President Grover Cleveland

Article reprinted from the New York State Dental Journal with permission granted.

Dr. Ferdinand Hasbrouck, a New York dentist, was part of the medical team that performed secret oral surgery on President Grover Cleveland for cancer on the roof of his mouth in 1893. Dr. Hasbrouck delivered the anesthetic and also performed the tooth extractions. President Cleveland and his advisors were concerned that public knowledge of his diagnosis might adversely affect the already unstable economy. After careful planning, the surgery was conducted on a yacht under the pretext of a vacation cruise.