in 1750 a Black slave was granted his freedom and a life time annuity in exchange for his cures...
- Blink Daily
- May 10, 2017
- 1 min read
On this day in the year 1750 - The South Carolina Gazette reports that Caesar,
Slave, medical practitioner. Caesar was a slave and medical practitioner who gained his freedom in 1750 in exchange for revealing his knowledge of cures for poison and rattlesnake bite.
He is widely considered to be the first African American to have his medical findings appear in print. In November 1749 a member of the Commons House of Assembly acquainted other members with “a Negro Man named Caesar belonging to Mr. John Norman of Beach Hill” who had reportedly cured several people “who had been poisoned by Slaves.” Caesar informed the representative that he would divulge the secret of his remedy for a “reasonable Reward.” Intrigued by the offer, the assembly appointed a committee to investigate Caesar’s claims and, if valid, determine his compensation.
Several prominent witnesses testified to the efficacy of Caesar’s cure, including Dr. William Miles and Henry Middleton. Caesar’s master, John Norman, stated that his slave had “done many Services in a physical Way, and in particular had frequently cured the Bite of Rattle Snakes, and [Norman] never knew him to fail in any one Attempt.” He added that Caesar was also “very famous in . . . the Cure of Pleurisies.” Satisfied of the effectiveness of Caesar’s antidote, the Commons House granted the elderly slave (he was believed to have been “aged near sixty-seven Years”) his freedom and an annual annuity of £100 currency for the remainder of his life. Norman was granted £500 in compensation.
