Did George McClellan commit malpractice?

Abstract

In several sources, it is stated that Dr. George McClellan was one of the first surgeons to lose an ophthalmic malpractice case in the United States. Examining the original sources, one can conclude that he actually won a libel suit. The trial testimony gives a useful insight into cataract surgery in the 1820s as well as the medical climate of that period. This trial revealed to the public the existence of the secret medical society, Kappa Lambda.