Milton M. Antony Sr. (August 7, 1789September 19, 1839) was an American physician, gynecologist and educator who is considered by many to be the "founding father" of the

Medical College of Georgia The Medical College of Georgia (often referred to as MCG) is the flagship medical school of the University System of Georgia, the state's only public medical school, and one of the top 10 largest medical schools in the United States. Established ...

Biography

Early life and education

Antony was born on August 7, 1789, to James Antony (1752–1815), a military officer, and Ann Tate (1752–1834). At age sixteen, he started an apprenticeship under Joel Abbot, and three years later he enrolled into the

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine The Perelman School of Medicine, commonly known as Penn Med, is the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1765, the Perelman School of Medicine is the oldest medi ...

. Antony was only able to attend one course though, due to financial reasons, making him leave early without a diploma. In 1809, Antony married Nancy Godwin and had eleven children with her, one of them being Milton Antony Jr., who was the father of Edwin Le Roy Antony, an

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

World's first thoracotomy

After practicing medicine in

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

and

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, Antony would settle in Augusta where in 1821, he would perform the world's first successful

thoracotomy A thoracotomy is a surgical procedure to gain access into the pleural space of the chest. It is performed by surgeons (emergency physicians or paramedics under certain circumstances) to gain access to the thoracic organs, most commonly the hea ...

on a seventeen-year-old boy who likely had a case of pulmonary hemangiopericytoma. After four months of the initial recovery, the patient died of measles. He would publish his results of the thoracotomy in the Philadelphia Journal of Medical and Physical Sciences as a "Case of Extensive Caries of the Fifth and Sixth Ribs, and Disorganization of the Greater Part of the Right Lobe of the Lungs" in 1823.

Establishment of the Medical College of Georgia

In 1822, Antony argued that the criteria for admission into the medical profession wasn't demanding enough and believed that the course requirements should be extended in both duration and diversity of fields covered, and should have more practical training. Antony also advocated for individual medical societies being established, and in 1825 requested the state legislature to appoint a State Board of Medical Examiners. After his request was granted, he became the first president of the board. Three years after the board was established, Antony would again apply to the legislature, alongside Joseph Adams Eve, whom he taught classes to aspiring students with, for the Medical Academy of Georgia to be established, which would later be renamed as the

. It was then established on December 20, 1828, when governor John Forsyth signed the school’s charter. Antony would serve alongside Ignatius P. Garvin and Lewis DeSaussure Ford as one of the first three faculty members. The academy was authorized to confer the degree

Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United Ki ...

after one year of courses. After the success of the college, Antony and other faculty asked the legislature to grant the degree

Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

upon graduation. In 1829, Antony was elected a member of the executive committee, and from 1832 to 1839 he served as professor of institutes and practice of medicine and of midwifery and diseases of women and children. In 1835, Antony was appointed vice president of its board of trustees.

Later life and death

In 1836, Antony became the founding editor of the newly established Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, which was considered by some as "one of the best medical journals of the antebellum south". The intention of the journal was to keep practicing physicians of Georgia and surrounding states informed on new developments and medical trends to improve medical care and standards. Antony remained as editor of the journal and faculty of the college until his death on September 19, 1839 due to

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

. Antony was, upon the request of his faculty, buried in college grounds and a tablet in his memory was erected in the wall of the principal lecture room of the college.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Antony, Milton 1789 births 1839 deaths American physicians American gynecologists American educators Deaths from yellow fever Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni