This March 30th we celebrate Doctors’ Day. This tradition was started in 1933 by Eudora Brown Almond, the wife of a physician in Winder, Georgia. The day was chosen because on March 30,1842 Dr. Crawford W. Long used ether anesthetic for the first time.1 Dr. Long attended Transylvania College in 1836 and transferred to University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where he completed his training. After completion of his internship, her returned to his home state of Georgia. Dr. Long noted that the effects of diethyl ether (ether) were similar to those that had been described with nitrous oxide. He began to implement ether as an anesthetic in his practice. That first noteworthy procedure in 1842 involved placing ether on a towel and having the patient, Mr. James Venable, inhale prior to removal of a neck tumor. Dr. Long expanded the use of ether to other surgeries such as amputations and utilized it in his obstetric practice. His trials with ether anesthesia were eventually published in 1849.2
Dr. Crawford Williamson Long, 1815 (note 1)
As we know, medicine is full of controversy! Dr. William T. G. Morton administered ether anesthesia before a medical audience in 1847. In addition, others using ether began to claim to be the first physician to use the anesthetic. Dr. Long was not well recognized for his achievements during his lifetime, but since then has been memorialized by the National Eclectic Medical Association, the University of Pennsylvania, the Georgia state legislature (Long County, GA) and others. While in Washington D.C. for AMA advocacy day, I was proud to note the statue of Dr. Long in the National Statuary Hall Collection (see below photo). 2
In 1990, President George Bush proclaimed March 30 National Doctors’ Day and in 1991 Congress passed Proclamation 6253 making it a national holiday.1
Jean Hill, AMA Alliance President, and President George HW Bush, in 1990,
standing in front of a statue of Dr. Crawford W. Long. (note 2)
In closing, enjoy the day set aside for you! You are woven into the fabric of your patients’ lives, your community and nation creating a tapestry of care and compassion – you deserve a special day for everything you do!
REFERENCES:
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Link to LMS Dinner Social – “Medical Litigation: A Survivor’s Tool Kit” Symposium, May 20, 2025
