James Marion Sims was a physician who lived in the 19th century and became known worldwide as the first gynecologist in history, and some still consider him the father of gynecology. However, doctors and scientists question its title because of its controversial methods involving slaves and dispensing anesthesia.

His legacy was put to the test in the 1970s - a time when the United States sought equal racial and sexual rights - precisely because it was built on women who served as slaves and underwent numerous painful procedures for Sims to develop. your knowledge.

A little of history

James Marion Sims. Image source: Reproduction / Wikimedia Commons

Born in 1813 in South Carolina, James Marion Sims quickly passed medical school and graduated from his homeland. Fate made women with childbirth-related illnesses come to him and he became interested in the subject.

Cases of vesicovaginal fistulae - which is when a connection between the bladder and the vagina arises, usually caused by improper delivery - were common among women and caused a lot of pain and discomfort. Knowing these cases made Sims feel obligated to help such women.

In order to treat his patients, the doctor developed a speculum - which allowed him to see the woman's body more easily - and created a proper posture for the exams, but he still needed “guinea pigs” to develop his studies and to prove the effectiveness of his tests. techniques and theories.

Methods and questions

Speculum developed by Sims. Image source: Reproduction / Wikimedia Commons

Some sources claim that the doctor bought women as slaves so that he could perform his experiments. He is said to have operated on 10 women, but only 3 of them have been identified throughout history and go by the names Anarcha, Betsy and Lucy.

His medical records show that Anarcha, for example, was operated on more than 30 different occasions. Another point for discussion is that Sims did not use anesthesia in his procedures, and inhibitors had been used since the early 18th century.

Despite being criticized by his colleagues, the doctor succeeded in various procedures and, from then on, performed them on Caucasian women who suffered from the same problems, this time using anesthesia.

Pioneering and controversial

Sims statue in Central Park, New York. Image source: Reproduction / Wikimedia Commons

The first physician to question the methods used by the gynecologist was Dr. Graham Barker-Benfield, a historian at Trinity College, Ireland, who in 1974 wrote that Sims experiments "endured for years of almost unimaginable agony."

Today, the medical community tends to accept the view taken by Dr. Mengele and other leading physicians who believe that, without doubt, Sims' work is a source of knowledge, but it is a high-priced source. ethical if someone uses your information.

As much as Dr. James Marion Sims' legacy is controversial and presents several points to be criticized, there is no denying that his studies were of fundamental importance for the development of medicine. After his death, the professional was recognized by some as a pioneer in this area of ​​study and statues were erected in his honor.