This is the first article in our special series to commemorate a century of innovation in the HVAC&R arts and sciences. It describes the pioneering work of a physician in the first part of the 19th century who - in attempting to find a cure for yellow fever - created a cooling machine.

Dr. John Gorrie, 1802-1855, of Apalachicola, Fla., is recognized as the first to propose, scientifically discuss, construct and operate a refrigeration machine for comfort cooling.1 What perhaps began as an attempt to save the lives of a few seamen from malaria and yellow fever altered the living pattern of the civilized world.