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The 60-Mile Horseback Ride To Get A 22.5 Pound Tumor Treated That Revolutionized Surgery
A Kentucky woman in 1809 survived an improbable journey and medical procedure to help usher in a new era of medicine
When facing daunting circumstances of survival, some people are willing to go to extraordinary lengths, which in turn can become beneficial for others. Consider the case of Jane Todd Crawford, who took a 60-mile horseback ride on Christmas Day in 1809 to find a doctor to treat her extreme abdominal distress. The resulting 22.5 pound tumor that was removed from her ovaries in a daring procedure was the first of its kind for abdominal surgery and has led to countless lives being saved over the years as a result.
A native of Green County, Kentucky, Crawford was 45 years old in 1809. Despite her age, abdominal discomfort and rapidly expanding belly led doctors to believe that she was pregnant with twins. However, once her supposed delivery date passed with nary a sign of labor, she consulted with Dr. Ephraim McDowell. He was a talented physician at the time and visited her in her home. Unfortunately, he didn’t have good news, diagnosing her with an ovarian tumor.
With medicine and science being so rudimentary in the early 19th century, a tumor like what…
