Letter of the Day: October 25

Office of F.W. Langdon,
No. 65 West Seventh St.

Cincinnati, Oct. 25th 1883

Dear Doctor:

In compliance with your request of the 20th inst, I mail you herewith a full set of the reprints of the publications of the Literary Society of Madisonville, in reference to the prehistoric cemetery near that place. These papers are reprints, the originals of which appeared in the "Journal of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History" as indicated below.--

Part I. --appeared in Vol. III - April 188- pp. 40-68
Part II.-- '' '' " - July 1880 pp. 128-139
Part III.-- '' '' " - Oct. 1880 pp. 203-220
Part IV.-- '' '' IV - Oct. 1881 pp. 237-257

I shall be very glad to receive any photos of specimens that you may be pleased to send, especially those of an ethnological or archaeological character.

If I can be of any further service to the Museum, please consider my time at your disposal.

I have the honor to be
Very respectfully
Your obedt [obedient] servant

F.W. Langdon, M.D.

To
Dr. D. L. Huntington, U.S.A.
Curator Army Med. Museum
Washington D.C.

NMHM takes part of Scifest at the National Mall Washington DC

Heres some pics of the event a good time was had by most!

enjoy, navjeet

Letter of the Day: October 24

Lima Peru Oct 24th 1888

Dr. J.S. Billings
Washington D.C.

Dear Sir-

Confirming my letter to you of the 10th inst. I am since in receipt of your communication, dated Sept 11th ult. I think you will find in my * last shipment what you desire. I took the precaution to carefully wrap up two skulls with the Hyoid bone adhering; also a skull cut in two with one joint of the hyoid bone still in its place. I would not have recognised (sic) the bone by the drawing you sent me as they do not occur in that shape with the Peruvians but as a general thing they are shorter than the specimens I have sent you. I have always taken an interest when examining skulls and digging up mummies to look for this bone but it is surprising how often they fail to exist. It seems that in some cadavers they must have decayed in the first process of decomposition. I shall however give myself more pains in any future expeditions to look more carefull (sic) into the matter and gather the different sizes of both you and old to make a proper comparison.

Truly Yours

Geo Kiefer

*Received Nov. 10, 1888.
A.M.M. Nos. 2977-2995 Anat. Sect.

Ad for Collections manager for museum move?

A few weeks ago, this project manager position appeared to refer to our museum's move. Now there's an announcement for a collections manager that sounds like it's for us, posted by History Associates. It's the first job here. We don't actually know who's handling the move yet.

Letter of the Day: October 23 - numismatics

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 976

October 23, 1895

Dr. Horatio R. Storer,
Newport, R.I.

Dear Dr. Storer:

Your very kind letter of the 20th inst. has been in received and in return I wish to say that it will give me great pleasure to assist you in making your articles on the interesting subject of medical numismatics as complete as possible, asking only that you will give due credit as to the source of information.

The description of the Vercelli medal of which I spoke in my previous letter is as follows:


Obverse: Bust to left, in high relief. Under shoulder: G. Galeazzi F. – Perigraph: AL CARD. GVALA BICCHIERI PATR. VERCELL. FONDATORE. Beneath bust: MCCXX.

Reverse: Inscription in seven lines: LA |CONGREGAZIONE | DELLO SPEDALE MAGG. | DI VERCELLI | REGNANDO CARLO ALBERTO | PADRE DEI POVERI | MDCCCXLI.

Bronze, size 28.

I attempted to take an impress of the medal, but did not succeed on account of the high relief.

The errors pointed out by you at the time the Lee collection was purchased for the Museum have all been corrected long ago, and this office endeavored to carefully compare the descriptions of medals given by you in your various publications with the medals in this collection, and to ascertain what medals of the Museum collection have not been referred to by you. To complete this comparison I am anxious to obtain the following publications which are not on file in this office, viz.:

American Journal of Numismatics,
1887, October.
1888, January, July, October.
1889, April, July, October.
1890, January, April, July, October.
1891, “, “, “, “
1892, “, “, “, “
1893, January, April.
1895, October.

and I should be very thankful if you will point out a way of obtaining them. All other publications noted on the printed circular which you kindly forwarded are in the Library.

In making the above comparisons some deviations from your publications have been noted on our cards, and I shall gladly point them out to you. As you well know the work will have to be carefully done and will require considerable time and labor; but I will endeavor to give you from time to time such information as may be of use to you.

In regard to duplicates that you may have received through the Fisher and other collections, if you will send me a list of them, with prices, I will select such as are not in our collection to be submitted for purchase.

There was lately submitted to me a medal of Fortunius Licetus, 1577-1657- (see C.A. Rudolphi, 1829, No. 395, and Duisburg, 1862, No. XLVI, ) silver, claimed to be very rare, if not unique; but I hesistated to purchase on account of the price, $37.50. Is the medal as rare as represented?

Returning Dr. Frazer’s letter, I remain,
Very sincerely yours,
D.L. Huntington
Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Army,
In charge of Army Medical Museum and Library.

Faber Hour 10/21

Images from the weekly drawing class at NMHM, held Thursdays 12-1pm.

Letter of the Day: October 22

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 971

October 22, 1895

Mr. R.P. Iddings
Lawrence, Mass.

Dear Sir:

In answer to your letter of the 16th inst., I would state that there is at this Museum among the slides of the late J.J. Woodward, U.S. Army, one which contains the Lord's prayer, written with a diamond, 227 letters, in a space of 1/294 x 1/441 of an inch, or the 1/129654 of a square inch. The legend on the slide says that this is at the rate of 29,431,458 letters to an inch, which is more than there are contained in eight bibles, each bible containing 3,566,480 letters.

Very respectfully,

Dr. L. Huntington

Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Army
In charge of Army Medical Museum and Library

Letter of the Day: October 21

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 1766

Fort Barrancas, Fla.
October 21st, 1896

Major Walter Reed

Dear Doctor,

Yours of October 16th with slide received. Am much obliged.

I send by todays [sic] mail sputa of two other patients, Mrs. U. Diffin + Mr. Diffin, will you have them examined + if bacilli are found send me slides.

With kindest regards I remain,
Very truly yours,
W.C Gorgas

TODAY! "Resolution for the Missing: Bringing our Fallen Soldiers Home" features AFDIL, 10/20, 12pm, in the Museum!

TODAY: SPECIAL SCIFEST PROGRAM! Brown Bag Lunch: "Resolution for the Missing: Bringing our Fallen Soldiers Home"
	When: Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.   What: Have advances in DNA analysis made it so that our honored war dead will never again be labeled "unknown"? Come listen as a senior DNA analyst from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) shares her experiences working with scientists from Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command in positively identifying U.S. service members missing from past military conflicts. Suni Edson, assistant technical leader of the Mitochondrial DNA Section at AFDIL, will offer a rare look into the role DNA analysis plays in the process of scientific identification, and how advances in technology have increased the number of persons identified each year. Learn more about the USA Science and Engineering Festival at http://www.usasciencefestival.org/.   Where: Russell Auditorium, Bldg 54, Walter Reed Army Medical Center   Cost: Free! Bring your lunch!   Questions? Call (202) 782-2673 or email nmhminfo@afip.osd.mil or visit the Museum on the web: http://www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum

 

Letter of the Day: October 20

Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, D.C., Oct. 20 1870

 

Dear Sir:

 

In behalf of the Smithsonian Institution we acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of your favor or October 18^th in regard to “a tin globe which formerly ornamented a flag staff + was struck by lightning” – the specimen itself has, also, been received and will be placed with other matter of a similar character for future reference.

 

Yours respectfully,

Joseph Henry,

Secretary Smithsonian Institution.

 

Dr. Geo. A Otis

Army Med Musm

DC

Washington Post on modern military medicine

 

Military medics combine ultramodern and time-honored methods to save lives on the battlefield

By David Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 17, 2010; 1:14 AM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/16/AR2010101602974.html

 

Letter of the Day: October 19

Fort Sisseton, D. T. [Dakota Territory]

October 19, 1880

Sir:

I have the honor to inform you that I have this day turned over to the Post Quartermaster for transportation to the Army Medical Museum a box containing the pelvic bone of a mound builder (male) from a tumulus near this fort. These bones were found near the centre of the mound and about six feet three inches from its surface. No other human remains have I been able to discover. A few flint chips and a very peculiar heart shaped stone pierced with numerous small holes and a broken flint arrow head I found just beneath the surface of the mound. I have forwarded these articles to Professor Putnam of the Peabody Museum of American A & E [Archaeology and Ethnology] at Cambridge Mass.

over

The Port Quartermaster's receipt will be forwarded as soon as I can obtain it.


I am Sir
very respectfully
Your obdt [obedient] servant.

August Gecks
Hospital Steward, U. S. A. [United States Army]

Quay Brothers visit the Mutter Museum

Animators Amok in a Curiosity Cabinet

By FRANZ LIDZ

New York Times October 17, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/movies/17quay.html

 

 

Letter of the Day: October 18

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 239

October 18, 1894

Colonel Charles H. Alden,
Assistant Surgeon General, U. S. Army.
Surgeon General's Office,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Colonel Alden:

Referring to your favor of October 18th, I will try to have everything in readiness for the Board on Wednesday morning.

As regards the memorandum of what I think will be the proper work, in my line, for the class at the Hospital Corps School, let me say that it will be necessarily very brief. I do not see what more I can do than try to impart to them some idea of the general principles of disinfection. I might also go into the subject of sterilization by heat, giving them practical demonstrations, that would certainly devote the greater part of my time to the matter of disinfection of the hands. It seems to me that this latter would be a most important thing for those who are expected to assist in antiseptic surgical work. They would then appreciate why it was necessary to have their hands thoroughly disinfected. This would, of course, necessitate the taking of cultures from the hands of the members of the class before and after disinfection, so that that could, by ocular demonstration, see very clearly what was obtained by careful washing and disinfection of the hands. I would also expect to tell them something about the disinfection of the steels.

I think I could cover this ground in four (4) lessons, in six (6) at the outside - each lesson to be of one hour's duration. Any time would suit me, provided the hour did not go after 3 p.m.

Very respectfully,

Walter Reed

Major and Surgeon, U. S. Army.

Letter of the Day: October 17

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 236
Subject: Emergency purchase:

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

Washington, D. C. October 17, 1894

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

General:

I have the honor to request authority to purchase, for deposit in the Army Medical Museum, a collection of models of hygienic apparatus illustrating ventilation, heating, etc., at an estimated cost of $75.00, to be paid for from the Museum appropriation as an emergency purchase.

Very respectfully,

J. S. Billings

Deputy Surgeon General, U. S. Army

Letter of the Day: October 16

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 971


Lawrence, Mass.,


Oct. 16, 1895


To the official in charge of the Army and Navy Medical Museum.


Dear Sir-


In the October “Current Literature” is an article taken from Cassier’s Magazine under the name of Dr. Henry Morton stating that there is in the medical museum a piece of glass containing the Lord’s Prayer engraved on a space of the 1/441 by the 1/294 of an inch.


If you will kindly inform me if this is correct I shall be much obliged.


Yours truly,
R.P. Iddings

Letter of the Day: October 15

U.S.A. General Hospital
Frederick, Maryland
October 15 1862

Dar Doctor-

Yours of the 12th came to hand last evg [evening].

I have only been waiting to get the enclosed not of a case the specimens of which can be obtained in Washington in order to write you.

The Barrel is filling up well. I have now some sixty odd specimens with some notes. The great lack I find is to obtain the results. The notes are sent with the specimens + if they are the results of operations the final result of the case is not known + the surgeons are not careful to send subsequently the results. I am however hunting them up gradually. As soon as the Barrel is full I will Express it to you and advise you of the fact by mail.

I am having good times in operative surgery and would not for at least the present exchange my position for any other what ever. We have the cream.

Porter is doing well + were he here I would send his regards.

The post mortem specimens I spoke of are to be found at Carver Hospital in the room formally occupied by Dr. Russell U.S.A. now occupied by Dr. Banks + wife. The colon is in alcohol on a shelf – or rather was there – and the vertebrae are on a board under the ventilator.

Dr. Banks probably knows of their whereabouts.

With kind regards
Truly your friend
W.W. Keen Jr.

Post on DC's plans for Walter Reed

D.C. to unveil plans for redevelopment of Walter Reed

By Jonathan O'Connell

Capital Business Staff Writer
 October 14, 2010

Letter of the Day: October 14

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 962

War Department,
Surgeon General’s Office,
U.S. Army Medical Museum and Library,
Corner 7th and B Streets, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. October 14, 1895

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

General:

I have the honor to request authority to purchase for deposit in the Army Medical Museum, a sketch, from life, of a case of four (4) testicles, at a cost of $5.00, and one (1) medical medal, Joh. D. Major, at a cost of $9.00, to be paid for from the Museum appropriation.

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

concept design for anatomical specimen display

concept design Navjeet Singh 2010
we have 15000 or so anatomical specimens,

, so its missing alot of color blah blah blah excuses circumstances. yak

I remember a thesis idea for containers and the many uses of
containers and their relevance to humans, where we send containers, containers inside containers inside containers...the house, the room, the closet...the way we live our lives. hmmm? ok whatever did this last night just a draft. enjoy