[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 23 (Monday, March 6, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E229]]
THE HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF 
                           HEALTH AND SCIENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 6, 2000

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to lead the 
citizens of the Thirtieth Congressional District as we pay tribute to 
the extraordinary contributions African-Americans have made in the 
advancement of health and science in America. I look forward to an 
equally storied future.
  Beginning with Imhotep, who many call the father of medicine, blacks 
have led the world in medical and scientific innovation. In Ancient 
Egypt, Imhotep diagnosed and treated over 200 diseases and illnesses, 
including tuberculosis, appendicitis, and arthritis. As early as 2850 
B.C., Imhotep was performing surgery, and documenting the roles of the 
human circulatory system and vital organs.
  Like their ancestors in Africa, blacks in America have historically 
and consistently enhanced the quality of life through scientific 
discoveries and medical breakthroughs. In the 1860's Dr. Alexander T. 
Augusta was named head of a Union Army hospital during the Civil War. 
Also during the Civil War, one of my predecessors in the U.S. Congress, 
Ohio Senator Benjamin Wade, an abolitionist, gave Rebecca Lee a 
scholarship which enabled her to become the first African-American 
woman doctor.
  Following the example of Doctors Augusta and Lee, African-Americans 
have continued to lead the nation in advancing health care. 
Institutions like the Howard University College of Medicine and Meharry 
Medical College trained physicians who have saved the lives of 
thousands of African-Americans, many of whom had no other access to 
medical treatment. Black doctors have blazed trails throughout our 
history, including Dr. Charles Parvis, who helped keep the Howard 
Medical School open by declining to accept a salary and later became 
the first African-American to run a civilian hospital, Freedman's 
Hospital right here in Washington, D.C.
  For too long medical history did not include the legendary 
contributions of African-American health care professionals, who, 
despite serious obstacles and institutionalized racism, soared to 
amazing heights of success. Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, without access to 
the benefit of X-rays, breathing apparatus, or blood transfusions, 
performed the first successful open heart operation. Dr. Louis Wright 
is credited with the development of the neck brace. Dr. Charles R. Drew 
developed a critical method of preserving blood, and Dr. Ben Carson 
performed the first successful separation of Siamese twins joined at 
the back of the head. Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. performed the first 
surgical implantation of the device that corrects arrhythmia in the 
human heart. Today, our nation can reflect with great pride on the 
contributions of former Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis 
Sullivan and former Surgeon Generals Dr. Joycellyn Elders and Dr. David 
Satcher.
  Just as in the health care field, African-Americans have led the way 
in other areas of science. History is replete with the inventions and 
creations of African-American scientists. George Washington Carver 
revolutionized the agricultural foundation of this country through his 
discoveries--300 new uses for the peanut, 118 from the sweet potato, 
and 60 from pecans. Elijah ``The Real'' McCoy, helped make the 
industrial revolution possible by developing an oiling device for 
machines. Garrett Morgan's inventions still impact us today, in the 
form of the gas mask and the traffic light.
  Mr. Speaker, I could go on about the contributions of African-
Americans to health and science, including Lewis Latimer and his 
electrical filament, Benjamin Banneker and the first striking clock and 
space pioneers, Guy Bluford, Ronald McNair, and Mae Jemison. The world 
would certainly not be as prepared to enter the new millennium if it 
had not been for the contributions of these outstanding Americans. And 
the scientists, health care professionals, and inventors I have 
mentioned barely scratch the surface. Scores of other African-Americans 
fought against the odds to dramatically change the scientific frontier. 
I join the citizens of America in paying tribute to the African-
American legacy, and as we look to the future, I am proud to stand on 
the shoulders of these great Americans.

                          ____________________