Zabdiel Boylston

Zabdiel Boylston, FRS (March 9, 1679 – March 1, 1766), was a physician based in the Boston area. He was born in Muddy River, Massachusetts, which is now part of Brookline. His parents were Thomas Boylston (1644–1695) and Mary (Gardner) Boylston (1648–1722). In 1706, he married Jerusha Minot (1679–1764). Their son, John Boylston, was born in 1709.

During his early education in medicine, Boylston apprenticed with his father, a surgeon originally from Watertown, Massachusetts. He also studied under Dr. John Cutler, a Boston-based physician. Since the first medical school in North America was established only in 1765, Boylston did not attend formal medical school but gained practical training through apprenticeship and mentorship.

Boylston is recognized for achieving several notable firsts among American-born physicians. He performed the first surgical operation by an American physician, which included the removal of gall bladder stones in 1710. Additionally, he conducted the first removal of a breast tumor in 1718. Boylston was also the first physician to perform smallpox inoculations in North America. His inoculation efforts during the smallpox epidemic of 1721 were groundbreaking; he inoculated two enslaved Africans named Jack (age 36) and Jackey (age 2), as well as his own son Thomas, who was six years old at the time. The inoculation involved applying pus from a smallpox sore to a small wound, a method derived from African practices. This intervention marked the first use of inoculation in North America.

The introduction of smallpox inoculation was met with significant hostility from other physicians. Boylston received threats and faced violent opposition, with some threats of hanging. He had to conceal himself in his home for 14 days, a secret maintained by his wife. Following his initial inoculations, Boylston was briefly arrested for practicing medicine without government approval but was later released on the condition that he refrain from inoculating others without authorization. His family faced danger during this period; an incident involved a lit hand-grenade being thrown into their home, which failed to detonate due to a fallen fuse. In total, he inoculated approximately 248 individuals.

In 1724, Boylston traveled to London with a letter of introduction from Cotton Mather to Dr. James Jurin. During his time in England, Boylston published his observations in a work titled *Historical Account of the Small-Pox Inoculated in New England*. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1726. After his visit, he returned to Boston and continued his medical practice.

Zabdiel Boylston was a great uncle of President John Adams and the philanthropist Ward Nicholas Boylston. He died on March 1, 1766, in Boston.