In Fergus, Ontario, Dr. Abraham Groves operated on a 12-year-old boy with appendicitis. This is often credited as the first appendectomy performed in North America (though historians note some debate because he did not publish immediately).
Groves was also ahead of his time in infection control. He routinely sterilized instruments (including by boiling) and emphasized cleanliness before it became standard surgical practice. He later helped build local medical infrastructure, including founding the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Fergus in 1902 (later associated with his name).
