William Beaumont was a frontier surgeon who discovered how the human stomach works. He made his discoveries in a remarkable way: by acquiring a patient with a hole in his stomach. His work ranks as a landmark in medicine. Yet compared with modern doctors, Beaumont had almost no training.
Born on November 21, 1785, in Lebanon, Connecticut, he was one of nine children. His father was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Young William received some schooling, but no one knows how much. In 1806 he moved to upstate New York, Where he taught school. Here he began to read many books about medicine. Four years later he became an apprentice to a doctor and did everything from sweeping floors to assisting in surgery. That was his first medical training. In 1812 he entered the army as a surgeon's assistant.
When the war of 1812 ended, Beaumont practiced medicine in Vermont for a few years. Then he re-enlisted in the Army and was assigned to Fork Mackinac, an outpost in northern Michigan. Before going west in 1821, he married. In time he and his wife had three children.
Beaumont was post surgeon at the fort. One day in 1822 he was called to treat a wounded French-Canadian Indian named Alexis St. Martin. St. Martin, who was 18, had been accidentally shot. The bullet had exposed his stomach and made a hole in it the size of a man's finger.
Beaumont placed him in the post hospital. There, for almost a year,Beaumont treated the wound and kept St. Martin alive. Later Beaumont took St. Martin into his own home and fed and clothed him.
By 1825 St. Martin was well enough to chop wood, but he still had a hole in his stomach. A small flap had grown over the hole, but it could be easily pushed aside. This meant Beaumont could study a human stomach at work and see how it digested food-if St. Martin would let him. Beaumont made an offer. If St. Martin would serves as a human laboratory, Beaumont would give him food, drink, and lodging.
St. Martin agreed, and Beaumont began 10 years of experiments that were to make him famous. He tied bits of food to string and held them in the opening. This way he learned which foods were most easily digested. Sometime he actually watched the food being digested. He saw how the stomach muscles moved to tear the food apart. He discovered that the stomach produces gastric juice, the fluid that dissolves food. He collected this juice in bottles and noted that it continued dissolve foods there. Beaumont's studies still stand as the greatest single contribution to understanding digestion.
During the years that Beaumont was making his study, the army assigned him to to various posts. But wherever he want, Beaumont took St. Martin along. St. Martin often tired of being a human laboratory; twice he left and went back to Canada.
Beaumont received some help from other scientists and some support from the U.S Government. But the most part he carried on the work on his own. He paid St. Martin's expenses even after St. Martin married and had children. When Beaumont finished writing his classic book about his work, he had to pat for publishing it.
In 1834 St. Martin left for the third time, and Beaumont could not persuade him to return. Still the important discoveries had been made. Beaumont retired from the Army in 1840 and settled in St. Louis as a private doctor. He died on April 25, 1853.
Born on November 21, 1785, in Lebanon, Connecticut, he was one of nine children. His father was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Young William received some schooling, but no one knows how much. In 1806 he moved to upstate New York, Where he taught school. Here he began to read many books about medicine. Four years later he became an apprentice to a doctor and did everything from sweeping floors to assisting in surgery. That was his first medical training. In 1812 he entered the army as a surgeon's assistant.
When the war of 1812 ended, Beaumont practiced medicine in Vermont for a few years. Then he re-enlisted in the Army and was assigned to Fork Mackinac, an outpost in northern Michigan. Before going west in 1821, he married. In time he and his wife had three children.
Beaumont was post surgeon at the fort. One day in 1822 he was called to treat a wounded French-Canadian Indian named Alexis St. Martin. St. Martin, who was 18, had been accidentally shot. The bullet had exposed his stomach and made a hole in it the size of a man's finger.
Beaumont placed him in the post hospital. There, for almost a year,Beaumont treated the wound and kept St. Martin alive. Later Beaumont took St. Martin into his own home and fed and clothed him.
By 1825 St. Martin was well enough to chop wood, but he still had a hole in his stomach. A small flap had grown over the hole, but it could be easily pushed aside. This meant Beaumont could study a human stomach at work and see how it digested food-if St. Martin would let him. Beaumont made an offer. If St. Martin would serves as a human laboratory, Beaumont would give him food, drink, and lodging.
St. Martin agreed, and Beaumont began 10 years of experiments that were to make him famous. He tied bits of food to string and held them in the opening. This way he learned which foods were most easily digested. Sometime he actually watched the food being digested. He saw how the stomach muscles moved to tear the food apart. He discovered that the stomach produces gastric juice, the fluid that dissolves food. He collected this juice in bottles and noted that it continued dissolve foods there. Beaumont's studies still stand as the greatest single contribution to understanding digestion.
During the years that Beaumont was making his study, the army assigned him to to various posts. But wherever he want, Beaumont took St. Martin along. St. Martin often tired of being a human laboratory; twice he left and went back to Canada.
Beaumont received some help from other scientists and some support from the U.S Government. But the most part he carried on the work on his own. He paid St. Martin's expenses even after St. Martin married and had children. When Beaumont finished writing his classic book about his work, he had to pat for publishing it.
In 1834 St. Martin left for the third time, and Beaumont could not persuade him to return. Still the important discoveries had been made. Beaumont retired from the Army in 1840 and settled in St. Louis as a private doctor. He died on April 25, 1853.
