The History of Surgery in Vermont

n 1609, while exploring the lake that now bears his name, Samuel de Champlain looked to the east and exclaimed, "Voila les vert monts." The Green Mountain State was an inhospi- table place at that time; few dared to settle there until after the end of the French and Indian War, in 1763. By 1771, the population of Vermont was 4667 people. They led a dif- ficult existence, and the earliest surgeons were true pioneers. Most doctors of the time practiced in widespread areas and had to endure difficult conditions to reach their patients. Many anecdotes about these individuals have survived. 1-3 Dr Adam Johnson thwarted an attack by wolves by throw- ing his saddlebags at them. Dr Steven Powers of Woodstock was physically adapted to the chal- lenges of the countryside. He wore buckskin trousers for their durability and as a convenient way to sharpen his surgical instruments. Vermont's surgical history is inextricably linked to the political history of New En- gland, New York, and southern Canada. Like many Vermont surgeons, Dr Powers participated in the American Revolution and was a surgeon during the Battle of Bun- ker Hill. 1 Dr Silas Hodges of Clarendon served with George Washington's Conti- nental Army. However, not all Vermont surgeons were loyal to the new republic. Dr Frederick Aubrey of Bradford served as a surgeon in the British Army and was credited with caring for General Wolfe's wounds at Quebec. Dr Jacob Roebuck of Grand Isle was a surgeon for the German contingent of King George III's army. In 1741, Vermont's land area was claimed by New Hampshire. 4 New York disputed New Hampshire's claim, and in 1764, the English Crown decided that the land west of the Connecticut River be- longed to New York. The citizens of Ver- mont were upset over the rules imposed by the New York County courts against lo- cal government. Ethan Allen, leader of the New Hampshire settlers in Vermont, or- ganized the Green Mountain Boys to pro- tect their interests, the same group who fought so ardently at the battles of Ben- nington, Ticonderoga, and Crown Point.