Letter of the Day: December 6

U.S. Army General Hospital,

McKim’s Mansion, Baltimore, Dec 6 1862

 

Surgeon Brinton U.S.A.

 

Sir,

 

I send to day per Express a box of specimens (dry). I have but 2 wet specimens, and I will send them when I get enough to make it an object. Most, if not all the specimens from the National Hospital have no name attached to them by which to designate the operator. But in Dr. Bartholon’s [?] time he performed all the operations himself. The specimens for this hospital are by myself. Those for the other places are also appropriately marked. I waited for my boxes to mount the dry specimens, but as they did not arrive I was unwilling to keep you without the preparations any longer. I shall be pleased to take particular pains in the future to collect every specimen that can be collected. No history can be obtained relative to the bones contained in a single package from the National.

 

Very  respectfully,

Your obedient Servant,

Lavington Quick

Surg. U.S.A.

Letter of the Day: December 5

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 1843

War Department,
Surgeon General’s Office,
U.S. Army Medical Museum And Library,
Corner 7th and B Streets S.W.,
Washington, D.C., December 5, 1896.

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:

1 Bianchi’s Phonendoscope modified by Baruch, Est. cost. $5.00 to be paid for from the Museum appropriation.

Very respectfully,

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

Museum a fave of Get Religion and exhibit featured in military newspaper

December 3, 2010

Norman Rockwell and other blasphemies

Posted by Mollie, Get Religion.org December 3 2010

"Of all the Smithsonians, my favorites are the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of Health and Medicine (or as I call it, the Museum of Medical Oddities)."

We're not part of the Smithsonian, but otherwise, thanks Mollie.

Exhibits at Walter Reed examine the war on terrorism

By Chelsea Place Pentagram Staff Writer

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Letter of the Day: December 4

United States Engineer Office,
Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian,
Washington, D.C., Dec. 4th, 1874

Dr Geo. Otis U.S.A.

Dear Sir

May I trespass on your kindness + ask you to have prepared for me as soon as possible a list of the Crania + skeletons collected by this expedition [ie Wheeler’s] + forwarded to the “Museum.” I would like also the diameters of the Crania + mention of any anatomical peculiarities +c. If I remember aright there was one skeleton which showed evidence of Pott’s disease. I am about preparing a Catalogue of our Crania + require the desired information for this purpose.

Very Truly yours

H.C. Yarrow

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center that might have been

Here's a look at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center that might have been - all of these buildings were eventually built, oddly enough, between the 1920s and 1971. They looked different of course - let me know if there's any interest in the built versions.


REEVE 0002723
Army Medical Center. Army Medical Museum (sketch) proposed, ca 1917. [Architectural drawing.]


REEVE 0002897
Army Medical Center Chapel. Sketch (proposed). ca. World War 1


Reeve 003121A
Sketch of Army Medical School (proposed). Alaska Avenue Elevation. [Walter Reed General Hospital (Washington, D.C.). Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Architectural drawing.]


REEVE 0003146
Sketch of Army Medical Center. Nurses quarters training school. [Walter Reed General Hospital(Washington, D.C.). Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Architectural drawing.]

Letter of the Day: December 3

Fort Logan, Col.
Dec. 3rd 1896

My dear Doctor

I have recently made a number of examinations of the blood of a patient who has a peculiar form of fever, and think I have discovered the Plasmodium in every instance.

I send you by to-days mail, two slides satined Chinzinsky's method, which I wish you would kindly take a look at when you have the time, and let me know whether or not there are any Plasmodia to be sure.

Very sincerely yours,
R. W. Johnson

Ketcham and Hotchkiss' Navy cartoon posters from World War 2

Courtesy of the US Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the National Museum of Health and Medicine has scans of these Navy posters from World War 2.

One is by Dennis the Menace creator Hank Ketcham -



The rest are by Hotchkiss -

Michelle and Megan Blog 12/2/10

Hello! We hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday! Before the holiday, we moved around furniture and began alphabetizing books in preparation for HDAC’s move to its new location. It was tedious, but I am now extremely proud to be able to see what we have accomplished. We also experimented with drawing using watercolors. (This was for the FABER hour held every Thursday at noon). Our ‘task’ was to draw a skull. I found this challenging, and it took us a bit of time to get the hang of it, and we still have much to learn. We have gained a whole new level of respect for hand-drawn models!

Letter of the Day: December 2 [mystery diagnosis, part 1]

Fort Niobrara, Neb.
December 2nd, 1896

Major Walter Reed
Surgeon U.S. Army
Washington, D.C.

Dear Doctor:

I send you two slides from a gonorhoral [sic] case in which I have been unable to find either the active or latent form of the gonocaccus. I shall be very much obliged if you will take the trouble to examine them + let me know what is in there.

The patient had a severe attack of specific urethritis cystitis of which he was said to have been cured about six months ago. He denies exposure to specific contagion: says discharge began some two weeks ago after exposure to very severe weather on a trip to + from an Indian Reservation. The discharge has been continuous since his return.

Very respectfully,
P. C. Fauntleroy

Talk and Book Signing with Author of "Breakthrough" on the Discovery of Insulin--12/9, 12pm FREE !

 

 

Lunchtime Talk and Book Signing with Author of  "Breakthrough” on the Discovery of Insulin
	Lunchtime Talk and Book Signing with Author Arthur Ainsberg of "Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle"   When: Thursday, December 9, 2010, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.   What: In "Breakthrough," authors Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg tell the true story of the invention of insulin, one of the most important medical advances of the 20th century. Ainsberg will talk about this fascinating tale of Nobel prize-winning research, and the brave little girl who risked everything for the groundbreaking experiment that saved not only her life but the lives of countless others.   Where: Russell Auditorium, in the Museum, Bldg 54 on WRAMC campus   Note: Books will be on sale in the lobby before and after the program ($25 each, cash or check only).  Proceeds to benefit the AFIP MWR.   Cost: FREE!   Questions? Call (202) 782-2673 or e-mail nmhminfo@afip.osd.mil

 

Letter of the Day: December 1

David’s Island N.Y. Harbor

Dec. 1. 1872

 

Sir,

 

Your communication of June 25^th 1872, requesting the pathological specimen in the case of Pvt. Burroughs Co F. 7^th Inf was not received until to day, it having been send to Fort Buford – thence misdirected to Fort Shaw, again forwarded to Fort Buford and finally sent from that post to me through the Surgeon-General’s Office.

 

In reply I would respectfully state that the pathological specimen in question, after having been dissected by Dr. Barbour and myself was retained some days while we endeavored to find a jar at once suitable for its preservation and safe transportation. The specimen being large we did not succeed and finally disposed of it by burying on the prairie at some distance from the post. It would now be impractical to recover it.

 

Very respectfully

Your Obedient servant

W. Matthews

Asst Surg. U.S. Army

 

Asst Surg Geo A. Otis. U.S.A.

Curator A.M.M.

Washington. D.C.

Letter of the Day: November 30

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 01842

Dr. Jay Perkins,
78 Broad Street,
Providence, R.I.

Nov. 30, 1896

Dear Sir:-

In an editorial in the Journal of the Am. Med. Assoc. reference is made to work done by you in regard to the Serum Diagnosis of Typhoid fever. I am now working up this subject for a medical society here and if you have written any thing which has been printed on this subject in any medical journals or publication of the sort[?], would you be kind enough to give me references to them? Or if nothing has been published would it be troubling

[over]

you too much to give me your opinion as to the value of the test. Thanking you in advance for any attention given to this I remain

Yours truly,
Jay Perkins

To Dr. Walter Reed
U.S. Army

Evacuation in military medicine article in Wash Post

 

U.S. strategy for treating troops wounded in Afghanistan, Iraq: Keep them moving

By David Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 27, 2010

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/27/AR2010112702875.html

 

Museum collections continue to have relevance due to Dr. Taubenberger

Dr. Jeffrey Taubenberger was on the staff of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology when he did groundbreaking work on deducing the genetic code of influenza, using stored tissue samples collected by the Medical Museum in 1918. He’s gone back to one of those samples to make another exciting discovery.

Here’s the initial Wired story -

From 1918 Autopsy, A First Glimpse of Sickle Cell — and a Warning

• By Maryn McKenna
• November 15, 2010  | 
• http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/11/from-a-1918-autopsy-a-first-glimpse-of-sickle-cell-%E2%80%94%C2%A0and-a-warning/

 

-an NPR followup -

92 Years Later, A Sickle-Cell Surprise

by NPR Weekend Edition Sunday November 28, 2010

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/28/131644641/92-years-later-a-sickle-cell-surprise

 

-and finally the original short report –

 Sheng Z-M, Chertow DS, Morens D, Taubenberger J. Fatal 1918 pneumonia case complicated by erythrocyte sickling [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Dec; http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/16/12/pdfs/10-1376.pdf

 

 

Letter of the Day: November 29

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 01057

November 29, 1895

Mr. Ed Frossard
108 East 14th St.,
New York

Dear Sir:

Of the medals enumerated in your letter of the 23rd inst. I should like to examine the following which are not in this collection:

No. 1. Acrel.
" 2. Berzelius.
" 3. Flosser.
" 4. Hess.
" 5. Kreysig.
" 6. Linnaeus.
No. 8. Ros. A. Rosenstein.
" 9. Rudolphi.
" 10. Thunberg.
" 11. Fingsladius.
" 13. Hortus medicus.

If you have not yet disposed of the Fortunius Licetus medal referred to in your letter of Oct. 16th, I will take it at the price offered by you, viz., $33.60.

Very respectfully,

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

Letter of the Day: November 28

Fort D.A. Russell, Wyoming
November 28 1874

Asst. Surgeon Geo. A. Otis, USA.
Curator Army Med. Museum.
Surgeon General’s Office
Washington, DC

Doctor:

In reply to your communication of the 11th I have to state that the pathological specimen in the case of Private James Cassidy recorded in the monthly report of this post for March 1874, was carefully preserved by my predecessor, Surgeon John F. Randolph, USA, for transmission to the Army Medical Museum. Through the carelessness of one of the hospital attendants it was lost, and all efforts to recover it have proved unavailing.

I am, Sir,
Very Respectfully Yrs,
R.M. O’Reilly
Asst Surgeon, USA
Post Surgeon

Letter of the Day: November 27

27 November 1957

[To] Assistant Chief, Medical Illustration Service

[From] Curator, Medical Museum

[Subject] Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association

Request that application be made for the presentation of the following exhibit at the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association, to be held in the Hotel Roosevelt, New Orleans, Louisiana, 28 April – 1 May 1958:

a. Exhibit title: Some Contributions of Dr. Hugh H. Young to Operative Urology.

b. Exhibitor’s name: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Col. H. W. Coddington, Curator and Helen R. Purtle, and the Instrument Collection Committee of the American Urological Association, Dr. Edward E. Ferguson, Chairman, Washington, D.C.

c. Description: This exhibit shows some of the instruments devised by Dr. Young with a brief biographical introduction.

d. Space requirement: Four, 4’ x 5’ panels (already constructed).

H. W. Coddington
Colonel, MSC, USA
Curator, Medical Museum

Letter of the Day: November 26

N.R. Moseley,
Surgeon U.S.V., in charge
U.S. General Hospital “Emory,”
Washington, D.C. Novr. 26th, 1864.

Sir:

I have the honor to transmit herewith One Pathological Specimen accompanied by Medical History.

Very Respectfully
Your Obedt Servt
NW. Moseley
Surgeon U.S.V.
In Charge

Brig. Genl J.K. Barnes
Surgeon General U.S.A.
Washington D.C.

Thanksgiving

REEVE 0015201 Thanksgiving dinner. Dinner served by Headquarters Troop 32nd Div. [Division] on Thanksgiving Day. The soldier in the picture is Sgt. [Sergeant] Robert B. Craik. Chateau Letellier, near Consdorf, Luxembourg, France. [Food and drink. United States. Army. Signal Corps.] World War 1.


REEVE 0011325 American Red Cross. Paris, France. Menu of Thanksgiving dinner. Original Signal Corps caption - Thanksgiving Dinner. Paris, France. Menu of Dinner given by the District of Paris Chapter of the ARC to men of the hospitals in Paris. [Food and drink.]


REEVE 0011324 AMERICAN RED CROSS. BLOIS, FRANCE. THANKSGIVING DINNER AT GRAND HOTEL. [World War 1]


NCP 3457 Thanksgiving dinner on the USS Repose at Inchon, Korea, in 1952. It is unlikely that this nurse found time to eat turkey that day. also in collection as MIS 09-5085-29 Inchon, Korea: Aboard USS Repose Thanksgiving Day. Lieutenant Junior Grade Weece Wood, Nurse Corps, U.S. Navy, assists Private 1st Class Jack W. Newman, U.S. Marine Corps, with his holiday dinner. [Wounds and injuries.][Korean War.][Food and drink.][Hospital ships. Transport of sick and wounded.][Scene.] Repose (AH-16) Folder 2 11/27/1952; USN 449212; U.S. Navy BUMED Library and Archives


MIS 09-5085-30 Inchon, Korea: Aboard USS Repose Thanksgiving Day. Corporal Richard R. Hollander, U.S. Marine Corps, is assisted with his dinner by Lieutenant Junior Grade Caldie Green (Nurse Corps) U.S. Navy. [Wounds and injuries.][Korean War.][Food and drink.][Hospital ships. Transport of sick and wounded.][Scene.] Repose (AH-16) Folder 2; 11/27/1952; USN 449213; U.S. Navy BUMED Library and Archives


NCP 006067 Thanksgiving. [Kitchen employees.] [Dietitians.]

...and a curiosity...


NCP 6472 New York, Nov. [November] 22-Crash victim given plasma. An unidentified doctor crawls into wreckage of two Long Island rail road trains here tonight to provide plasma for a victim pinned in the twisted jumble of steel. Trains bound from Manhattan to Long Island points, crowded with Thanksgiving Eve commuters, crashed in the Kew Gardens section of Queens. (APWirephoto) (See wire story) (OB42205stf) 50.

Letter of the Day: November 25

620 F. St.
Tuesday Nov. 25th [1884]

My dear Doctor-

I have been looking over my Husband’s private letters but find none of the correspondence of which you spoke. Indeed I may say there is none of this scientific correspondence among the letters I have.

They are from many people and on divers subjects but with the exception of a few from Dr. Maddox on photo-micrographs, and some from Gen’l Cox on microscopic work and one or two from a German Doctor (Munnich the name I think) they are all more or less private letters.

I can send you the list of his library books and I think it is complete. Also a list of the various Societies he belonged to. But as to Diplomas or Certificates I can find nothing. I have one or two medals conferred upon him and all of his commissions.

I fancy you will find all of the letters you spoke of in his “letter book” at the office and as for the Diplomas +c if they are at the office, do you not think I ought to have them?

I have looked over the pamphlets and have quite a number ready to send you, if you will be so good as to dispose of them.

The other bound books I think you have a list of and I can send them to you at any time whenever you may want them.

With kindest regards,
Yours very truly
Blanche Woodward