Letter of the Day: May 6 (1 of 2)

[Note: a "gumma" is non-cancerous growth with a necrotic center, resulting from syphilis in the tertiary stage.]

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 03113

May 6, 1898

Surgeon in Charge of Freedmen's Hospital
Washington, DC

Dear Sir:

I beg to inform you that the tumor of mediastinum in the case of J. Chase, colored, contributed by you Dr D.S. Lamb [name noted in pencil] to this Museum on March 28, has been examined under the microscope and proves to be a gumma.

Very respectfully,
Walter Reed
Surgeon, U.S. Army,
Curator.

[Handwritten notation]
Specimen No. 11453 Path. Sect
credit Dr. Lamb

National Library of Medicine Announces Release of “Embryo” App

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, Louisiana State University and National Museum of Health & Medicine Collaborate

 April 28 2011

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/news/apps_embryo.html

The US National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world largest medical library and a component of the National Institutes of Health, has released "Embryo" (http://itunes.apple.com/app/embryo/id422337604), a new app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad.

Embryo is a collaborative project between the NLM, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD), the Virtual Human Embryo Project (Louisiana State University/ http://virtualhumanembryo.lsuhsc.edu/) and the National Museum of Health & Medicine's Human Developmental Anatomy Center (http://nmhm.washingtondc.museum/collections/hdac/).

The National Museum of Health & Medicine's Human Developmental Anatomy Center (HDAC) acquires and maintains collections pertaining to general developmental anatomy and neuroanatomy. Scientists and educators have used the National Museum of Health and Medicine's Carnegie Embryo Collection (http://nmhm.washingtondc.museum/collections/hdac/Carnegie_collection.htm) to define normal human embryo development for decades.  This archival collection was developed between approximately 1887 to 1956 and focuses on normal development in the first eight weeks. The Virtual Human Embryo database was created to provide digital serial sections of human embryos from the collection.

The Embryo app provides this collection of digital serial sections of early stage human embryos for mobile devices. Features include human fertilization videos, photo micrographs of early-stage embryo development, 2D and 3D digital images using visual stack dissections, and a pregnancy calculator.

 

 

Letter of the Day: May 6 (2 of 2)

Leipzig, May 6, 1885

 

Dear Sir [John Shaw Billings],

 

I am much obliged to you for the sending of the photographics (sic) of crania. The methods of photographing several heads upon the same plate with scale of measure added appears indeed to be of great interest. I have shown these plates to Dr. Emile Schmidt (formerly in Essen), whose collection, embracing 1300 nos. is to be placed in our institution.

 

I have myself, I am sorry to say, little time for craniological studies, as all my free time is devoted to embryology, but whenever I can help to promote craniology, I do so with pleasure. With regard to the specimens Prof. Braun (spelling?) has already written to you, I presume, that he had made for you a series of sections, ready to be forwarded, simply waiting for your directions. The sudden death of our dear president Panum has undoubtedly grieved you. He was in the position which he filled with so much conscientiousness, as if made for it and would have assisted you in the organization of the Congress in 1887, with his advice.

 

Very respectfully

W. His

 

Letter of the Day: May 5

Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, D.C., May 5, 1880.

 

Dear Doctor Otis,

 

Charles Ruby, Private Co. D, 4^th Infantry, Fort Laramie, says that while out between Hat Creek + Red Cloud Agency he passed the spot where the Cheyenne Indians two years ago made their last stand + nearly all were killed. He remarks that their skulls + bones lie scattered in all directions + will soon be lost. The thought occurred to him whether it would not be of interest to have some of these skulls collected.

 

Having called your attention to this subject, I remain,

 

Sincerely yours,

SF Baird

 

Dr Geo. A. Otis

Army Medical Museum.

Washington

 

Memorandum (written on reverse)

 

See letter of Dr. Carlos Carvallo, U.S.A., dated May 14, 1880, who states that as soon as possible he will go with a  small detail in search of the skulls etc., alluded to within.

news article: Fort Detrick to oversee Walter Reed closure

Fort Detrick to oversee Walter Reed closure
Originally published May 04, 2011
By Megan Eckstein
News-Post Staff
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=12069
8

Letter of the Day: May 4

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 02230

May 4, 1897

Dr. W.C Gorgas, Asst. Surg., U.S. Army,
Fort Barrancas,
Florida.

Dear Doctor:

Referring to your letter of May 1st, '97, I have to report that the specimen of sputum therein referred to has been examined with the following result: No tubercle bacilli present, but many diplococci are seen which have the shape and staining re-action of the diplococcus lanceolatus, the organism for croupous pneumonia. I do not mean to say that your patient has pneumonia, because this organism is so often met with in the normal saliva of human beings.

Sincerely yours,
Walter Reed
Surgeon, U.S. Army,
Curator.

Letter of the Day: May 3

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 02222

May 3, 1897

Dr. Joe T.D. Howard,
U.S. Indian Service, Green Bay Agency,
Keshena, Wisconsin.

Dear Doctor:

Your letter of April 26th, together with the specimen of discharge from the intestinal canal of a patient, have been referred to me by Surgeon General Sternberg for answer.

A careful microscopic examination of the contents of the bottle has been made for tubercle bacilli but none have been found. It will not be possible to isolate the typhoid bacillus, even if it were present, from this specimen of intestinal discharge. If, however, you will place a small drop of the patient's blood drawn from the lobe of the ear upon a small piece of glass and allow the same to dry, I can, by testing the dry blood decide whether the case is one of typhoid fever or not. If you will, therefore, send me such a specimen I will be glad to have the test made. I may add that the specimen sent by you contains a considerable quantity of a heavy oil, which appears to be the oil of sassafras.

I do not know whether you have added this to the bottle or whether your patient have been taking the oil medicinally.

Sincerely yours,
Walter Reed
Surgeon U.S. Army
Curator

Letter of the Day: May 2

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 03856

Established 1844

Sharp & Smith
Makers and Importers of
Surgical Instruments
Deformity Apparatus, Artificial Limbs,
Artificial Eyes & c.
92 Wabash Ave.
Chicago, May 2, 1899

D. Bache
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:

In a recent letter to us you asked us to send you some information regarding Artificial Limbs, either literature or samples of something of old device. We are sorry to report however, that we have thus far been unsuccessful in getting any literature, and have no old styles on hand that we think would be of any service. Should anything come to hand however, that we think would interest you, we will be pleased to notify you of it.

Yours truly,
Sharp & Smith

G.
H.L.P.

Letter of the Day: May 1

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 03853

Subject: Emergency purchases

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

Washington, May 1, 1899.

To the Surgeon General,
U.S. Army.

General:

I have the honor to request authority to purchase for use at the Army Medical Museum laboratory:

Vegetables....$12.00
Meat......1.20
Milk......28
Salt......15
Oats......85
Bran......60
Corn......35
Blood.....75

to be paid for from the Museum Appropriation as emergency purchases.

Very respectfully,
Dallas Bache
Col. & Asst. Surgeon General, U.S.A.
In charge of Museum & Library Division

Letter of the Day: April 30

[See the previous letter here]

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 03050

April 30, 1898

To the Surgeon Ganeral,
U.S.Army

Sir:

I beg to report that a number of tests of the germicidal value of the speciments of Red Cross soap and sublimate soap (Schieffelin & Co.), have been made with the following results:

A solution of Red Cross soap made by dissolving 3/8 of a cake in one litre of sterilized water destroys staphylococcus pyogenes aureus in two minutes. A solution of the sublimate soap prepared in the same proportion does not destroy aureus in 45 minutes. I believe that the first named soap possesses decided germicidal properties.

Very respectfully,
Walter Reed
Surgeon, U.S. Army,
Curator.

Letter of the Day: April 29

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 02219

War Department,
Washington, April 29, 1897

Orders:

From an examination of the daily time reports of officers and employes [sic] of the Department for the month of February, 1897, the Secretary of War is convinced that the preparation of such reports involves in the aggregate much time and labor which could be more advantageously employed upon current work. Accordingly, the Orders of February 23, 1894, requiring the keeping of daily records of the time of arrival at and departure from their offices of all persons on duty in the several bureaus, etc., are hereby revoked; it being expected that all officers and employes [sic] will observe the obligations of their oath of office to well and faithfully discharge the duties of their office.

R.A. Alger
Secretary of War
F.

Quick Response

Letter of the Day: April 28

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 01441

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

Letter of the Day: April 27

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 04523

[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.

Letter of the Day: April 26

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 03066

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.

Letter of the Day: April 25

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 00611

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

Letter of the Day: April 24

Copy

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.

Letter of the Day: April 23

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 02203

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

Letter of the Day: April 22

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 03066

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

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.