Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with December 6.

Events

1735 — Claudius Amyand (c.1680-1740) performed the first recorded appendicectomy, excising a perforated appendix found within an inguinal hernia sac at St George’s Hospital, London.
Note: The eponym Amyand’s hernia refers to the vermiform appendix within an inguinal hernia sac (inflamed or not).

1850 — Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) provided the first public demonstration of the ophthalmoscope to the Berlin Physical Society, allowing direct viewing of the living retina.

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Births

1878 – Samuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson (1878-1937); described Wilson disease (1912)

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Deaths

No major medical milestones added for this date yet — this page is being expanded

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Further reading

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