Letter of the Day: October 1

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 199

War Department,
Surgeon General’s Office,
U.S. Army Medical Museum and Library,
Corner 7th and B Streets, S.W.,
Washington, D.C., October 1, 1894,

Dr. A. Clifford Mercer,
324 Montgomery St.,
Syracuse, N.Y.

Dear Sir:

I have just returned from Europe and find your note of September 23rd on my table, for which I am much obliged.

I know Mr. Crisp’s collection very well, and have received much valuable aid from Mr. Mayall, the gentleman who aided him largely in making that collection. I wish it were possible to obtain it for the Army Medical Museum, to which it would be a splendid addition. But it is out of the question to think of purchasing it, as your annual appropriation for all purposes is only $5000. At all events, however, it can do no harm to make some inquiries about the matter, and I will at once proceed to do this through some friends in London.

Again thanking you for your note, I remain,
Yours very sincerely,
(Sgd) John S. Billings
Lt. Colonel and Deputy Surgeon General, U.S.A.

Letter of the Day: September 23

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 199

 

324 Montgomery St.

Syracuse, N.Y.

Sept. 23. 1894

 

John S. Billings M.D.

Surgeon, U.S.A.

 

Dear Doctor:

 

Incidentally I learned while in London recently that the famous historical collections of microscopes collected by Mr. Crisp at a cost of about L20000, had been offered for sale for L10000. I at once through of the Army Medical Museum. For a short time this collection can be had whole. Presently, I understand, if not sold as a whole, it will be broken up for sale in parts to suit small purchasers. I have been informed, perhaps somewhat privately, that Mr. Crisp intended to present this collection to the Royal Microscopical Society, had the Government given that society permanent rooms in Burlington House. The society would have had no rent to pay and the collection would have belonged essentially to the Government. I am told Mr. Crisp has been so disappointed in the Government, in its want of hospitality – not giving the society rooms – that he probably would take delight in writing a stinging letter to the Authorities pointing to the collection in the hands of a foreign government as the result of Burlington House not being offered as a home to the R.M. Society.

 

Further information can be had from Mr. C. Lees Curties with Chas. Baker, optician, 244 High Holborn, London, S.W. England.

 

Sincerely Yours,

A. Clifford Mercer, Dr.

 

P.S. The writer was much interested in the photomicroscopic work of Dr. Woodward had has been a worker in the same line for 18 years, has visited the Army Museum, has met you personally (in Washington, 1885, at meeting of Am. Public Health Association)

A.C.M.

Letter of the Day: July 5

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 5


July 5 1894

Gentlemen:

I notice in the British Medical Journal of June 23rd (No. 1747, p. 1368), a description of a new basin for mounting and embedding in plaster-of-Paris specimen dissections of the human body. The basins are made by Messrs Powell, of Temple Gate Pottery, Bristol, 10 inches in diameter, and 4 inches deep, of two patterns, as shown in the illustrations in the article above referred to. Will you kindly inquire of the Messrs Powell at what price they will furnish for this Museum a dozen of each of the above basins, and whether they have other sizes.

I would also like to have you inquire of Mr. Claude-Henry, Brandon Terrace, Edinburgh, if, and at what price, he will furnish a sufficient quantity of cement for the sealing of the two dozen basins, the cement to be of the same quality as that furnished by him to Professors Fawcett and Cathcart.

I shall be in London in the early part of August, and shall be pleased to receive the above information at that time.

Very respectfully,
J.S. Billings
Deputy Surgeon General, U.S.A.
Director Army Medical Museum and Library

Messrs Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co.
London, W.C., England

Wellcome War & Medicine exhibit open through February

War and Medicine (22 November 2008-15 February 2009) is on display in London. I imagine this is a good exhibit. Be sure to check out the image galleries which in particular have a couple of nice shell shock images. You can see this one of ours on our flickr site as well as some mustard gas images. We recently put some facial reconstruction models on display very similar to the one seen in the photos on the Wellcome site, except ours are colored.

A medical museum reopens in UK

See "The history of medicine," By Natalie Slater, 19/5/2008 on 'the newly refurbished medical museum at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.' The difference between a national museum like ours which was built by the federal government and the more common university or hospital museum needs to be examined more, I think.