Wakter Channing
by Richard R. Wilt
Compiled with AI research
Walter Channing was a renowned American physician and professor of medicine, born on April 15, 1786, in Newport, Rhode Island. He was a pioneer in the field of obstetrics and a strong advocate for the use of anesthesia in childbirth. Here are some key highlights about his life and achievements:
Early Life and Education
Walter was born to William Channing and Lucy Ellery Channing, with his maternal grandfather being a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
He entered Harvard College in 1804 but was expelled due to involvement in the "rotten cabbage brawl"
Rotten Cabbage Brawl
The "Rotten Cabbage Brawl" was a student protest at Harvard University that took place in 1807.
What happened in the brawl.
Students were fed up with the quality of the cabbage served in the college dining hall, which they believed was rotten. The protesting student body assembled under a tree, later known as Rebellion Elm, to demand better food.
The university could not tolerate such behavier and 17 students were eventually expelled for their involvement in the protest, but the food remained largely unchanged.
This incident is often cited as an example of student rebellion and the long history of protests at Harvard University.
Walter Channing, later in life a renowned American physician and professor of medicine, was one notable student who was expelled due to his involvement in this "rotten cabbage brawl".
Walter transfered to another university and received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1809.
After graduation and practicing as a doctor he also studied medicine in Boston, Philadelphia, Edinburgh, and London.
Career and Achievements
First professor of obstetrics and medical jurisprudence at Harvard University (1815-1854)
Co-founder and first president of the Massachusetts Society for Aiding Discharged Prisoners (1846)
Founder of the Boston Lying-in Hospital for destitute women (1832), now part of Brigham and Women's Hospital.
He introduced anesthesia in childbirth and wrote a treatise on the subject, "A Treatise on Etherization in Childbirth" (1848).
Published numerous papers on obstetrics, medical jurisprudence, and social issues.
Walter was married twice: Barbara Higginson Perkins (1815-1822) and Elizabeth Wainwright (1832-1834)
Father of poet William Ellery Channing and three other children with his first wife
Brother of preacher William Ellery Channing and Harvard professor Edward Tyrrell Channing
Walter Channing passed away on July 27, 1876, in Brookline, Massachusetts, leaving behind a legacy of significant contributions to the field of medicine, particularly in obstetrics and anesthesia
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