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source: wikipedia.org
21 Nov, 1785
25 Apr, 1853
He died as a result of slipping on ice-covered steps.
American
Surgeon
67
William Beaumont was an American Army surgeon whose groundbreaking work on human digestion earned him the nickname “Father of Gastric Physiology”. His series of experiments on Alexis St. Martin, a Canadian voyageur who survived a gunshot wound that left a permanent fistula (hole) in his stomach paved the way for Beaumont’s research on human digestion. He published his findings in a book titled “Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion.”
Beaumont was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, and received his medical education from several local physicians. At the age of 25, he embarked on a two-year apprenticeship under Benjamin Chandler in St. Albans, Vermont. In this period, Beaumont learned medicine through patient observation rather than textbooks, diligently recording his observations and thoughts in notebooks – a habit he maintained throughout his life.
With the outbreak of the War of 1812, Beaumont left his medical apprenticeship behind and served as an assistant surgeon in the U.S. Army. Over the next three years, he gained extensive experience treating soldiers and performing autopsies. He participated in significant historical events such as the capture of York in 1813 and the Battle of Plattsburgh in 1814. However, the end of the war with the Treaty of Ghent in 1815 led to Beaumont’s resignation from the army.
Following his resignation, William Beaumont spent four years in private practice in Plattsburgh. However, in 1819, at the age of 35, he reenlisted in the army. He was stationed at Fort Mackinac in Michigan where he treated St. Martin’s wound in 1822 who was accidentally shot in the American Fur Company store.
A portion of St. Martin’s lungs and stomach was protruding through the external wound, a sight that led Beaumont to believe that St. Martin’s chances of survival were slim. However, under Beaumont’s diligent care, St. Martin managed to survive the immediate effects of the wound but developed a gastrocutaneous fistula, a condition where the wounded stomach adhered to intercostal muscles.
After obtaining his consent, Beaumont continued to perform various experiments on St. Martin’s stomach. He tested the effects of different foods, temperatures, and emotions on the secretion and composition of gastric juice, and he also inserted food samples into the fistula to observe their digestion.
Beaumont’s experiments proved to be groundbreaking as he provided empirical evidence for the chemical nature of digestion and the role of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice. He also proved the effects that psychological factors had on digestion. He published his findings in a book which was critically acclaimed by the scientific community. It also established him as one of the pioneers of American physiology.
Beaumont passed away in 1853 after slipping on ice and injuring his head.
William Beaumont
William Beaumont
Male
He died as a result of slipping on ice-covered steps.
Lebanon, Connecticut, U.S.
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Logician: William Beaumont was action-oriented and curious to solve all the great mysteries of the universe.
One of his patients Alexis St. Martin had a permanent hole in his stomach.
He observed and documented the process of digestion in St. Martin.
William Beaumont was called the “Father of Gastro Physiology” due to his groundbreaking work on digestion.
He was elected president of the St. Louis Medical Society.
He is called the “Father of Gastric Physiology”