An unofficial blog about the National Museum of Health and Medicine (nee the Army Medical Museum) in Silver Spring, MD. Visit for news about the museum, new projects, musing on the history of medicine and neat pictures.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 28
April 28, 1896
Lieut. R. S. Woodson
Assistant Surgeon U.S. Army,
Fort McIntosh, Texas.
Dear Doctor:
It required the mounting of several slides of the sample of sputum referred to in your letter of April 22, 1896, before we found any tubercle bacilli. On the third slide we were fortunate enough to bring two of them into the field. These appear so characteristic in shape and staining that I am willing to say that there a few tubercle bacilli in the officer's sputum. On account of their very great scarcity, and of the fact that you would not probably again stumble on these two bacilli, I have refrained from sending you the slide.
Upon receipt of this letter I would be obliged to you if you will obtain another sample of the early morning sputum, and let us confirm, if possible, our diagnosis.
I will see what i can do towards preparing for you some bacteriological mounts. If you have not already studied the pathological changes found in tissues under the microscope, I feel like saying that you would not be able to obtain much information from pathological slides. One has to be trained in this particular work. I trust that you appreciate my meaning. I shall be glad at any time to do what I can to promote your microscopical studies.
Very truly yours,
Walter Reed
Surgeon, U.S. Army,
Curator
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 27
[Letter 1]
Western Union Telegraph Company
Received at Wyatt Building, Cor. 14th & F. Streets, Washington, D.C.
April 27, 1900
Dated Washin. DC 27 Apr
To Surgeon in Charge. Army Medical Museum
Washington DC
Assistant Secretary of War directs Hospital Steward William Roberts sent Keywest Barracks Florida to report to Commanding officer that post to relieve acting hospital Samuel S. Sharr[?].
Ward Asst Adjt Genl
[Notation in pencil]
Special order 101 apr 30, 1900 Par. 18
[Letter 2]
War Department,
Surgeon General's Office,
U.S. Army Medical Museum and Library,
Corner of 7th and B Streets SW
Washington April 27, 1900., 5.15 p.m.
Telegram
Adjutant General, Army,
Washington.
Order for Steward Roberts to Key West received. Man now sick in quarters; articular rheumatism.
(signed) WOODHULL
In charge Museum.
Official copy by mail.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 26
War Department Exhibit,
Trans-Mississippi
and International Exposition,
Omaha.
April 26th, 1898.
Col. Dallas Bache,
Asst. Surgeon General U.S. Army,
Washington, D.C.
Sir:
In reply to yours of the 22nd instant, I respectfully enclose herewith six blank forms of vouchers for use in the payment of bills against the Exposition fund.
All that is required in connection with bills will be to attach bill to voucher and have vouchers signed and filled up as shown by sample voucher enclosed, and then forward them to me for completion and placing in a way for early settlement.
Very respectfully,
Henry C. Ward
Captain 16th U.S. Infantry,
war Department Representative.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 25
The Warren Anatomical Museum
Boston, Apr. 25, 1895
Maj. Walter Reed:
Surg. U.S. Army:
Curator of the Army Med. Mus.
My dear Sir:
The fine photographs of the skull with osteitis deformans have been received, and will you please accept my thanks for them for the Museum. The process is evidently the same as in the skull in our collection, whatever designation may be given to it. And certainly they are both extremely interesting specimens.
I have also to thank you for calling my attention to formaline as hardening agent, and am using it very extensively. It certainly preserves the color relations of the specimens and their general shape better than alcohol.
I have hardened the specimens in toto in formalin (5%) from 24 hours to several weeks, then then cut the specimens, washed with water and preserved them permanently in 80% alcohol, as from it's higher index it gives a rather more brilliant medium in the jars. In this way have been obtained some beautiful sections of cancer of the liver, tubercular glands, large carbuncles of the neck, tumors, &c.
I use it also entirely for hardening for histological examination in practically the same way, and find that it give fine preparations when stained quite deeply with haemotoxylon (Delafield's) 1/2 hour and afterwards with {new]? Guisen's piczo-fuchsin counter stain- (150 c.c. jot. vol. acid piczo, 3 cc sah. vol acid fuchsin) 3 to 5 minutes.
Hoping that you will always bear me in mind if anything new of value comes up in the way of preserving specimens. I remain
Yours very very truly
W.F. Whitney
Curator
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 24
Quiniault, W.T. April 24, 1888.
Dear Sir:-
Your letter dated February 29th, with one from Doctor John S. Billings, U.S.A. was handed me by Captain Willoughby, then agent at this place.
In answer to the same I am sorry to be compelled to state that, up to the present time, I have been unable to procure a single skeleton, or anything of the kind, and am of the opinion, owing to the great superstition entertained by the natives, and the sacredness with which they hold the memory of the departed spirit, that it will be impossible to secure anything of the kind except by clandestinely robbing the graves. I will continue in my efforts to accomodate Gen. Billings, and will report to you the same.
Very truly,
[signed] Geo. W. Haymi,
Physician, Agency.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 23
April 23, 1897.
Mr. Henry C. Mansfield, D.D.S.
Jefferson, Wis.
Dear Sir:
Your letter of the 21st instant, has been received. I shall always be glad to receive for deposit in the Museum contributions showing advance in dentistry, and you may send them in the same manner as heretofore, freight charges to be paid here. Your suggestion that dentists, before destroying their original plaster moulds of interesting cases, might save duplicates for this Museum, is a very good one, but my experience is that the busy practitioner rarely thinks that he can spare time for such work. I shall be pleased to receive the casts in the case of the cleft palate mentioned by you.
I have not the name or address of the "New York dentist that has gotten up a special mould" nor have I access to the "New Ideas" published in Philadelphia and can, therefore, be of no assistance to you in this matter.
Very respectfully,
D.L. Huntington
Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Army,
In charge of Museum and Library Division
Friday, April 22, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 22
April 22, 1898
Capt. Henry C. Ward, 16th U.S. Infantry,
War Department Representative,
Omaha, Neb.
Sir:
The Army Medical Museum Exhibit will be ready for shipment on or about the 28th of this month, when it will be turned over to Col. Humphries, Deputy Qr. Mr. Genl. for shipment. As I presume that you have a special form of vouchers for payment of bills from the Exposition fund, I shall be pleased to receive about six (6) blank forms with such instructions to fill them out properly, as you deem necessary.
Very respectfully,
Dallas Bache
Col. & Asst. Surgeon General, U.S.A.
In charge of Museum and Library Division
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Addition to Walter Reed Army Medical Center History Collection (OHA 355)
9 scrapbooks from the Army Community Service at Walter Reed with photographs of volunteers at the hospital and clippings on their activities came through the door yesterday. They cover from 1965 to 2005. They’ll be available as part of the WRAMC History Collection after the move is completed in the fall.
Letter of the Day: April 21 (2 of 2)
War Department
Office of the Surgeon General,
Army Medical Museum and Library,
Washington.
April 21, 1904.
Mr. Geo. L. Nicholas
Veterinarian
Nazareth, Pa.
Dear Sir:
Your letter of the 13th inst. to the National Museum, offering for sale a mounted calf with 2 heads, 4 eyes, 2 ears, 2 front legs, and 4 hind legs, has been referred to this institution, and in reply I wish to say that the Army Medical Museum does not desire the specimen.
Very respectfully,
C.L. Heizmann
Col. Asst, Surgeon General, U.S.A.
In charge of Museum and Library Division
Letter of the Day: April 21 (1 of 2)
War Department
Office of the Surgeon General,
Army Medical Museum and Library,
Washington.
April 21, 1904.
Mr. Fred Goodwin,
Titusville, Fla.
Dear Sir:
Your letter of the 14th inst. to the General Manager Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., offering for sale a dog with three legs and a short nub of a fourth leg, has been referred to this Institution, and in reply I wish to say that the Army Medical Museum does not desire the specimen.
Very respectfully,
C.L. Heizmann
Col. Asst, Surgeon General, U.S.A.
In charge of Museum and Library Division
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Museum move begins
A contract for dismantling the exhibits and prepping the space for the move was granted this week, so yesterday Archives staff was working with Artex to move new material. As the AFIP closes, many departments transferred their photographic collections or historical books or other material to the Archives. We’ve filled about 20 pallets of material, and moved half of that to our existing warehouse yesterday – about 20,000 pounds of it. It should be the same today. The material will stay on pallets until it can be unpacked and arranged and processed in our new warehouse space.
Letter of the Day: April 20
April 20, 1897.
Captain W.C. Gorgas, Asst. Surgeon, U.S.A.
Fort Barrancas, Florida,
My Dear Doctor:
Referring to your letter of April 10, 1897, I beg to say that a microscopic examination of the small piece of tumor sent by you proves it to be epithelioma.
Very sincerely yours,
Walter Reed,
Surgeon, U.S. Army,
Curator
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Contributed photograph 1164
Contributed Photograph 1164
TINEKER, SAMUEL T.
EXCISION OF HEAD AND 3 INCHES OF SHAFT OF HUMERUS.
PVT, Company D 14th INDIANA VOLUNTEERS
Battle of the WILDERNESS, 6 MAY 1864
Dr JC MCKEE, LINCOLN GENERAL HOSPITAL, WASHINGTON, D.C.
See also SP 146
BOUND IN LINCOLN, VOL. 2. HISTORY ON VERSO. TINTED.
CIVIL WAR
Letter of the Day: April 19
April 19, 1897
Dr. A. H. Davidson,
Cuero, Texas
Dear Sir:
Your letter of the 5th instant, to the Surgeon General, U. S. Army has been referred to me for answer. The statistics of anaesthesia in the Federal army during the late war will be found on p.891 &c. of the 3rd Surgical Volume of the Medical and Surgical History of the War. Anaesthetics were employed in no less than 80.000 cases; in 76.2% the agent was chloroform, in 14.7% ether, and in 9.1% a mixture if ether and chloroform. Thirty-seven (37) cases of deaths from chloroform were reported and four (4) from ether.
There is no report of the Hyderabad Chloroform Commission in the Library. We have a report of the second Hyderabad Commission, which was published at Bombay in 1891, but it is one of the books which are not usually loaned from the Library.
Very truly yours,
D.L. Huntington
Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Army,
In charge of Museum and Library Division
Monday, April 18, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 18
18 April 1871
Brig. Gen'l. J.K. Barnes
Surgeon General U.S. Army
General
I have the honor to transmit to you by this mail; one pack of Apache playing cards. Hoping the will be acceptable I am Sir
Very Respectfully
Your Obt Servt
Milan Soule
Act. Asst. Surg. U.S.A.
[If you are curious about Apache playing cards, check out Virginia and Harold Wayland's Playing Cards of the Apaches: A Study in Cultural Adaptation.]
Image
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 17
Colombo, Ceylon,
April 17, 1895.
The Director of the Ethnological Museum,
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Sir:-
I beg to enquire whether you would wish to secure the skull of a Veddah, a race of people inhabiting the wilder regions of this Island, but fast dying out and believed by scientists to be the *missing link* in the Darwinian system of the descent of man. These skulls have been eagerly sought after for the German Museum. I shall be glad to forward one to you on receiving a remittance of its price £ 20. which will cover freight, insurance and other charges from this to New York.
I can also supply you with other specimens of the Natural and industrial products of this Island for your Museum.
I am, Sir,
Yours truly,
(Signed) Chas. Stouter.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 16
April 16, 1897
Dr. J.H. Huddleston,
Health Department, Criminal Court Building,
New York, N.Y.
Dear Sir:
Referring to your letter of the 14th instant, to the Surgeon General, U.S. Army, asking whether trial of vaccine virus sent on March 28th, had been made, if you have any suspicion or evidence that the efficacy of the virus has been impaired, please inform me at once, as I am about to make a trial of this virus on small children during the coming week.
Very truly yours,
Walter Reed
Surgeon, U.S. Army,
Curator.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Letter of the Day: April 15 (part 2)
Copy
Pensacola, Fla
April 15, 1904
Surgeon General USA
Washington DC
Sir
I have the honor to inform you that I have forwarded to you by this mail for the Army Medical Museum a specimen of intestinal parasite, unknown to me and those of my confreres to whom it has been shown. I would be greatly pleased if you will kindly have your experts give me its name, method of infection, and whatever information they may have concerning this parasite, and can conveniently give. I have examined a number of medical books without result.
The following is a history of the case:
Mrs X, white, age about 35, weight about 180lbs, believed herself pregnant for the past two or three months. Had enlarged abdomen and thought she felt life. Was examined by two physicians who could not find any sign of pregnancy. A few days ago she began to suffer with cramps and profuse diarrhoea and passed an intestinal parasite after which the symptoms began to gradually subside. From the sensation of passing this parasite she is under the impression that she passed others; but as the defecation took place at night, the fecal matter was disposed of before it could be examined.
Very respectfully
(signed) W.A.J. Pollock M.D.
Room 412 Thiesen Building
Letter of the Day: April 15
Subject:
War Department
Surgeon General's Office,
Washington, April 15, 1898
Major Walter Reed,
Surgeon, U.S. Army,
Curator, Army Medical Museum,
Washington.
Sir:
By direction of the Surgeon General, I sen you herewith, three (3) cakes of Red Cross Soap, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, N.J., for report as to its germicidal value.
Very respectfully,
CH Alden
Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Army