Vampires? Disease?

20 or so years ago, then-Anatomical Curator Paul Sledzik ended up doing some research on a burial that led him into looking into vampirism. Paul's a member of the blog, so I'll let him post on that if he wants, but it looks like some of his research is ending up in my friend Mark Jenkin's new book on vampires. Here's a short piece.

Letter of the Day: February 20

Apparently the Museum was taking x-rays a year after Roentgen discovered how to capture them.

Ballston, VA.
February 20, 1933.

Medical Museum
Washington, D.C.

Gentlemen:

About November 6, 1896, through a request of the Secretary of War, Dr. Gray made an ex-ray (sic) exposiure (sic) and several thereafter of my cranium, at which time there showed a foreign opaque, lodged in the brane (sic). It is desired to ascertain if there is a record of the circumstances and if possible to get a copy of the report.

This information is desired for use at the Capitol, by Dr. Copeland and Hon. Howard W. Smith of Congrss. The X-ray was again taken last week and they want to check on it.

Wm C Hammond

The letter sent back reads:

February 25, 1933

MEMORANDUM for Major Noyes, S.G.O.:

1. Enclosed herewith is post card from Wm. C. Hammond (Former 1st Cl. Apprentice, U.S. Navy, 701 E. Capitol St.) together with Photostat copies of the correspondence in re this case in 1896.
2. Inquiry by phone to the Record Dept., Bureau of Med. & Surg., U.S.N. and thru them to the U.S. Naval Hospital has fialed to add any further information.
3. We can find no record of the original films at the Museum.

V.H. Cornell,
Major, Medical Corps, U.S.A.
Curator

We no longer have any original correspondence, but there are 2 notes about the case. The longer one, dated November 12, 1896, reads:

Respectfully returned with 2 prints. The first negative (Print No 1) shows 2 inches backward in a straight line from orbital ridge and 5/8 inches upward from this point, on wounded side, a small triangular piece of metal, approximately 3/8 x 2/8 inches in its greatest diameters. This is believed to lie near the surface. The second negative (Print No 2) shows this piece of metal scarcely at all, but it shows distinctly a much larger piece in the posterior part of the head. Before making the last exposure two pieces of wire were tied together forming a cross; this cross was tied to the head of the wounded side and its position marked on the skin with nitrate of silver. The large piece of metal lies 6 34/ inches in a direct line backward from the crossed wire; its depth within the brain substance can only be determined by a photograph taken in the opposite direction.

Letter of the Day: February 19

Post Hospital

Fort McPherson, Nebraska.

February 19^th, 1873

 

General:

 

I have the honor most respectfully too state that Private David Davis, Co. “K” 3^rd U.S. Cavalry, committed suicide at this Post, on the 13^th Instant, by shooting himself. The balls entered the Thoracic cavity severely lacerating the tissue of both lungs. I have preserved the pathological specimens, and, if they are of any value to the A.M. Museum, it will afford me  great pleasure to forward them, with a report of the case.

 

I have the honor to be,

General,

Your Most Obedient servant

 

J.H.T King

Capt. & Asst Surgeon, U.S. Army

Post Surgeon

 

To

Brig. Gen. J.K. Barnes

Surgeon General, U.S. Army

Washington, D.C.

 

A note on the reverse reads Specimens received April 5 1873, and acknowledged the same day.

Letter of the Day: February 18 (2 of 2)

U.S.A. Post Hospital

Fort Griffin, Texas, Febr. 18^th 1873

 

Asst Surgeon George A Otis

Curator A.M.M.

Washington D.C.

 

Sir:

 

Your communications dated Jan 22 & 23^rd 1873 are at hand. In reply I have the honor to state that no specimens of value could be preserved from the bodies of Michael Murray “D”, 11 Infty and Michael Canan “E” 11 Infty.  Amputation of right index finger in the case of Chas. G. Kelly “C” 11 Infty, was performed previous to my arrival at this post. No specimen exist. (sic)

 

Very respectfully

Your Obedient Servant

E.A. Koerfoer

Asst Surgeon USA

Post Surgeon

Our scans on the Internet Archive

We’ve been busy uploading our scanned books to the Internet Archive and don’t often look to see how many times, or even if, anyone downloads them. Today we got an email from the Archive, saying that someone reviewed the logbook History of Specimens and Inventory of Specimen Preparation (MM 8761-1). A user named brewster gave us this nice review:

 

Subject: wonderful surprise book
In the open source collection there sometimes appears a surprising and wonderful book. For me, this is one of them. Hope you enjoy it as I do.

 

You can see everything we’ve uploaded so far by going to the Archive and searching for Otis Historical Archives.

 

 

 

 

Letter of the Day: February 18 (1 of 2)

Fort Garland, Colo.,

February 18, 1881

 

Surgeon General, U.S. Army,

Washington, D.C.

 

General –

 

I have the honor to transmit herewith the duplicate of a receipt from the Post Quarter-Master for certain pathological specimens, delivered to him for transportation to the Army Medical Museum, in the case of Musician Sylverster Obermeyer, Co. “D” 6^th Infantry, who died here on the 9^th day of January 1881.

 

Very respectfully,

Your obedient Servant,

A.I. Comfort

A.A. Surgeon, U.S.A.,

Post Surgeon

 

Enclosure filed “Receipts for Stores”

 

The specimen (Brain) with history turned over to Dr. Woodward – ack. Mch 25, 1881

King Tut's serious medical problems

Some nice paleopathology research reported here:

 

Malaria Is a Likely Killer in King Tut's Post-Mortem

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD

Published: February 17, 2010

The application of advanced radiological and genetic techniques to Egyptian mummies is a new step in the reach of historical inquiry through science.

OTIS HISTORICAL ARCHIVES 2009 annual report

OTIS HISTORICAL ARCHIVES  2009 annual report

 

STAFF:

            Michael Rhode, Chief Archivist

            Kathleen Stocker, Assistant Archivist

            (A) Jasmine High, Archives Technician

            Donna Rose, IMC Supervisor Archivist

            Amanda Montgomery, IMC Contract Archivist

            Johanna Medlin, IMC Contract Archivist

            Emilia Garvey, IMC Contract Archivist

            LaFonda Burwell, IMC Contract Archives Technician

            Karen West, IMC Contract Archives Technician

Anna Korosec, IMC Contract Archives Technician

            (A) Erissa Mann, student volunteer

 

 

Substantial requests for information were handled, frequently regarding sensitive topics. Of the requests that we tracked, we had at least 170 substantial reference requests this year, including from six countries outside the US. Rhode was interviewed by Alexis Madrigal for "Rare Trove of Army Medical Photos Heads to Flickr," Wired's Science blog and "Death Mask," a History Channel television documentary on Abraham Lincoln, and spoke on "The Army Medical Museum in World War I," American Association for the History of Medicine and "Graphic Tales of Cancer in America," History of Science Society (November 22 2009). Rhode and Stocker helped write the book Walter Reed Army Medical Center Centennial: A Pictorial History, 1909-2009. In addition to providing scans of photographs of the base and personnel, they also wrote captions while contributing to the layout and editing of the publication. The book featured many photographs from the Archives, but also new pictures of the base that Stocker took. Stocker and Rhode were listed as co-authors and presented with commanders coins for their work. Rhode has had a paper on cancer in comic strips accepted for the American Association of the History of Medicine's annual meeting in April. Tours were given to five formal groups, including the American Association of Pathological Assistants, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, VCU School of the Arts, Elderhostel, and author Patricia Cornwell.

 

        The Medical Illustration Service Library, through the NISC (formerly IMC) scanning project, continues to be digitized.  Rhode is the Task Order Manager for the MIS part of the project; he and the assistant archivists and technicians selected material for scanning, reviewed the material, and recommended accepting the work on behalf of the government. Stocker and High provided the quality control.  The members of the NISC team are processing and cataloging the images prior to scanning so the records of the images are complete upon their return. 229,125 images were scanned last year, and this year is projected to be 400,000.   Collections scanned or added to the online system last year included HDAC's Carnegie collection photographs, New Contributed Photographs collection, the unpublished 7^th Saranac Silicosis Symposium from the Vorwarld Collection,  Hollister Collection dental education photographs, an AFIP Study of 58 Combat Deaths from Vietnam, the Museum's Accession Files, the Museum's 19^th century curatorial logbooks, John King's 35mm veterinary slides, 4 boxes of the AFIP Public Affairs Office photographs, the Spanish-American War photographic collection, WRAIR 1960s-1970s photographs (under a shared contract) as well as images of WRAMC from their DPW department and all of the historical images from the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED). Thousands of 19^th century Contributed Photographs and Specimen CDV scans were turned over to NISC and will be uploaded in 2010.

 

            Computerized cataloguing on the collection has continued on both the collection and item level.  Cataloguing of new material coming into the museum was done for the General Medical Products Information Collection, Medical Ephemera, New Contributed photographs, Audiovisual Collection, AFIP Historical Files, WRAMC Historical Collection and other artificial collections. Implementation of a comprehensive computer catalogue for the entire Museum continued with data from the archives added to KE Software's EMU database. New cataloguing is now done directly into EMU, unless a traditional archival-style finding aid is done.

 

New material acquired included a booklet of a photographic exhibit based on author Sarah Sudhoff's experience with cervical cancer; two handwritten class notebooks on physiology kept by Thomas A. McGrath, Sept 1906 to March 1907; one linear foot of letters and postcards relating to Dr. Luther B. Otken's WWI service with the American Expeditionary Forces; Pharmaceutical trade literature blotter cards; the large Archives of the American Board of Forensic Odontology; one notebook: The Physician's Perfect Call List maintained by RW Stoneburner, MD 1932-1936; papers, certificates, photos and items associated with the service of Col James L Hansen, former AFIP director; seven printed WWII-era malaria education cartoons by Frank Mack, consisting of three calendar pages from 1944 and four comic strips of Malaria Moe and Skeeter; a collection of Dr. George Ellis Mills related to the study and treatment of tuberculosis; the Goodman-Ishak Liver Pathology 35mm Slide Collection of  208 notebooks of 35mm liver pathology slides sorted by subject that were created by Dr. Kamal Ishak and Zach Goodman and arranged by Goodman; a print A Time for Healing by Robert M. Nisle, from a limited edition 1077/1120 and  signed by the artist that was printed in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of WWII; a slide collection of GI Pathology and material used to help set up a cancer registry in Afghanistan by Dr. Leslie Sobin and two artworks by Bryn Barnard from his Outbreak exhibit.

 

The Archives has a significant presence on the Internet including the Guide to the Collections of the Museum on the museum website which remains the main way researchers begin to use the archives. Stocker has revamped the Guide for the first time since 1998 and has put it on the web. Several finding aids were added to the website.  Stocker did finding aids for the Ball, Otken, and Registry of Noteworthy Research in Pathology collections. No more archival collections were listed in the Library of Congress' National Union Catalogue of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC); however, finding aids should still be sent to NUCMC in the future for the different audiences it reaches.

 

In fall 2006, archives staff began adding interesting photographs to Flickr's website. By late January 2008, approximately 400 photographs had gotten 48,000 views; in January 2009, 683 images had received 107,526 views, an increase of about 155%. On December 31, 2009, we wrapped up the year with slightly under a million views - 906,255 for approximately 1800 images. WRAMC continues to block access to Flickr so any additional photographs are added by staff from home. The Archives also received an invitation to join the Flickr Commons, a site for displaying the public photo collections of cultural institutions, which would increase viewership into the millions, but this has been waiting Legal Counsel's review for several years. A Repository for Bottled Monsters, an unofficial blog for the museum, continues to attract a worldwide audience. Because WRAMC blocks access to the blog, all posts to it are added by staff from home in their own time.

Books and documents scanned by IMC were uploaded to the free Internet Archive, where they are available for downloading. Titles uploaded by Stocker included a film Red Cross Work on Mutilés at Paris, 1918, a compilation of Atomic Bomb film footage (1945), the never-published Proceedings of the Seventh Saranac Symposium on Pneumoconiosis from the Vorwald collection, an issue of Carry On from 1918, and a World War 1-era Clinico Motion Pictures Catalog.

 

Rhode served on the AFIP's Institutional Review Board and HIPPA committees as well as Museum committees including the Admin group, the collections committee (as did Stocker), and the database committee (as did Stocker). Volunteering to do so, Stocker photographed parts of collections for use in the museum's newsletter, for exhibit production, and for uploading to the Internet Archive, and has photographed both in-progress and completed exhibits.

 

            Research and historical material, mostly on military medicine, was provided to AFIP, especially the Public Affairs Office for which High in particular has pulled scores of photographs for a new history of the AFIP. External users were from Italy, Israel, Japan, Australia, Germany, and England and included the following institutions: University of Southern Alabama, Columbia University, National Naval Medical Center, Museum of Science and Industry, National Institutes of Health, Travel Channel, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Mutter Museum, Fort Laramie National Historic Site, US Department of Health and Human Services, Ritsumeikan University, National Museum of American History, Duke University, Simon Frasier University, University of Oxford, Temple University, New York State Museum, Branch Health Clinic, History Channel, Wesleyan University, National Institute for the Humanities, Cornell University, National Archives and Records Administration, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Stanford University, Wilmer Hale Law Library, Facts on File, Virginia Holocaust Museum, Baruch College, Iowa Methodist Medical Center, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Yale University, Dickinson College, MIT Press, Kyodo News Chiba Bureau, San Juan College, Kent State University, WETA, Virginia Historical Society, Harvard University, University of Maryland, National Geographic Society, University of Chicago, Oakland University, National Health Service (UK), Artificial Eye Clinic of Washington, DC, Royal Botanic Gardens, Scholastic Library Publishing, University of California -San Francisco, Enslow Educational Publishers, Hiroshima Peace Institute, Hiroshima City University, Providence Journal, Science Photo Library (UK), American Society of Nursing, Discovery Channel, Trover Health System, OAH Magazine of History, New York Times, West Kentucky Community and Technical College, National Museum of Natural History, University of Texas Health Science Center, Slack, Inc.,  Jefferson Community & Technical College, Victorian College of the Arts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association.

 

 

PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPORTS

 

1. Interview by Alexis Madrigal for "Rare Trove of Army Medical Photos Heads to Flickr," Wired's Science blog (March 17, 2009): http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/medarchives.html; on the same topic see also "Bringing Hidden World War II Photos to the Masses," By Betsy Mason, http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/multimedia/2009/03/gallery_WWII_photos

2. On-camera interview by Wild Dream Films for "Death Mask," History Channel documentary on Abraham Lincoln, (interviewed February 6, aired October 26, 2009).

 

 

PRESENTATIONS

 

1. Stocker, K.  "Luther Otken, Surgeon, American Expeditionary Forces," National Museum of Health and Medicine (June),

2. Rhode, M. "The Army Medical Museum in World War I,"American Association for the History of Medicine (April 24),

3. Rhode, M and JTH Connor. "Graphic Tales of Cancer in America," History of Science Society (November 22).

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

1. Pierce, J, M Rhode, K Stocker et. al. Walter Reed Army Medical Center Centennial: A Pictorial History, 1909-2009, Washington: Borden Institute, 2009.

Letter of the Day: February 17

This is one of a flurry of letters sent out on the 17^th and 18^th of February, 1868 on the same topic, but referring to different surgeries.  “Form” letters went out on the 18^th: a letter sent to a surgeon in Westchester, New York, followed with a notation that it was also sent to surgeons in Albany, Boston, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We’re thinking they were doing a push for the MSHWR and were trying to tie up loose ends, at least for the chapter on knees.

 

 

Surgeon General’s Office

Washington City, DC

February 17, 1868

 

Doctor:

                I have read with extreme interest your report of a case of excision of the knee-joint in the Southern Medical and Surgical Journal. It is of such great importance to determine the value of this procedure in military surgery that I venture to take the liberty of writing to you to enquire farther particulars of the case, especially whether the officer still survives, and if his limb is useful still. Were the condyles of the femur interfered with, and, if not, did any disease of the cartilage supervene?

                The Surgeon General has published some statistics of amputations and excisions of joints which I should be pleased to send you if have not seen them.

 

I am, Doctor,

Very respectfully yours, 

George A. Otis

Assistant Surgeon, U.S.A.

 

Dr. A.W. Bailey,

Barnwell Dist.

South Carolina.

FOREVER FORWARD WEBSITE LAUNCH!

Our researcher Mike Lemish, author of the just-published Forever Forward: K-9 Operations in Vietnam, announced his new website:

 

I am pleased to announce the launch of my new website (www.K9writer.com).

 

Besides the book I'm planning to include as much historical information as possible. Much of the site is under construction, but I hope you'll bookmark it and check back on a regular basis to see how it develops.

 

Thanks so much for all the support!

 

Best (ARF!)

 

Mike Lemish

Letter of the Day: February 16 2 of 2

U.S.A. General Hospital

David’s Island, N.Y.

Feb 16^th, 1863

 

 

Friend Brinton

 

I am working hard at histories of cases for you, and will be able by the latter part of this week to send you some specimens and detailed accounts. There being no particular  hold on the A.A. Surgeons here, it is with difficulty that I can get them to make reports. Unfortunately the man who had charge of the dead house stole our specimens and sold them to Dr. James. R. Wood of New York, to whom I have written in regard to them, but have received no answer.  Still I have a few interesting specimens and some interesting statistics of amputations and resections.

 

I suppose you have seen Dr. Simons in Washington. It is a perfect outrage that a man who has sacrificed so much should be so persecuted. I have been his intimate friend for the past six months, and can truly say that he is as perfectly loyal as you or I.

 

Don’t you want an assistant in preparing your museum and writing up statistics, etc? I should like very much to be on such duty and could probably take some labor off your should. Won’t you ask the Surgeon General if you think well of it, to detail me on that duty.

 

Truly yr. friend,

 

S.W. Gross

Surg. U.S.A.

 

Letter of the Day: February 16 1 of 2

Note the continuing confusion of types of fevers. Dale Smith's written an excellent paper on this. Carroll had made his reputation working with Walter Reed on yellow fever a few years earlier. The cause of the anemia he refers to would eventually be defined by US Army doctor Bailey Ashford.

War Department,
Office of the Surgeon General,
Army Medical Museum and Library,
Washington

February 16, 1904

Private Julian W. Moody,
Hospital Corps, U.S.A.
(Through the Surgeon, Fort Monroe, Va.).

Sir

I have to acknowledge the receipt of a bottle of sputum containing tubercle bacilli, and thank you for sending it. This is material we can usually obtain in abundance. If you could send me, however, at any time specimens of blood showing quartan or aestivo-autumnal malarial parasites, pernicious or secondary anemia, eosinophilia or any marked pathological condition of the blood, I shall be very glad to have them.

Respectfully,

James Carroll

1st Lieut. Asst. Surgeon, U.S.A.
Curator, Army Medical Museum

Letter of the day: February 15

Smithsonian Institution
Washington
February 15 '70 (1870)

Dr. George A. Otis
Army Medical Museum,

Dear Sir,

I have the honor on behalf of this establishment to acknowledge the receipt of the two teeth mention in yours of February 5th and which have been transferred by the Medical Department of the U.S. Army to the Smithsonian Institution in accordance with the terms of an agreement, entered into, some time since, by these two establishments relative to an exchange of certain kinds of specimens.

Of the two teeth which are of those of Fossil horse, - the larger will bear the number 9826, the smaller 9827.

Very truly,
Your obdt servant,

Joseph Henry

Scty, Smith. Inst.
by D.L. [illegible]

Letter of the Day: February 14

A subsequent letter from the AMA said they do not have the die but have no objection to having another medal struck. There is no reply (that I found) to a letter in the folder from Davis to Tiffany about the die. I couldn’t find any mention of this medal in Emu.


14 Feb. 1942
Secretary
American Medical Association
Chicago, Ill.

Dear Doctor:-

We have a very comprehensive collection of Medical Medals at this Museum and are endeavoring to add to it.

There was issued by your association sometime in 1914 a medal to Gen. William C. Gorgas. This medal is described and listed in Storer’s catalog of Medical Medals and was made by Tiffany Co., New York. As it was of gold it was the only one probably struck.

It is assumed that the dies are still in possession of the maker, Tiffany, or else were turned over to your office. In any event would it be possible to have a gilt bronze replica made for our collection?

So far as known this is the only medal of Gorgas and as he was our Surgeon General we feel that if possible this medal should be in our collection.

Any information concerning this will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Harry A. Davis

Maj. USA Ret.
Hist. Sect.

NYTimes: New Rule on Cargo Is Shaking Art World

What a nightmare, no matter how big (and funded) a gallery or museum you are. 

From The New York Times:

New Rule on Cargo Is Shaking Art World

By RANDY KENNEDY

Airport security screeners soon may be poking around Picassos in addition to sweaters and socks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/arts/design/13transport.html

Letter of the Day: February 13

111 Bruce Ave
Yonkers N.Y. Feb. 13th 1904

Surgeon General R.M. O’Reilly, U.S. Army
War Department, Washington D.C.

Dear General:

During the last thirty years I have made a collection of anatomical and pathological material consisting mostly of wax models in colors illustrating deformities of the nose, mouth, throat and chest. These have been made from casts taken from the subjects before and after operation.

The above collection I am considering presenting to the Army Medical Museum in case the museum would be pleased to receive the same.

Some months ago I was contemplating a visit to the museum when I hoped to have the pleasure of meeting you. Owing to illness my condition will not allow of it I will enclose a note of introduction from my friend Dr. J.S. Billings.

I will appreciate it if you will kindly advise me regarding the reception of the collection and the facilities you have for exhibiting the same. I will be pleased to give you detail information of the collection should you desire it.

Awaiting your reply, I am
Very respectfully yours

D.H. Goodwillie M.D.

per R

Dictated by Dr. Goodwillie

[A five-page list of models was in the file with the letter.]

A Day in the Life

Finally got box labels made for the Registry of Noteworthy Research in Pathology collection - all 62 boxes.

Letter of the Day, February 12

I think we’d like to lay claim to anything Walter Reed (after all, where are we physically sited?) but his alma mater has a far more extensive and enviable collection.

 

 

February 12, 1900.

 

TO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL, U.S. Army

 

Sir:

 

In compliance with Circular dated War Department, Adjutant General’s Office, Washington, January 17, 1900, I have the honor to report that I am a graduate in medicine of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. and of Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York City. I have no Academic Degree.

 

Very respectfully,

Walter Reed,

Major & Surgeon,

U.S. Army

 

Snow fears come true at Smithsonanian

The Associated Press is reporting that one of the collection storage units for the Air and Space Museum has had its roof collapse. We also have a flat-roofed storage unit in Maryland. I hope our colleagues are able to rescue everything - these buildings, if they're the ones I'm thinking of, are older hangers with airplanes in them.

Letter of the Day to resume when snow ends

The government is closed again today, and today we're expecting another 10-20" on top of the 24" we have already, so we'll resume the letter of the day when we can reach the office again.