On July 9, 1893, John Cornish was rushed to Provident Hospital after being stabbed in the chest during a brawl. A doctor at the hospital
worked diligently to save Cornish’s life–opening his chest and performing a number of procedures.
Cornish lived and fifty days later, he was discharged from the hospital
The physician that saved Cornish’s life was Daniel Hale Williams would
become the first surgeon to successfully perform open heart surgery. Williams’ work would become the foundation for
surgical procedures in years to come.
