Evening star., 1937-08-01
MECHANICAL ICE
FATHER HONORED
Florida Pays Tribute to
Doctor Who Discovered
Process in 1851.
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
With the commercial ice manufac-
turing industry now rated as ninth in
size in the United States, it is interest
ing to note that in the Smithsonian
Museum here is the original model with
some Of its minor parts lacking of the
first United States patented "appa-
ratus for the mechanical production
of ice, the previous patents being nom
workable
This patent. No 5000 in the United
States Patent Office files, was granted
to Dr.. John Gorrie Of the Southland
in 1851.
Now, 86 years afterward. by procla-
nation of the Governor of Florida,
this State, with it's ice Memorial
week will honor the memory and the
achievements in the fields of medicine
Of her adopted son, who came to prac-
tice medicine in her midst one year
after his graduation from a Northern
medical school in 1884
Today, two public monuments like
wise attest his pioneer efforts in the
mechanical ice-making field One is
IN Statuary Hall in the Capitol here.
It was erected by the State of Florida
in accordance with the act of Con-
ereSs Of July II, 1864. which permits
to be placed there statues of two dis
tInguished citizens from each State"
It portrays DR.. Gorrie in the dual
capacity of man of executive forth
r1chtness and force as we'll as the
physician with the envisioning eye
which beheld and perfected a project
hv which he hoped TO air-condition
the hospitals where ne was treating
his malaria fever patients The other,
the gift II the Southern Ice Exchange,
Is at Apalachlola, Fla, where this
Charleston born and bred physician
came to identify himself with this
community not only in the practice of
medicine but as the inventor of a
machine for making ice-a feat that
had not hitherto been successfully
achieved in the United States.
AralaChlola. in the year 1884 when
Or. Gorrie decided to establish himself
here in the practice Of medicine. was.
e-e are told, AN important seaport
and the outlet for all the cotton grown
in the Chattahochee Valley in Geor-
eia and Alabama"
Prevalence of Fever.
Prof. George B Roth of the De-
rartment of Pharmacoloev and Their
apeutic of the Medical School of the
George Washington University, SAYS in
his authoritative research pamphlet
entitled, Dr. John Gorrie, Inventor
Of Artificial Ice and Refrigeration,
that Dr.. Gorrie believed the greatest
draWbaC OK to growth of Apalachiola
was the prevalence of fever there in
Summer Being exceedingly public
spirited as well as a physician of the
modern investigative type. Dr. Gorrie
gave much time and attention to
how he might more successfully care
for his fever cases during the baf-
fling Summer months Finally he
became convinced that the excess
sive heat was the chief obstacle that
he had to combat with his patients
and that the way to overcome it
was to devise some means of air
cooling the rooms of his fever pa
tlCntS in Apalachiola's hospitals
In the working out of this problem.
the invention Of some kind of an ice
rrasi0C machine was inevitably the
FIST step toward air cooling and air
C0rGltlonin-. since ice is necessary
fo- both processes. Il is thought In
t-.s connection that Dr. G6rrie under
--s pen name of Jenner was the
sG'Ho- Of series OF / articles which
appeared IN the Commercial Adver-
t.<sr OF Apalachio!a in 1914 on the
pCevent!Cn of malarial diseases and
their more successful treatment
through air cooling or conditioning.
Dr. Roth further points out that
paper Of Dr.. GorrleS in the New
Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal
for the years l554-55, on The Ma |
tllre of Malaria and the Prevention |
of Its Morbid Agency" is Of current |
interest as we'll in connection with |
the modern movement toward air con-
dltionlng sick rooms and hospitals"
In this medical paper written about .
33 years ago. DR.. Gorrie not only
dwellS in detail upon the method he
advocates for his plan but mentions
the invention of machine for manu-
featuring ice with explanations in
details as to the principles involved .
and the method of it's construction.
In 1854 DR.. Gorrie also put out a
15-page pamphlet entitled. DR.. Cor
Jle's ADparatuS for the Artificial Pro-
duction of Ice in Tropical Countries.
Herein, he specifically describes his
lce-making apparatus evidently with |
the idea Of its commercial utilizat ton
and availability to the public at large.
Went to New Orleans.
Several years later so great was
his absorption and belief in the eff |
cacy and possibilities of him ice-mak-
Ing machine that he abandoned his !
practice Of medicine in Apalachiola |
and went to New Orleans with the
belief that he would there be success |
full in obtaining the funds necessary
for the perfection of his patent and
Its sales exploitation
The drawing Of his ice-machine
patent, which he took out under Pat !
ent No. 5000 in the name of DR.. John |
Gorrle Of New Orleans, may still be
seen with seven other views in the |
records of the Patent Office files here
Despite its apparent merits, i'll luck |
eeems to have accompanied his efforts |
TO bring his patent into practical use