He Made Ice and Changed the World: The Story of Florida's John Gorrie

He Made Ice and Changed the World

The Story of Florida’s

John Gorrie

Linda Hansen Caldwell

Cover Illustrator: Karen Atkins

He Made Ice and Changed the World: The Story of Florida’s John Gorrie

Copyright © 2019 Linda Hansen Caldwell

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Caldwell, Linda Hansen, 1954- author.

Title: He made ice and changed the world : the story of John Gorrie / by Linda Hansen Caldwell.

Description: Ocala : Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: This is the story of one of America’s most respected humanitarians, Dr. John Gorrie (1803-1855). He was a physician, inventor, scientist, elected official, and a public health educator—a true Florida hero! Dr. Gorrie’s interest in tropical diseases, specifically yellow fever and malaria, led him to Apalachicola, Florida. There, he practiced medicine in his office and two hospitals, and was nicknamed The Fever Man. A man of tue compassion, Dr. Gorrie even used the second floor of his home to treat sick patients. Tropical diseases shaped the history of the South, where yearly epidemics claimed thousands of lives. The desire to comfort patients led to his inventions, and we can thank Dr. Gorrie for refrigeration, air conditioning, and ice! Today, every machine that cools the air relies on John Gorrie’s research and principles! Dr. Gorrie’s original ice machine is housed in the Smithsonian Museum, and he is a member of the Florida Inventor’s Hall of Fame. After reading Dr. Gorrie’s biography, you may want to visit Florida’s Panhandle, where you will find the Gorrie Bridge and the John Gorrie State Park & Museum—Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019046649 | ISBN 9781620236925 (paperback) | ISBN 9781620236932 (­ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Gorrie, John, 1803-1855—Health. | Physicians—Florida—Apalachicola—Biography. | Inventors—Florida—Apalachicola—Biography. | Refrigeration and refrigerating machinery—United States—History.

Classification: LCC R154.G67 C35 2019 | DDC 610.92 [B]—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019046649

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Printed in the United States

PROJECT MANAGER: Meaghan Summers

INTERIOR LAYOUT AND JACKET DESIGN: Nicole Sturk

This is almost certainly a motto that Dr. Gorrie would ascribe to if he were alive today. I had it posted on the wall in my high school classroom.

There are always those that will attempt to discourage you as you work to achieve an admirable goal. When that happens, make another goal, that being to ignore them.

—Linda Hansen Caldwell

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the descendants of Dr. John Gorrie, the students of John Gorrie Elementary School, and the alumni of John Gorrie Jr. High School. It is further dedicated to Linda’s grandchildren (Morgan, Gloria, Killian, and Brice), and to Karen’s daughter, Katelyn.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1: A School gets Cool!

Chapter 2: The Early Years

Chapter 3: Becoming Dr. Gorrie

Chapter 4: Florida and the Deep South in the 1800s

Chapter 5: Practicing Medicine

Chapter 6: Tiny Terror—the Mosquito

Chapter 7: Tropical Killers: Malaria and Yellow Fever

Chapter 8: John Gorrie, the Public Servant

Chapter 9: Using the Scientific Method to Find an Answer

Chapter 10: Dr. Gorrie’s Cool Solution

Chapter 11: Dr. Gorrie’s Dreams Die with Him

Chapter 12: Dr. Gorrie’s Legacy and Pioneering Spirit Live On

A Tribute to Others

Afterword

Glossary

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Illustrator

Foreword

Robert Watson, MD

Professor, Florida State University College of Medicine

John Gorrie, MD, was a truly remarkable individual. He practiced medicine for only 18 years, but, during those years, he accomplished more in both the art and science of medicine than physicians who practiced for decades longer. He provided care to his patients and cared about them, their families, and his community. Dr. Gorrie utilized the most up-to-date treatments available during the mid-19th century and also recognized that prevention of illness was more important than the cure, as many more lives could be saved through prevention rather than treatment. His tireless efforts were not driven by fame and fortune, but by compassion and dedication for feverish patients, a desire to prevent illness, and a concern for community health. He was a true humanitarian and keeper of the Hippocratic Oath (i.e., the oath physicians historically took).

While practicing medicine in Apalachicola, Florida, a small rural town located in the panhandle of Florida, he exemplified a physician’s obligation to the health and welfare of the community, not merely that of individual patients. John Gorrie focused on public health, setting a precedent by becoming a public health physician and educator.

It is difficult to imagine that this young man, whose only knowledge of physics was from a book he read during medical school, was able to conceive of and build a machine that would change the course of history. His interest in thermodynamics helped him invent the first machine that could compress air; upon controlled release of that compressed air, the temperature of that air would be lowered sufficiently to make artificial ice. Dr. Gorrie’s work was sometimes ridiculed more than revered. In the decades following his death, his contributions received little of the acknowledgment they deserved. In hindsight, it is remarkable that Dr. Gorrie didn’t receive a Nobel Prize or its equivalent and that he didn’t amass a fortune.

Dr. Gorrie was a quiet and humble man who was not capable of being a salesman—whether for his ice machine or himself. His lack of fame and fortune was not of concern to him. It is reasonable to assume that Dr. Gorrie recognized that his goal of saving countless lives had not come to fruition; this overwhelmed his spirit and weakened him, likely leading to his untimely death. There was no way he could have known that, following his death, his ice machine would lead to what he envisioned and far more. The endless inventions that ultimately came from his creation of the first air compressor that cooled the air have aided in the prevention of some diseases, the effective treatment of many others, and the comfort of untold millions of people and other creatures.

Dr. Gorrie had many characteristics that should be emulated—not only by physicians but also by everyone. He was unpretentious, worked hard, saw problems, and tried to solve them. His was a life of service to others. It can be hoped that his legacy will be even further recognized, and this biography will be vital to that outcome. We should join the students of John Gorrie Elementary School in Tampa, Florida, who respect and admire Dr. Gorrie as an outstanding American and strive to preserve his legacy.

Robert Watson, MD, is a 1969 graduate of the University of Florida College of Medicine (UF COM), where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He served as a Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Clinical Neurology at the University of Florida for more than three decades. He also served as the Senior Associate Dean for Educational Affairs at the University of Florida College of Medicine for 17 years and as the Jules B. Chapman, MD Professor of Clinical Care and Humaneness for 12 years. Dr. Watson served as the Vice Chair of the Department of Neurology. As Senior Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, Dr. Watson was delegated authority for undergraduate medical, physician assistant, graduate biomedical, graduate medical, and continuing medical education. From 2009–2013, he served as the Executive Associate Dean for Administrative Affairs at Florida State University College of Medicine (FSU COM). He is currently a professor of neurology at FSU COM and professor emeritus of the UF COM.

Dr. Watson was Chair of the Association of American Medical College (AAMC)’s Group on Educational Affairs in 2001, and he has served on several AAMC committees. He is an acknowledged authority on curriculum and is recognized as an outstanding teacher, student advocate, and leader in his profession. He received the Hippocratic Award from the UF COM Class of 1985, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a faculty member. Dr. Watson has served on state, regional, and national committees that involve medical education, funding for the continuation of medical education and physician workforce. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of Florida’s Professional Resource Network Board of Directors. Dr. Watson is a Trustee of the Jules B. Chapman and Annie Lou Chapman Private Foundation, where he endeavors to fulfill Dr. and Mrs. Chapman’s goal to improve humanism in medicine and medical education.

Introduction

Dr. Gorrie’s legacy has been debated for years since his passing in 1855. After all, there were so many other inventors in the world; why would anyone focus on a quiet man from Florida? Despite Dr. Gorrie’s achievements, very few knew of him. This fact also became clear to the U.S. architect of the Capitol in 1910 as he walked through Washington, D.C. A noted Congressman from New York City boarded the train he was on and pleasantly fell into conversation with the architect. After exchanging some pleasantries, the architect stated that he hailed from the land of flowers—Florida. The Congressman stated, You have had no great men in that state. Without a statue in the Hall of Fame in Washington and both of the state’s places being vacant, the architect couldn’t convince the Congressman otherwise. However, he soon assured him that Florida had many men worthy of this honor and that, ’ere another session of the Florida Legislature closed, there would be a statue in the Hall of Fame representing Florida. With that, Dr. Gorrie’s statue was underway.