William Shippen Jr.Born 21 Oct 1736; died 11 Jul 1808 at age 71.American physician who was the first systematic teacher of anatomy, surgery, and obstetrics in the U.S. In addition to pictures and casts of the human body, he was also one of the first to use dissected human bodies in the teaching of anatomy in America. This aroused the animosity of the populace - his dissecting rooms were mobbed on several occasions, and once he narrowly escaped with his life - but his courses were very successful, and the number of students increased year by year. He lectured on both anatomy and midwifery. In 1762 he established the first American maternity hospital in Philadelphia. |
