Letter of the Day: June 4 (1 of 3)

Lincoln Gen’l Hospital
Washington, D.C.
June 4, 1864

Colonel:-

I herewith send you for the Army Medical Museum, a minie ball, which came from the thigh of Captain A. F. Schwartz of Co. F. 1st Maryland (Rebel) Cavalry. The Capt. Was wounded on the 9th of May in the battle of Beaver Dam. The ball, he thinks, struck a fence before hitting him. It entered about the centre of the right nates and did not pass out. The track of the ball is in the direction of the hip-joint. Probing shows that the bone was not touched.

A few hours after the admission of the patient to the Hospital, on the 21st of May, the ball dropped from the wound upon the bed-clothes, no search having been made for it since his entrance. The patient is doing well.

I have the honor to be,
Very Respectfully,
Yr. Obt. Serv’t
J.W. Merriam
Asst. Surgeon U.S. Vols.

Col. J.K. Barnes
Act’g Surg. Gen. U.S.A.
Washington, D.C.

Letter of the day, June 3

[Numbered Correspondence 1872]

June 3, 1897.

THE KNY-SCHEERER CO.
17 Park Place,
New York, N.Y.

Gentlemen:

The glass globe for the monkey skull has been received in good order, for which please accept my thanks. On account of closing our accounts for the present fiscal year, ending June 30, there may be some delay in paying your bill of $80.00 (2 skulls), possibly until after June 30, but I will have the vouchers prepared and sent to you as soon as the appropriation of 1897-1897 becomes available, which will be no later than July 1st.

Very respectfully,
D.L. Huntington
Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Army,
In charge of Museum and Library Division.

Letter of the Day: June 2

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 1515

June 2, 1896

Lieut. J. Hamilton Stone,

Assistant Surgeon, U.S. Army,

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

My dear Doctor:

I sent you a telegram this morning concerning the culture received late last evening. Carroll plated at once, and it requires only a glance at the colonies to state positively that this is not anthrax.

I will to-morrow inoculate a guinea pig with a 48-hour old culture in bouillon.

Don’t you think it a little risky to draw conclusions from a culture made with dried sheep’s blood which had been sent to you unless this blood had been taken with every known precaution to avoid contamination? One should exercise great care in a matter of this kind before giving a positive opinion. If I can ascertain what the organism is, or if it has pathogenic effects, I will let you know to-morrow. Very sincerely yours,

Walter Reed

Surgeon, U.S. Army

The latest forensic report on an artist

 

Beethoven May Not Have Died of Lead Poisoning, After All

By JAMES BARRON, New York Times May 29, 2010

Letter of the day, June 1

Howe Laboratory of Ophthalmology
Harvard University Medical School
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Address: 243 Charles Street
Boston, Massachusetts

June 1, 1934

Major V.H. Cornell
Army Medical Museum
7th and B Streets, S.W.
Washington, D.C.

Dear Major Cornell:

I am sending you the ophthalmoscope that Dr. Harrower presented to the Howe Library Museum, but it certainly is not an original Helmholtz ophthalmoscope, because it has a silvered mirror, and the first Helmholtz ophthalmoscope did not have a silvered mirror. If, after you have examined it, you do not find it of sufficient interest to keep, or if you already have one like it, please return it to us.

Sincerely yours,
[signed] F.H. Verhoeff, M.D.

FHV/T

Letter of the Day: May 22 - Civil War in Northern Virginia

Here's a nice letter for Memorial Day, even though it's from a week earlier. As I've noted elsewhere, writing during a memorializing age when much of Washington was being filled with statues of war heroes, Surgeon General Barnes hoped, "In carrying out the intentions of Congress, it has been my earnest endeavor to make this Medical and Surgical History of the War, not only a contribution to science, but an enduring monument to the self-sacrificing zeal and professional ability of the Volunteer and Regular Medical Staff; and the unparalleled liberality of our Government, which provided so amply for the care of its sick and wounded soldiers."

Centreville Camp Hays 22nd May 1863

J. H. Brinton, M.D.
Surgeon U.S.V.
Curator of the Army Medical Museum.

In obedience to Yours from May 16th I proceded (sic) to Gen’l Abercrombie’s Headquarters in submitting your letter. I was informed that official orders from Gen’l Heinzelmann were received to let nobody pass outside the lines. The battlefield of Bull Run is 3 miles outside the lines. If I could get a permission from Gen’l Heinzelmann and an escort of Cavalry from Gen’l Stahl in Fairfax, I am sure to be recompensed by a rich booty of pathological objects. Please and furnish permission and an escort and I will immediately proceed to the Battlefield and take with me such men well acquainted with the locality and relative places.

After the engagement at Strasburg and the battle of Kross Keys (sic - Cross Keys) I had a little collection, but afterwards meanwhile my captivity in June & July last year they were lost. The cranium Dr. Baron mentioned is lost, but I hope that this loss will be repaired by another one I will send to you.

Very Respectfully Your Obdt. Servant,
Frederick Wolf
Surgeon of the 39th Regt. N.Y.V.

P.S. Allow me to write you next time a letter, concerning views in composing the materials of a military museum which I would hazard to submit to you.

Letter of the day, May 31

We wish we had a benefactor, too.


May 31, 1912.

Mr. Leo Hamburger
Scheffelstrasse 24
Frankfurt, a/M

Sir;

In reply to your of 21st inst. Enclosing copy of letter of 29th Feby., 1912, relative to the purchase of collection of medals, “Pestilentia in nummis” of the late Mr. Pfeiffer for $10,000, you are informed that there is no money available for this expenditure, and that your suggestion to find some prominent man who would be willing to purchase the collection and present it to the Museum is entirely impracticable.

Very respectfully,
Walter D. McCaw
Lt. Col. Medical Corps, U.S.A.
In charge of Museum & Library Division

some of our exhibits

Letter of the Day: May 30

U.S. Marine-hospital Service,
District of the Gulf,
Part of New Orleans La, Surgeon’s Office,
May 30th, 1885

To the Surgeon General U.S. Army,
Washington D.C.

Sir:

On a recent visit to the exhibit of the U.S. Army Medical Department at the Exposition now in this city, I was more than gratified to find displayed therein, photogrpahs of skeletons of Sioux indians donated by me when a hospital stweard of the army on duty at Camp (now Fort) Robinson, Nebraska. If it can be conveniently done, I should be glad to procure copies of the photograps above mentioned and I shall greatly appreciate the favor.

At the time I made the last donation to the Museum Asst. Surgeon Otis (then Curator) promsed me that I should have a full and complete assortment of publications of the Surgeon General’s office, more particularly those relating to the Army Medical Museum. His subsequent illness and death prevented any action on his part and I imagine no record of his promises being made, the whole matter was forgotten.

Very respectfully,
Your obedent servant,
Samuel W. Richardson
Hospital Steward
U.S. Marine Hosp’l Service
(Formerly U.S. Army)
Care of Custom House

Five unmounted photographs of skeletons sent by mail June 8, 1885

Letter of the Day: May 29

This is in regard to Swiss Hospital Corps equipment.

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 738

Copy.
No. 70.

United States Legation,
Bern, May 29th, 1895.

Hon. Edwin F. Uhl,
Acting Secretary of State.

Sir:

In compliance with your instructions contained in Despatch (sic) No. 88 in relation to the purchase of articles for the Army Medical Museum as per request of the Acting Secretary of War, I have made arrangements with the Technical Division of the War Material Administration for the purchase of the articles desired by the Secretary of War. Some of them are on hand, others will have to be constructed, and it will probably be three months from this date, before they can be ready for shipment. In regard to some of the articles which are to be constructed the cost will probably be more than the estimates heretofore reported to the Department. I will not receive or send any of them until they are all ready for shipment.

I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed)
James O. Broadhead.

History of phamarcy obituary

This is pretty interesting - the world of pharmacy changed immensely in the 20th century -

Robert L. McNeil Jr., 94, dies; third-generation pharmacist marketed Tylenol
By Emma Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 26, 2010; B07

William Osler photos website

Chris Lyons and the Osler Library of the History of Medicine at McGill University have put up a nice website of photographs of the famed William Osler. I especially like the Max Broedel caricature under the Baltimore period.

Letter of the day, May 28

Camp Merritt
Tues 28th [1918]

Dearest Sister:
Haven't heard from home since I've been here - guess my mail has been misplaced or sent on over. Had a letter from Charlie today - he is well & still getting along O.K.

Hot and sultry up here - we are all feeling the heat, rains nearly every day.

We have all gotten our equipment complete now but the men are not fitted out yet - think we will be here several days longer, so write me care of Camp Merritt.

I put in for commutation of quarters this morning - claiming Mother as dependent - this will amount to almost $60 which I will send home every month for the household expenses. I also made an allotment of $100 per month to you to be deposited with 1st Nat'l Bank of McComb - this is to begin with June pay - don't think I'll need much more than $120 a month over there. When this begins to come in, let to go to pay my debt to you, then save the rest for me.

Miss Hodges is in New York - together with Misses Clark & almost 20 more of the Camp Shelby nurses all being fitted out for foreign service.

Have been over to New York several afternoons & evenings - we are allowed this - so we are back by nine a.m. - and must remain until after dinner - nothing to do here except paperwork - which I have very little to do, & inspection of the men to see that they do not develop any diseases.

I suppose I don't have to say that I see Miss Hodges when I go over - we went to hear John McCormack - the famous Irish singer, Sunday night at the Hippodrome - it was a benefit for one of the Catholic orphanages - he was great - you know he is called America's foremost and favorite singer & he deserves all the praise he gets.

Does Frances get an increase in her salary with this new increase the government ordered for R.R. employees? I don't see why she shouldn't.

Much love to all at home-
Luther

[Captain Otken made a notation on the reverse of the first page of the letter, regarding his pay and allotment]:

Captains salary     $200
10% Foreign            20
                         ______
                              220.00
Commutation            60
                         _______
                           $280.00
                             160
                         _______
                           $120.00

WRAMC Centennial book news

From our publisher, Martha Lenhart of the Borden Institute -

More good news......

I just learned that Jim Cameron (GPO's Promotions Manager, GPO) featured our book, Walter Reed Army Medical Center Centennial: A Pictorial History, 1909-2009 in his latest blog post on the "Government Book Talk" blog. Jim created the book blog about two months ago and has been showcasing different Government books each week. He has created a community of followers in the past few months that is growing with each post. Check out the link http://govbooktalk.gpo.gov/

This post also notes that our book was featured as one of Library Journal's (LJ) picks for Best Notable Government Documents, 2009!

Letter of the day, May 27

Pretty uninteresting letters save for the note at the end that was in the folder with other letters in this series of correspondence. Also, does anyone know when the federal fiscal year changed from June 30 to September 30?

Shown here is a different letter in the series. Note the signer's first name is spelled Adolf and as Adolph in the one transcribed below.

May 27, 1915.

No. 517.

Hammers Ateliers

31 Lake Street

Chicago, Ill.

Dear Sir: 

When may we expect delivery of orders from this Museum of February 16 and 23, 1915?

These orders should be filled and the specimens received at the Museum previous to the expiration of the present fiscal year, Viz:- June 30, 1915, in order that they may come within the appropriation for that year.

Very respectfully,

Eugene R. Whitmore

Major, Medical Corps, U.S.A.

Curator, Army Medical Museum.

The reply:

Hammer's Ateliers for Scientific Models

Plastic Studio of the Royal University Munich

Munich-Chicago

U.S. Studio and Laboratories

Northwestern University Bldg.

31 West Lake Street

Chicago, Ill., June 2nd/[19]15

Mr. Eugene Whitmore

Curator, Army Medical Museum

Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:

Your letter of May 27th has been received.

The specimens will arrive here in the near future, as we understood, that they left our European house some time ago.

Very respectfully yours

Hammer's Ateliers

pcr Adolph Hammer

And the note that makes it all worth reading:

Dr. Lamb:

I do not like this man's way of doing business. He speaks of the things coming from their European house; when we know that they are being made here in the United States.

E.R.W.

Here is a catalog that was also in the file:

Photo of the day, May 26

Medical Department, 05/26/1918. Brest, France. Nurses and doctors with their patients.

Letter of the day, May 26

Lima Peru May 26th 1888

Dr J.S. Billings
Washington D.C.

Dear Sir-

I have just returned from a trip into the interior and found your communication of March 26th last awaiting me. I have received the $168.00 you refer to, and feel very thankfull to you for the prompt payment. In my last expedition I was in quest of just such skulls as you refer to and was accompanied part of the journey by “Dr Green” of the “U.S.S. Alert” but the hunt was very unsuccessfull.

I again leave today for a more extended tour and may do better this time. It would almost be a pity to undo the mummies from their wrappings as it is of interest to know how some of the ancient Peruvians wrapped up their dead for burial. Nevertheless in the wrappings will be found some relicts of interest.

I intend to return to the U.S. within a year hence and will undoubtedly bring with me a variety of mummies there will be some in an Adamite state so if you feel inclined to hold on to yours until then we may make an exchange for some you like better.

The Medical journals you require will be extremely difficult to obtain as they were never printed in one printing house at a time that is were published first in place one then another. All the copies of “El Monitor Medico” can be obtained but they have the audacity to ask 1 Sol per copy for back numbers, over 60 cts of our money. I will look at all medical works about here as soon as time permits. In the meantime forward you a sample copy of “La Cronica Medica” a monthly published here to which if you have not already subscribed you will see the terms on the cover leaf.

You can rely upon me to serve you in any manner I can down this way. Again thanking you for your kindness – I am yours truly

George Kiefer

[added to the bottom of the letter in pencil:] El Monitor Medico Want all prior to 1886, (i.e.) vol I

Letter of the Day: May 25 - yellow fever

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 4606

War Department,
Office of the Surgeon General,
Army Medical Museum and Library,
Washington,
May 25, 1900

Dr. Jesse Lazaer
Actg. Asst. Surgeon, U.S.A.
Camp Columbia
Quemados, Cuba

My Dear Doctor:

An order issued yesterday from the War Department, calls for a Board of Medical Officers for the investigation of acute infectious diseases occurring on the Island of Cuba. The Board consists of Carroll, yourself, Agramonte and the writer. It will be our duty, under verbal instructions from the Surgeon General, to continue the investigation of the causation of yellow fever. The Surgeon General expects us to make use of the laboratory at Military Hospital No. 1, used by Agramonte, and your laboratory at Camp Columbia.

According to the present plan, Carroll and I will be quartered at Camp Columbia. We propose to bring with us our microscopes and such other apparatus as may be necessary for bacteriological and pathological work. If, therefore, you will promptly send me a list of apparatus on hand in your laboratory, it will serve as a very great help in enabling us to decide as to what we should include in our equipment. Any suggestions that you have to make will be much appreciated.

Carroll and I expect to leave New York, on transport, between the 15th and 20th of June, and are looking forward, with much pleasure, to our association with you and Agramonte in this interesting work. As far as I can see we have a year or two of work before us. Trusting that you will let me hear from you promptly, and with best wishes,

Sincerely yours,

Walter Reed
Major & Surgeon,
U.S. Army

Articles on medical museums in Malaysia and Ohio

The Lau King Howe (LKH) Memorial Museum - In memory of Lau King Howe, Story and photos by ANDY CHUA, May 22, 2010.

The Rose Melnick Medical Museum - Medical museum exhibits offer a look at vintage equipmentBy Leonard Crist, TheNewsOutlet.org May 23, 2010.

Letter of the day, May 24

New Bedford Mass.
May 24th. 1907.

Miss Olive Mason.
Lansdowne, Penn.

My dear Grandchild.

You wished me to tell you something about the assasination [sic] of President Lincoln, in Ford’s Theatre in Washington, on the evening of April 14th. 1865. (forty two years ago) at which time I was present in the Theatre. On the 13th. I had ridden to the City of Washington, on some business connected with the Ordnance Department, from near Winchester Va. where my Regiment then was, and on the evening of that day, Pennsylvania Avenue, from the Capitol to the Army and Navy Building, was a blaze of glory with red fire, rockets, roman-candles, and bunting, in celebration of the surrender of the confederate General R.E. Lee and his army, which occurred on the 9th four days before. The Cities and Towns of the North, were also celebrating the same event with illuminations and great rejoicing. My friend, Captain Sweet and myself, took a carriage and drove along the Avenue, to see the illumination, and when we were near the Army and Navy Building, some one in the crowd, cried out, “there is General Grant”, and in a moment, our horses were unhitched from the carriage, and the men began to draw it along the street, cheering wildly for General Grant. In the uncertain light, they had mistaken me, for Gen. Grant, probably because I wore a beard something like his, and was in uniform. It was some time before I could make them understand they had made a mistake. My business would keep me in the City for two or three days, and so, on the evening of the 14th. I went to Ford’s Theatre, where the play was to be “Our American Cousin” – the principal actors, being E.H. Southern and Laura Keene. As it was known that the President and party would be there, the House was filled. My seat was in the centre of the Dress Circle, directly fronting the Stage, which gave me an unobstructed view of everything.

Some time after the play had begun, the Presinent’s [sic] party entered their box, on the second tier, and as they did so, the whole audience arose and cheered wildly, until the President came to the front of the box, and bowed. The play proceeded until the third act, and while the curtain was dropped for a moment, on one of the scenes, a shot was heard in the direction of the President’s box. Immediately, a man was seen to hurriedly make his way through the President’s box, with a dagger in his right hand, and jump over the rail, onto the stage, about twelve feet below. As he did so, the spur on one of his boots caught in the draping of a flag on the front of the box, and caused him to strike heavily on one foot, and fall to the floor, but he quickly sprang up, and running to the centre of the stage, threw his right hand aloft, still holding the dagger and exclaimed “Sic semper Tyrannis” (which means, Thus always with Tyrants). He then ran across the stage and passed out of sight, at the side entrance. As he jumped from the box, I knew something was wrong, and my impulse was to stop him with a bullet, and I reached for my revolver. It seemed I never regretted anything so much, when I found I had left it at my Hotel. For a minute, a long one it seemed, the people appeared to be dazed, as at some terrible calamity, and then some men jumped over the foot-lights and followed the man with the dagger, and some clambered up to the president’s box to see what was the matter. After a moment, one of them came to the front of the box and announced that the President was shot.

Then cries arose from all parts of the audience, of “catch him”, “bring him on the stage and cut him in pieces”, “kill him” “hang him”. Just after this, Laura Keene, stepped from behind the curtain and said “Wilkes Booth has done this”. She had recognized him as he ran across the stage. In a few minutes the President was carried along the corridor, back of the seats of the Dress circle, down the stairway, and across the street to a private house, where he remained until the following morning, when he died. As he was carried out of the Theatre, the blood from the wound in his head, dropped along the floor, and many of the people dipped their handkerchiefs in therein to preserve as a sacred souvenir of the beloved President. As I left the Theatre, the sound of the news of the terrible tragedy as it passed from lip to lip, could be heard as it extended in ever widening circles from the Theatre as a centre, like the sound of a coming of a mighty tempest, rolling on and on, until it had covered the whole country from the Lakes to the Gulf and from ocean to ocean. Next morning, the black emblems of mourning began to cover the Capitol, the other public buildings, and private residences, and as the sad news reached the Cities and towns of the North, the same thing was done, until the sable pall of unuterable [sic] sorrow seemed to hang over and envelope the land. Business was generally suspended, and the people went about with solemn faces and hushed voices, as if waiting for some even more terrible and impending stroke of Fate.

Never before, and never since, has our country been plunged into such widespread and desolate sorrow; and may the time never again come, when the happy and prosperous people of our beloved America, shall be overshaddowed [sic] with such poignant and heart-wringing grief.

This may give you some idea of that woeful period in the life of our country, and afford an added interest in your readings of its history during the years of the Great Civil War.

Hoping to see you very soon on my return trip from the Jamestown Exposition, I am as ever-
Your loving Gran’Pa.
Henry W. Mason