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“It cut out too often.”

Although Bozeman did not publish until several years later, he had been working with Sims for two and a half years, at this point. See “Bozeman quickly learned…,” above.

“Remarks on Vesico-Vaginal Fistula, With an Account of a New Mode of Suture,” Nathan Bozeman, Louisville Review, Vol. 1, 1856, p. 84.

“…cases of multiple fistulae…”

This paper of Bozeman’s recounts in great detail all of the shortcomings of the clamp suture, and would begin his career-long feud with Sims, a battle that would eventually find itself referenced in many early gynecology texts.

“Remarks on Vesico-Vaginal Fistula, With an Account of a New Mode of Suture,” Nathan Bozeman, Louisville Review, Vol. 1, 1856, pp. 84-85.

“It was LeVert’s…”

Sims never openly attested to concern that the innovation of silver wire was not his, but I think it’s clear that Sims went out of his way to avoid mentioning the fact that he had read Levert’s essay before he claimed to have had the inspiration to try silver wire in his fistula experiments. See “…the sorts of experiments with silver wire…,” above.

“…it must be a story.”

See “Barnum waved a hand,” above.

Much to the chagrin of Nathan Bozeman, Sims never documented his fistula experiments in the case-by-case way that was common at the time, and which he had done with other papers he had written previous to and contiguous with the fistula experiments. Instead, he described the surgery itself, promising to provide details later (which he never did). And later, he told it all as a story—and the story of the Alabama fistula experiments became the thing that launched his entire career.

“…with more woodcuts…”

Sims’s article included twenty-two woodcuts—more woodcuts than I’ve seen in any other article (it’s possible that others included more), and it’s certainly more than any other article about fistula, up to that time.

“On the Treatment of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula,” J. Marion Sims, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Vol. XXIII, 1852, p. 59.

“…only the perfection of his success.”

A few examples of Sims exaggerating the effectiveness of devices that would later be either discredited or found not to have originated with him, or both.

“On the Treatment of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula,” J. Marion Sims, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Vol. XXIII, 1852, pp. 65, 70, 80.

“He would be vague…”

“On the Treatment of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula,” J. Marion Sims, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Vol. XXIII, 1852, p. 60.

“…downplay its importance…”

In a few years’ time, Sims will have abandoned the central feature of the cure he published in 1852, and will attempt to attach his name to the development of silver wire as suture material. This has largely succeeded, and today even Sims’s fiercest critics sometimes begrudgingly grant him credit for this innovation. It’s not true, and even by Sims’s own criteria for who should receive credit for medical invention he would not have regarded himself as its inventor.

“On the Treatment of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula,” J. Marion Sims, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Vol. XXIII, 1852, p. 73.

“…his cure and his glory…”

“On the Treatment of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula,” J. Marion Sims, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Vol. XXIII, 1852, pp. 63-64.

“…the story of Anarcha…”

See “…it must be a story,” above.

“…three representatives from Alabama.”

See “…of the AMA in Richmond,” above.

“…doctors from all over the country…”

Sims’s autobiography fails to mention the fact that as soon as he arrived in New York he had many copies of his article printed and distributed widely.

SIMS, J. Marion, (1885). The Story of my Life, ed. by H. Marion-Sims. D. Appleton & Co: New York, pp. 267-68.

“There was a Dr. Holmes…”

“John Bull vs. French Therapeutics. Young America vs. British Surgery,” Fordyce Barker, The American Medical Monthly, June 1854, p. 463.

“There was Dr. Pope…”

“John Bull vs. French Therapeutics. Young America vs. British Surgery,” Fordyce Barker, The American Medical Monthly, June 1854, p. 463.

Pope is listed as president in the Transactions of the American Medical Association for 1854. The full text can be downloaded from the AMA website.

“…Charles Bell Gibson…”

“John Bull vs. French Therapeutics. Young America vs. British Surgery,” Fordyce Barker, The American Medical Monthly, June 1854, p. 463.

“Gibson was the son…”

This unidentified clipping is in the vertical file for Charles Bell Gibson at the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.