Nov 10: Cancer Education Film at the National Academy of Sciences

This is presented by friends of mine who really know their stuff and should be excellent. I'm planning on seeing it.

The Reward of Courage
Thursday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Keck Center, 500 Fifth St., N.W., Room 100

Join us for a screening of The Reward of Courage , the first public education film about cancer. Released 90 years ago this fall, the film introduced many ideas about cancer that are familiar today. A copy of this hitherto lost silent film was recently discovered, and in excellent
condition. A specially commissioned musical score, performed live by the
Snark Ensemble, will accompany the film.

More Information & RSVP
<http://click.newsletters.nas.edu/?ju=fe2e157376660074761676&ls=fdf017787767
0479741c797c&m=feef12737c620c&l=fe951573766c057973&s=fe1c10757562067a7c1d79&
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*********************

David Cantor PhD
Deputy Director
Office of History
National Institutes of Health
Bldg 45, Room 3AN38, MSC 6330
Bethesda, MD 20892-6330
U.S.A.
Phone: 301-402-8915 (Direct)
301-496-6610 (Office)
Fax: 301-402-1434
http://history.nih.gov/about/Cantor.html

Letter of the Day: May 22

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 06713

Surgeon General's Office,
U.S. Army Medical Museum and Library
Corner of 7th and B Streets S.W.

Washington, May 22, 1903.

Major W.C. Borden
Surgeon U.S. Army
Washington Barracks, D.C.

Sir:

I have the honor to submit the following report of the results of an examination of a portion of a tumor of the rectum handed me several days ago by 1st Lieut. J.C. Gregory, Asst. Surgeon, U.S. Army.

The essential lesion is a cancer with extensive infiltration of the muscularis and indaration [sic]. There is also a well marked purulent infiltration of the tissue with localized areas of necrosis. Some of these areas present the appearance of tubercular caseation but the structure of a tubercle is nowhere apparent. Sections are being stained for tubercle bacilli and if they are found the fact will be reported. The primary lesion is carcinoma.

Very respectfully,
James Carroll
1st Lieut. Asst. Surgeon, U.S.A.
Asst. Curator.

Letter of the Day: May 19

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 03890

Dr. F. T. Meriwether,
U.S. Army Retired.
No. 14 Grove Street.

Asheville, N. C. May 19th, 1899

Maj. Walter Reed, U.S.A.
Washington, D.C.

Sir,

I send today in your care specimens of a probable Sarcoma of the Jaw, and what is of more interest a piece of a cancer of the lung. The history in brief of the latter is as follows. Male, age 35. Both father and mother died of Carcinoma of some form. Three months ago he was tapped Aspirated while in Baltimore for supposed Pleutritic effusion. Only a pint obtained. History up that time was an almost perfect one so far as health concerned. Cough developed shortly and he was sent to Asheville for supposed Tuberculosis. The chest when I saw him in consultation was enlarged upon the side affected, the left one; respiration was disturbed, had Hemoptysis and twice coughed up large masses of what seemed to be lung tissue. Temp and pulse record about that of Tuberculosis. The diagnosis was never made with certainty , though I rather incline towards malignancy. Aspiration secured some broken down cheesy looking masses which did not contain T.B. Patient suffered much at the last from Dyspnoea, and died five weeks after arriving here, the total duration being Three months. "Post" showed a lung very much broken down in spots, and the remainder of the tissue I send you. A small spot in the centre of the right lung seemed to be of the same tissue. Knowing the infrequency of Cancer of the lung I take the liberty of sending you this specimen, and request that when an accurate diagnosis is made you let me know the results. The largest piece is that of the lung and the smaller that from the jaw. The case will probably be reported at the meeting of the State Society to be held here shortly and I will see that you get a more complete history if you would like one. Let me also know the form of Sarcoma the smaller specimen.

I trust I am not imposing on your kindness too much and that I will be able to return the favor.

Very respectfully,
F[illegible] Meriwether

Letter of the Day: August 25

War Department,

Surgeon General’s Office,

Washington, D.C., Aug 25, 1884

 

Asst Surg. W Matthews:

Asst Curator A.M.M.

 

Sir:

 

In the portion of turkeys liver, contributed by Asst Surgeon Shannon U.S.A. and referred to me for microscopical examination, I find numerous nodules, a portion of which have undergone cystic degeneration of a peculiar character. They are neither carcinomatous or sarcomatous.

 

Very respectfully

Your obdt servant

J.C. McConnell M.D.

Letter of the Day: July 28

Fort Hamilton, N.Y.H.

28^th July, 1879

 

The Surgeon General,

U.S. Army,

Washington, D.C.

 

General:

 

 I have the honor respectfully to report that the following specimens were this day turned over by me to the Post Quartermaster for transportation to your office for the Army Medical Museum, namely:

 

Cholera morbus

No. 1. Heart from body of Pvt Maurice Ashe, C, 3d Artillery, showing advance fatty degeneration

No. 2. Tumor from mesentery, lying just below coeliaac axis, from same. Probably Scirrhus cancer.

 

Aneurism

No. 3. Aneurism of arch of aorta, rupturing into left bronchus, from body of Serg’t Edward Finley “L” 3d artillery.

No. 4 Upper lobe of left lung, from same, showing consolidation, with calcareous deposits.

 

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant.

J.C.G. Happersett

Surgeon, U.S. Army

Post Surgeon

 

Rec. Ack. And turned over to Dr. Woodward Aug. 2, 1879.

 

Letter of the Day: June 19

Post Hospital,
Depot General Recruiting Service,
Columbus Barracks, O. June 19, 1879.

Surgeon General, U.S.A.

Sir:

I have the honor to report that I am preparing for shipment by express, four jars of specimens (pathological) that surgeon Woodward told me, when here recently, would be acceptable at the Army Med. Museum. The largest specimen (cancer of internal organs) needs some change in preservation fluid, (smelling a little), or I would not send them on in advance of their histories: these latter I hope to send in a few days. The jars have new labels to identify their contents.

Very respectfully,
Your Ob’t Ser’t.
C.B. White
Surgoen, U.S.A.

Museum staff on WNYC's Radiolab show

The brief visit to the medical museum is online now and can be listened to at the following link:

Famous Tumors
May 7 2010

To start, Robert tries to touch--literally touch--the tumor that killed President Ulysses S. Grant. But will its keepers (Dr. Adrianne Noe and Brian Spatola) let him?

Post book review on creating a cell line

This review of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS hy Rebecca Skloot (Crown. 369 pp. $26) is fascinating. One knows cell lines exist, but one doesn't realize that they can be tracked back to a person.

Graphic Tales of Cancer in America

I'll be lecturing on this on Sunday, November 22 at 10 am at the History of Science Society meeting. If you're planning on being there, stop in and say hello. - Mike

Cigars? Cigarettes? Gross photo?

The Washington Post is reporting that the US is going to follow the lead of Canada and other countries by putting graphic photographs of the damages caused by cigarettes on packaging. I'm glad to say that we've got a sample of Canada's packaging from some years ago - collected by Ass't Director for Collections Jim Connor, I think. I'm sure we'd be glad to get the US versions to complement it, if anyone reading this is a local smoker.

Another excellent cancer article in NY Times

Their series on the modern history of cancer continues.

Forty Years' War
Lack of Study Volunteers Hobbles Cancer Fight
By GINA KOLATA
Published: August 3, 2009
In the war on cancer, a major hurdle involves finding cancer patients willing to participate in clinical trials.

NY Times on cancer research

Today's Times has a very interesting article on how cancer research grants now go to the cautious - quite a change from the way Bert Hansen described late 19th and early 20th century medical research in his book.

Grant System Leads Cancer Researchers to Play It Safe
By GINA KOLATA
Published: June 28, 2009
A major impediment in the fight against cancer is that most research grants go to projects unlikely to break much ground.

Bert's book has quite a bit on antitoxins, serums and therapies derived from attenuated germs in animals. So much so that I was planning on writing to him and asking if he knew why nobody was using these types of methods anymore, in favor of relying on vaccination and antibiotics. At one point he noted that there were over 70 different tuberculosis serums - if drug-resistant TB continues to evolve, and by definition it will, one would think this earlier cure holds new promise.

However, this article from tomorrow's paper harks back to the future, and again, Bert's book can shed light on these historical techniques being rediscovered.

New Treatment for Cancer Shows Promise in Testing
By NICHOLAS WADE
Published: June 29, 2009
A new method of attacking cancer cells, developed by researchers in Australia, has proved surprisingly effective in animal tests.