William Beaumont-Frontier Doctor is the life story of a Connecticut lad, born in 1785, who grew up to be a surgeon. During the years he spent in the United States Army, fate and his keen, inquiring mind came together. Beaumont saved the life of a trapper who had been shot. When the victim recovered there remained a hole, a window in the stomach, through which Beaumont performed simple experiments. Beaumont eventually discovered that digestion is a chemical process. This proved to be the single most important medical break-through in frontier history.
