document.write('<div class="whsbox"><div class="whstitle">This Day In Wisconsin History</div>');
document.write('');
document.write('<div class="whstext"><span class="whsheader">&#149; 1785 - <a href="http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/thisday/?action=search&month=11&day=21" target="_blank">Prairie du Chien Physiologist Born</a></span></div>On this date <a href="http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/odd/archives/001442.asp">William Beaumont</a> was born. Beaumont served as a surgeon at <a href="http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/highlights/archives/2006/11/fort_crawford.asp">Fort Crawford</a> in Prairie du Chien during the War of 1812.  After the War he moved to the northwest where he met and treated <a href="http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/odd/archives/001442.asp">Alexis St. Martin,</a> <a href="http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/odd/archives/001442.asp">a man who was accidently shot in the stomach at a social gathering</a>. Beaumont studied Martin for many years, using his open wound to learn about digestion. With rudimentary medical tools (a spool of thread, scissors, thermometer, and various types of food), Beaumont conducted 238 highly scientific experiments that were later published in <i>Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion.</i> The dietetic table he created has changed very little over the years and all subsequent experiments of digestion were based on his findings. [Source: <i>Badger Saints and Sinners</i> by Fred L. Holmes, p.136-150]<br />')
document.write('');
document.write('<a href="http://www.wisconsinhistory.org" target="_blank">Courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society</a></div>');