Abraham Groves (September 8, 1847 – May 12, 1935) was a Canadian physician and surgeon in Fergus, Ontario, who is credited with performing the first appendectomy in North America, in 1883. He is also recognized for performing Canada's first suprapubic lithotomy and for his early use of aseptic technique in surgery, possibly being the first person to use surgical gloves for infection control. Groves practiced in Fergus for sixty years, and the hospital he founded, formerly the Royal Alexandra, is now named the Groves Memorial Community Hospital in recognition of his work.
First appendectomy performed in North America by Abraham Groves in Canada
Abraham Groves (September 8, 1847 – May 12, 1935) was a Canadian physician and surgeon in Fergus, Ontario, who is credited with performing the first appendectomy in North America, in 1883.
Historical Significance
Abraham Groves (September 8, 1847 – May 12, 1935) was a Canadian physician and surgeon in Fergus, Ontario, who is credited with performing the first appendectomy in North America, in 1883.
Events Before
German scientist Robert Koch discovers and describes the tubercle bacillus, which causes tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tub
German scientist Robert Koch discovers and describes the tubercle bacillus, which causes tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), establishing germ theory
Actress Sarah Bernhardt marries diplomat Aristide Damala in London
Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils, Ruy...
Richard Wagner's opera "Parsifal" premieres in Bayreuth, Germany
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor, best known for his operas, although his mature works are often referred to as music dramas.
US educational pioneer Booker T. Washington (26) weds Fanny Smith
US educational pioneer Booker T. Washington (26) weds Fanny Smith
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" debuts in Moscow
The Year 1812, Solemn Overture, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture, is a concert overture in E♭ major written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Events After
American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in
American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until his death in 1916
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts
First volume of the Oxford English Dictionary, A-Ant, is published
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house.
Siege of Khartoum, Sudan, begins by Mahdist forces and lasts ten months
The siege of Khartoum (also known as the battle of Khartoum or fall of Khartoum) took place from 13 March 1884 to 26 January 1885.
American mechanical engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor (28) weds Louise M. Spooner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
American mechanical engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor (28) weds Louise M. Spooner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
More from the 1880s
The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic kno
The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge" [1]
The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jers
The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey
American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in
American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until his death in 1916
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on May 10, 1883?
- Abraham Groves (September 8, 1847 – May 12, 1935) was a Canadian physician and surgeon in Fergus, Ontario, who is credited with performing the first appendectomy in North America, in 1883. He is also recognized for performing Canada's first suprapubic lithotomy and for his early use of aseptic technique in surgery, possibly being the first person to use surgical gloves for infection control. Groves practiced in Fergus for sixty years, and the hospital he founded, formerly the Royal Alexandra, is now named the Groves Memorial Community Hospital in recognition of his work.
- Why is First appendectomy performed in North America by Abraham Groves in Canada significant?
- Abraham Groves (September 8, 1847 – May 12, 1935) was a Canadian physician and surgeon in Fergus, Ontario, who is credited with performing the first appendectomy in North America, in 1883.