Ephraim McDowell
Encyclopedia
Ephraim McDowell was an American
physician. He was the first to successfully remove an ovarian tumor.
, the ninth child of Samuel
and Mary McDowell. His father was a veteran of the French and Indian War
and a colonel during the American Revolution
. In 1784 Samuel McDowell was appointed land commissioner and moved his family to Danville, Kentucky
. There, he presided over ten conventions that resulted in the drafting of the Kentucky Constitution
.
Ephraim McDowell received his early education at the classical seminary of Worley and James, then spent three years as a medical student under Dr. Alexander Humphreys
in Staunton, Virginia
. He attended lectures in medicine at the University of Edinburgh
, Scotland
, from 1793 to 1794 and studied privately with John Bell
. He never received a diploma, but in 1825, the University of Maryland
conferred on him an honorary M.D. degree.
In 1795, he returned from Scotland, settled in Danville, Kentucky and began his practice as a surgeon. In 1802, he married Sarah Shelby, daughter of Isaac Shelby
, war hero and twice governor of Kentucky. They had two sons and four daughters.
Dr. McDowell played a prominent role in his community. He was a founder of Trinity Episcopal Church
in Danville, donating the land for its first building. He was also a founder, original corporator, and member of the primary board of trustees of Centre College
in Danville. Dr. McDowell became a member of the Philadelphia Medical Society in 1817.
One of his most famous patients was James K. Polk
, for whom he removed a urinary stone and repaired a hernia
.
Dr. McDowell was the great great grandfather of General John Campbell Greenway
, whose statue was placed in the National Statuary Hall Collection by the state of Arizona
in 1930. He was cousin to woman's suffrage leader Madeline McDowell Breckinridge
.
In June 1830 Dr. McDowell was stricken with an acute attack of violent pain, nausea, and fever. He died on June 25, most likely a victim of appendicitis
. His wife died 18 years later. They were buried at "Traveller's Rest" the homestead of Isaac Shelby south of Danville, but reinterred in 1879 near a monument dedicated to him in Danville.
, 60 miles (96.6 km) from Danville. Her physicians thought that Mrs. Crawford was beyond term pregnant. Dr. McDowell diagnosed an ovarian tumor.
She begged him to keep her from a slow and painful death. He then described her condition and that an operation for cure had never been performed. He said that the best surgeons in the world thought it impossible. Mrs. Crawford said she understood and wanted to proceed.
Dr. McDowell told her he would remove the tumor if she would travel to his home in Danville. She agreed and rode the sixty miles on horseback.
On Christmas morning, 1809, Dr. McDowell began his operation. The surgery was performed without benefit of anesthetic or antisepsis, neither of which was then known to the medical profession. The tumor Dr. McDowell removed weighed 22.5 pounds (10.2 kg). He determined that it would be difficult to remove it completely. So he tied a ligature
around the fallopian tube
near the uterus
and cut open the tumor. He described the tumor as the ovarium and fimbrious part of the fallopian tube very much enlarged. The whole procedure took 25 minutes. Mrs. Crawford made an uncomplicated recovery. She returned to her home in Green County 25 days after the operation and lived another 32 years. This was the first successful removal of an ovarian tumor in the world.
All attempts at abdominal exploration before 1809 had resulted in peritonitis
and death. So, understanding the procedures taken by Dr. McDowell is important. Descriptions of McDowell include phrases like "neat and clean" or "scrupulously clean." He was not only neat, but meticulous. In his report on the operation, he described the removal of blood from the peritoneal cavity and bathing the intestines with warm water.
Dr. McDowell did not publish a description of his procedure until 1817, after he had performed two more such operations. This was widely criticised in the English surgical literature. There is evidence that he performed at least twelve operations for ovarian pathology.
"Having never seen so large a substance extracted, nor heard of an attempt, or success attending any operation such as this required, I gave to the unhappy woman information of her dangerous situation. The tumor appeared full in view, but was so large we could not take it away entire. We took out fifteen pounds of a dirty, gelatinous looking substance. After which we cut through the fallopian tube, and extracted the sac, which weighed seven pounds and one half. In five days I visited her, and much to my astonishment found her making up her bed."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician. He was the first to successfully remove an ovarian tumor.
Biography
Ephraim McDowell was born in Rockbridge County, VirginiaRockbridge County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,808 people, 8,486 households, and 6,075 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile . There were 9,550 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
, the ninth child of Samuel
Samuel McDowell
Samuel McDowell was a soldier and early political leader in Kentucky. He was the father of Dr. Ephraim McDowell.McDowell participated in three major wars...
and Mary McDowell. His father was a veteran of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
and a colonel during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. In 1784 Samuel McDowell was appointed land commissioner and moved his family to Danville, Kentucky
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
. There, he presided over ten conventions that resulted in the drafting of the Kentucky Constitution
Kentucky Constitution
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the document that governs the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was first adopted in 1792 and has since been rewritten three times and amended many more...
.
Ephraim McDowell received his early education at the classical seminary of Worley and James, then spent three years as a medical student under Dr. Alexander Humphreys
Alexander Humphreys
Alexander Humphreys, M.D. was a pioneer physician at Staunton, Virginia.He was born in County Armagh, Ireland, in 1757, the son of John Humphreys and Margaret Carlisle. He initially studied medicine under his uncle, Dr. Carlisle. After that, he attended the University of Edinburgh where he received...
in Staunton, Virginia
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
. He attended lectures in medicine at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, from 1793 to 1794 and studied privately with John Bell
John Bell (surgeon)
John Bell was a Scottish anatomist and surgeon.Bell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland; an elder brother of Sir Charles Bell...
. He never received a diploma, but in 1825, the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
conferred on him an honorary M.D. degree.
In 1795, he returned from Scotland, settled in Danville, Kentucky and began his practice as a surgeon. In 1802, he married Sarah Shelby, daughter of Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby
Isaac Shelby was the first and fifth Governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and North Carolina. He was also a soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812...
, war hero and twice governor of Kentucky. They had two sons and four daughters.
Dr. McDowell played a prominent role in his community. He was a founder of Trinity Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Church (Danville, Kentucky)
Trinity Episcopal Church in Danville, Kentucky was one of the first churches organized in the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky. Trinity Church is the oldest in-use church structure in Danville and the oldest continuously used Episcopal church building in the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington as well as...
in Danville, donating the land for its first building. He was also a founder, original corporator, and member of the primary board of trustees of Centre College
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
in Danville. Dr. McDowell became a member of the Philadelphia Medical Society in 1817.
One of his most famous patients was James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
, for whom he removed a urinary stone and repaired a hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
.
Dr. McDowell was the great great grandfather of General John Campbell Greenway
John Campbell Greenway
John Campbell Greenway was an American mining, steel and railroad executive: a man of many trades in many states...
, whose statue was placed in the National Statuary Hall Collection by the state of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in 1930. He was cousin to woman's suffrage leader Madeline McDowell Breckinridge
Madeline McDowell Breckinridge
Madeline McDowell Breckinridge was a leader of the women’s suffrage movement and one of Kentucky's leading Progressive reformers. She was also known as Madge Breckinridge and Mrs...
.
In June 1830 Dr. McDowell was stricken with an acute attack of violent pain, nausea, and fever. He died on June 25, most likely a victim of appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
. His wife died 18 years later. They were buried at "Traveller's Rest" the homestead of Isaac Shelby south of Danville, but reinterred in 1879 near a monument dedicated to him in Danville.
First Ovariotomy
On December 13, 1809, Dr. McDowell was called to see Jane Todd Crawford in Green County, KentuckyGreen County, Kentucky
Green County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1793. As of 2000, the population was 11,518. Its county seat is Greensburg. The county is named for Nathanael Greene...
, 60 miles (96.6 km) from Danville. Her physicians thought that Mrs. Crawford was beyond term pregnant. Dr. McDowell diagnosed an ovarian tumor.
She begged him to keep her from a slow and painful death. He then described her condition and that an operation for cure had never been performed. He said that the best surgeons in the world thought it impossible. Mrs. Crawford said she understood and wanted to proceed.
Dr. McDowell told her he would remove the tumor if she would travel to his home in Danville. She agreed and rode the sixty miles on horseback.
On Christmas morning, 1809, Dr. McDowell began his operation. The surgery was performed without benefit of anesthetic or antisepsis, neither of which was then known to the medical profession. The tumor Dr. McDowell removed weighed 22.5 pounds (10.2 kg). He determined that it would be difficult to remove it completely. So he tied a ligature
Ligature (medicine)
In surgery or medical procedure, a ligature consists of a piece of thread tied around an anatomical structure, usually a blood vessel or another hollow structure to shut it off. With a blood vessel the surgeon will clamp the vessel perpendicular to the axis of the artery or vein with a hemostat,...
around the fallopian tube
Fallopian tube
The Fallopian tubes, also known as oviducts, uterine tubes, and salpinges are two very fine tubes lined with ciliated epithelia, leading from the ovaries of female mammals into the uterus, via the utero-tubal junction...
near the uterus
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
and cut open the tumor. He described the tumor as the ovarium and fimbrious part of the fallopian tube very much enlarged. The whole procedure took 25 minutes. Mrs. Crawford made an uncomplicated recovery. She returned to her home in Green County 25 days after the operation and lived another 32 years. This was the first successful removal of an ovarian tumor in the world.
All attempts at abdominal exploration before 1809 had resulted in peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
and death. So, understanding the procedures taken by Dr. McDowell is important. Descriptions of McDowell include phrases like "neat and clean" or "scrupulously clean." He was not only neat, but meticulous. In his report on the operation, he described the removal of blood from the peritoneal cavity and bathing the intestines with warm water.
Dr. McDowell did not publish a description of his procedure until 1817, after he had performed two more such operations. This was widely criticised in the English surgical literature. There is evidence that he performed at least twelve operations for ovarian pathology.
"Having never seen so large a substance extracted, nor heard of an attempt, or success attending any operation such as this required, I gave to the unhappy woman information of her dangerous situation. The tumor appeared full in view, but was so large we could not take it away entire. We took out fifteen pounds of a dirty, gelatinous looking substance. After which we cut through the fallopian tube, and extracted the sac, which weighed seven pounds and one half. In five days I visited her, and much to my astonishment found her making up her bed."
Honors
- In 1879, a monument in his honor was erected by the Medical Society of Kentucky in Danville.
- In 1929, Isaac Wolfe BernheimIsaac Wolfe BernheimIsaac Wolfe Bernheim was an American businessman notable for starting the I. W. Harper brand of bourbon distilled at the Bernheim distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. The success of his distillery and distribution business helped to consolidate the Louisville area as a major centre of Kentucky...
donated a bronze statue of McDowell by Charles Henry NiehausCharles Henry NiehausCharles Henry Niehaus , was an American sculptor, born in Cincinnati, Ohio.-Education:Niehaus began working as a marble and wood carver and then gained entrance to the McMicken School of Design in Cincinnati and later studied at the Royal Academy in Munich, Germany...
to the state of Kentucky for placement in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall CollectionNational Statuary Hall CollectionThe National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol comprises statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history...
. - In 1959, a United States stamp was issued in his honor.
- Dr. McDowell's house, office, and apothecary in Danville are preserved as a museumEphraim McDowell HouseThe Dr. Ephraim McDowell House, also known as McDowell House, was a home of medical doctor Ephraim McDowell.The home was declared a U.S...
and are designated a National Historic Landmark. - Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical CenterEphraim McDowell Regional Medical CenterEphraim McDowell Regional Medical Center is a locally-controlled not-for-profit 222-bed hospital located in Danville, Kentucky.- History :...
in Danville is named in his honor.