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Thursday, October 21, 2010

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

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

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 18th 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

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

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]

Monday, October 18, 2010

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.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

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

Saturday, October 16, 2010

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

Friday, October 15, 2010

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.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

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

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

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

AFIP's Debra McElroy has passed away

Debra McElroy longtime AFIP employee

 

Debra Ann (Bottazzi) McElroy, 53, of Ellicott City, died Oct. 8 at Gilchrist Hospice Care Center, Towson, Md.  Debra affectionately known as “Debbie” by Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) coworkers died of cancer. 

 

McElroy began her career with the federal government as a histopathology technician at The AFIP, Washington, D.C., on Oct. 13, 1981.

 

McElroy, who grew up in Washington, D.C., and a longtime AFIP employee managed 12 laboratories and supervised 59 employees during her nearly 29 years of service here.

Survivors include her husband of 25 years, Dennis McElroy, of Ellicott City; daughter of Joseph and Barbara A. (Heflin) Bottazzi, of York, Pa.; sister of Maria Ellis, of York, Pa., and the late Joseph Daniel Bottazzi. Debra was an avid lover of  dogs.

 

Friends can call Friday Oct. from 6-8 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., at the Slack Funeral Home, P.A., 3871 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City, Md., 21043. Services and interment are private. In lieu of flowers, memorial’s may be directed to the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, and 800 Wyman Park Drive, Suite 110, Baltimore, Md., 21211. Go to 222.slackfuneralhome.com for online condolences and directions.

 

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Letter of the Day: October 12

Curatorial Records: Numbered Correspondence 959

October 12 1895

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

Dear Doctor:

I beg to report that the specimen of supposed bullet which was referred to you by Medical Referee Thomas Featherstonehaugh of the Pension Bureau, has been subjected to a careful chemical examination by Dr. Wm. M. Mew of the Army Medical Museum, who makes the following report:

“The substance contains no lead nor other metal save a trace of iron; it is composed chiefly of calcium and phosphoric acid, probably calcium phosphate, so it may be bone or cartilage, or as you suggest, it may be a calcified cell-growth.”

I beg further to state that I have carefully examined, microscopically, another portion of the supposed bullet, and am inclined to think, from the appearance of the structure, that it s a portion of a calcified lymphatic gland.

Very sincerely yours,
Walter Reed,
Surgeon, U.S. Army,
Curator.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Romare Bearden mosaic

DIA

More DIA

Letter of the Day: October 11

No 201 W. Franklin St
Baltimore Oct: 11 1887

Surgeon J.S. Billings U.S.A.

My dear Doctor

Having had remarkable success with a recent artificial crystallization of Cystine I send by present mail a new slide of the beautiful but very rare substance.

It was obtained from a lady who had septicemia after a 6 month’s miscarriage, although there can be no relation of causation in its pathological state.

Hoping that you are well – and thanking you for vol. VIII of Index I remain

Yours very sincerely
Christopher Johnston