A photo about Edison using mirrors to reflect lamp light for a surgeon to perform an appendicitis operation on his mother was used in a textbook published by People's Education Press.
(ECNS) -- A leading publisher said a new Chinese textbook for elementary students has omitted a fake story about American inventor Thomas Alva Edison.
An essay in the original textbook for second graders published by People's Education Press said Edison used mirrors to reflect lamp light for a surgeon to perform an appendicitis operation on his mother when the future inventor was just 7 years old in 1854.
But it's generally believed that the earliest such surgery was recorded in 1886 by American physician Reginald Heber Fitz, much later than the time of Edison's alleged prodigy of invention.
Many readers criticized the textbook story entitled "Edison Saved His Mother," saying it was fabricated.
A manager at People's Education Press said the Edison story appeared first in formal publications during the 1980s across China and was included in the textbook in 2002.
After consulting with experts, a new textbook used from this fall will not include the Edison story, according to the publisher.
Other controversial stories were also removed.
People's Education Press has also vowed to improve editing standards and invite experts to help ensure quality.
