Edinburgh to finish his studies and returned home fully accredited as a surgeon.
Innovation
Physick began practicing medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital and quickly became known for his innovations in the field.
Philip was one of the first doctors to complete a successful blood transfusion, created several still-relevant surgical instruments and nearly perfected cataract operations.
Despite his renown, he risked his life during Philadelphia's yellow fever epidemic in 1793 in an effort to treat patients.
In Demand
Physick was hired as a professor at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, where his lectures assisted in training most of the American surgeons who practiced in the first half of the 18th century.
In fact, he became an in-demand speaker throughout the Mid-Atlantic States.
Later in his career Philip assisted in constructing the curriculum at several colleges, most notably helping Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia.
Famous Patients
What is perhaps most notable about Philip Syng Physick (other than the countless lives he saved) is the list of clients he served.
Chief Justice John Marshall was cured of kidney stones under Physick’s knife.
Dolly Madison spent three months under Philip’s care when a tumor was successfully removed.
President Andrew Jackson even contacted Physick, who told him that the lung problems he was having would go away if Jackson stopped smoking. He didn’t.
There were many ‘Fathers’ of medicine during the American Revolution.
Check out these Founding Physicians:
The Father of Clinical Medicine - Thomas Bond
Dr. Benjamin Rush - The Father of American Psychiatry
There is just one biography of Physick I have come across.
‘A Memoir’ was written just a few years after his death.
If you’d like a copy you can get one through the Amazon affiliate link below:
Want to get fun American Revolution articles straight to your inbox every morning?
Subscribe to my email list here.
You can also support this site on Patreon by clicking here.
Thanks for your support!
