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Biography · Inventions

Thomas Elkins

1818–1900

United States

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Biography

Thomas Elkins (1818 - 1819 February - August 10, 1900) was an African-American dentist, abolitionist, surgeon, pharmacist, and inventor. He lived in Albany, New York, for most of his life, but travelled during his service as the medical examiner of the 54th and 55th Massachusetts infantries and visited Liberia. Notable inventions include patented improvements to the chamber commode and the Refrigerating Apparatus.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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