National Doctors' Day began in Georgia

It is usually a day, for many, that might be taken for granted, but with the coronavirus pandemic, it has a new profound meaning. Monday is National Doctors’ Day.

The day has deep roots in Georgia. The date was chosen because it was the first time general anesthesia was used in surgery. That surgeon was Georgia’s own Dr. Crawford Long.

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Dr. Long used the anesthesia on that date in 1842 in Jefferson to painlessly remove a tumor from the neck of James Venable, his patient.

It was the wife of a Winder doctor, Charles B. Almond, who 91 years later wanted to honor doctors like her husband. Eudora Brown Almond made the push to make March 30 a day to recognize all doctors and honor Georgia’s medical achievements.

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Fast-forward 87 years, Georgia doctors are continuing to lead the nation, this time in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

FOX 5 Atlanta joins the nation in honoring the medical community for their efforts to keep us safe and healthy.