War Department,
Surgeon General’s Office,
Washington, DC, Septbr. 2nd, 1870
General,
I have the honor to report that in obedience to instructions from the Adjutant General’s Office, dated September 1st, 1870, I have this day re-enlisted Hospital Steward Geo. A. Jones, to date from August 31st, 1870, and have ordered the steward to report in person, fro duty, to the Surg Genl.
I herewith resp. transmit a copy of his enlistment papers.
E. E. Townsend
Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 1627
Fort Reno, Okla. Ter.
Sept. 1, 1896.
Dear Doctor:-
The photographs of the malarial parasite were duly received. If I do not hear from you to the contrary, I shall consider that you meant to have me keep them.
There were no cases of malarial fever during August at this post. But if I am again unable to find the parasite in a case which I feel certain from other evidence is malarial, I shall certainly take advantage of your very kind offer and send on some dried specimens.
With many thanks, I am,
Very truly yours,
Sam Q Robinson
Major Walter Reed,
Surgeon, U.S.A.
Army Med. Museum.
What a great project.
National Library of Medicine Announces “History of Medicine Finding Aids Consortium”
The History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is pleased to announce the release of its prototype History of Medicine Finding Aids Consortium (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/consortium/index.html), a search-and-discovery tool for archival resources in the health sciences that are described by finding aids and held by various institutions throughout the United States. A finding aid is a tool created by archivists to give information about the contents of archival collections. Finding aids provide contextual information about collections oftentimes with detailed inventories to help researchers locate relevant materials. NLM is the world’s largest medical library and a component of the National Institutes of Health.
The resource crawls existing Web content managed by several partner institutions, provides keyword search functionality, and provides results organized by holding institution. Links point to the holding institution’s Web sites. Formats indexed consist of HTML, PDF and Encoded Archival Description XML. The project does not include content held in bibliographic utilities or other database-type information.
Crawls are conducted monthly to ensure information is current and to capture new content as it is released.
Current Consortium partners are:
NLM’s History of Medicine Division invites libraries, archives and museums which include in their collections archival materials related to the history of medicine and health sciences to join.
For more information about the project or requests to join the Consortium, please contact John P. Rees, Archivist and Digital Resources Manager, NLM, at reesj@nlm.nih.gov.
Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 1683
August 31, 1896
To the Surgeon General, U.S. Army,
Washington, D.C.
General:
I have the honor to report that during the month of August, 1896, I have been on duty in the Surgeon General’s Office, as Curator of the Army Medical Museum, in accordance with Par. 2, S.O. No. 153, dated Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant General’s Office, Washington, D.C., July 7, 1893.
Very respectfully,
Walter Reed
Major and Surgeon, U.S. Army,
Curator Army Medical Museum
Catalogue of the Medical and Microscopical Sections of the Army Medical Museum - Joseph Woodward & Edward Curtis
http://www.archive.org/details/CatalogueOfTheMedicalAndMicroscopicalSectionsOfTheArmyMedicalMuseum
Catalogue of the Surgical Section of the United States Army Medical Museum - Alfred A. Woodhull
Describes the American Civil War anatomical specimens, usually bone, in the Museum.
http://www.archive.org/details/CatalogueOfTheSurgicalSectionOfTheUnitedStatesArmyMedicalMuseum
Hayward & Hutchinson,
424 Ninth Street, N.W.
Elias S. Hutchinson.
Washington, D.C., August 30, 1888
Dr J. S. Billings
Dear Sir:
While appreciating your kindness in sending to us for estimate for a cremating furnace, but as it is so much away from our line of work we cannot give it the necessary to make a close competitive estimate + respectfully return the plans with this.
Truly,
Hayward & Hutchinson
12th U.S. Infantry,
Tompkins Square
New York
August 26th 1863
Surgeon J.H. Brinton U.S.A.
Washington D.C.
Doctor.
I send you by Express a few specimens of balls, extracted at Gettysburg, Pa. with an account of each case.
Also., a few spiculae of bone. It was my intention to leave them with you when in Washington but the matter escaped my memory.
You will hear from me whenever matters of surgical interest occur.
I remain
Very Respectfully
Your obt. Servt.
E. de W. Breneman
Asst Surgeon
U.S.A.
War Department,
Surgeon General’s Office,
Washington, D.C., Aug 25, 1884
Asst Surg. W Matthews:
Asst Curator A.M.M.
Sir:
In the portion of turkeys liver, contributed by Asst Surgeon Shannon U.S.A. and referred to me for microscopical examination, I find numerous nodules, a portion of which have undergone cystic degeneration of a peculiar character. They are neither carcinomatous or sarcomatous.
Very respectfully
Your obdt servant
J.C. McConnell M.D.
Fort Bridger, Utah
August 24th 1868.
Sir:
In reply to your communication dated January 14th 1868, concerning specimens for the Army Medical Museum, I will state that opportunities of observing the results of “injuries + surgical diseases of the lower animals” at this post are very limited + nothing has come under my observation since the date of your letter that could be contributed to the section of the Museum illustrative of the subject.
Large wild game such as buffalo, elk, deer, antelope +c, are not found in this immediate vicinity + such is very seldom indeed brought to the post.
As a consequence of the scarcity of game no bands of Indians camp near hear except during a short time in the early summer when they collect to receive annuities, + are soon off for their fishing and hunting grounds again. I have not known of the death of an Indian in this locality since I have been stationed at the post – hence have had no opportunity of collecting crania.
During the present summer I have obtained specimens of bows + arrows from three tribes that have passed through the post – the Shoshone, Bannack + Ute – the weapons will be sent to the museum by Express + it will be observed that there is much similarity in those of the three tribes – all of them roving over the country in different direction within 200 miles of the post. The bows of all are usually made of the bow of oxyokes obtained along the several emigrant routes through the country. When first obtained they are soaked in hot water until they become pliable, + are bent into their present shape, reversing the curve as found. The component curve in the middle of the bow is thus easily obtained. The front or outer part of the bow is then curved with shreds of tendons obtained from along the spine of their game – either deer or buffalo. This is securely fastened on, as will be observed, by glue, which the Indian makes from the hoof or horn of the game. The elasticity of the bow is increased in this way.
The strings they make of tendons also.
The specimen of the Shoshone bow is one of the finest I have ever seen both as regards finish and springs. The remark about the similarity of the bows will apply also to the arrows. Those of the Utes are shorter than the arrows of either of the other tribes + the feathers extend along a greater proportionate length of the arrow. The grooves along the arrows are not made of a uniform curvature, but with these three tribes, they will be found much more tortuous than on the arrows of the Sioux, Cheyenne + Arapahoes, who roam on the Eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. The grooves in their arrows are nearly straight. The object of these grooves is to facilitate the escape of blood while the arrow remains in the body of the animal.
The feathers on the arrows in these specimens, it will be seen, are fastened only at the extremities. On the arrows of some tribes they are attached the entire length of the feathers by glue.
The base of the arrow heads of these tribes are never bearded, + in some instances, as in the forwarded specimens of the Ute arrow, the slope of the base is in the opposite way, as if to facilitate its removal from the body. The Sioux, I am informed make their arrow heads more or less bearded. The round pointed arrows are used in shooting small games such as rabbits, birds, prairie dogs +c
The tomahawk sent is a weapon not often carried by the tribe from which I obtained it + the buck who had it, displayed it from his quiver more as an ornament than otherwise. These instruments are made in the East and sold to the Indians by traders. The specimen I forwarded is made to be used as a pipe, but it is of doubtful utility in that respect + seems not to have been used as such by the owner.
I send also a specimen of a Navajo arrow said to have been poisoned. A dark substance may be observed adhering to the arrow just above the head.
This description of the articles sent may not be desired but as it may not be entirely devoid of interest to yourself or to others, I have thought it best to give it.
The articles I have forwarded were purchased of Indians for cash to the amount of twenty-seven dollars. This may be regarded as an unreasonable expenditure for things of so little intrinsic value, but in consequences of the liberal prices they always obtain for every thing they sell at this post, I was unable to get them at a lower rate.
In the same package I send the bones of a fractured elbow joint from the accidental discharge of a gun loaded with eleven buckshot, the muzzle being within a few inches of the part at the time of the discharge of the piece. If a report of the case is desired I will be very happy to furnish it.
Very Respectfully
Your Obt. Servant
W. E. Waters,
Asst. Surg. U.S. Army
Bvt. Lt. Col. Geo. A. Otis
Asst. Surg. U.S. Army
Surgeon General’s Office
Washington, D.C.
