Historical Notes from OHSU

OHSU History of Medicine Society lecture: "Miracle on Bloor Street"

2012-01-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

“Miracle on Bloor Street: The Unlikely Story of the Discovery of Insulin"
Guest speaker: Thea Cooper
Friday, February 3, 2012
Public lecture: 12:15pm
Refreshments served at noon
Location: Old Library Auditorium

Thea Cooper is co-author of the book Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle (St. Martin’s Press, 2010). She holds a B.A. from Bard College and an M.F.A. from The University of Iowa.

The lecture is free and open to the public. If you have a disability and need an accommodation to attend or participate in this event please contact Maija Anderson (503-418-2287) at least five business days prior to the event.

New residents in the History of Medicine Room

2012-01-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

Following up on my "Five Modern Classics" post last week, here is an additional list of titles that have recently been cataloged for our History of Medicine Collection. It includes last summer's exciting Elizabeth Blackwell acquisitions, Arthur Osman's reprinting of works of Richard Bright, and two wonderfully illustrated medical supply catalogs.

Blackwell, Elizabeth. Counsel to Parents on the Moral Education of Their Children. New York: Brentano's Literary Emporium, 1879.

Blackwell, Elizabeth. Essays in Medical Sociology. London: Bell, 1902.

Bright, Richard, and Arthur Arnold Osman. Original Papers of Richard Bright on Renal Disease. London: Humphrey Milford, Oxford university press, 1937.

Charles Lentz & Sons. Illustrated Catalogue and Price List of Surgical Instruments, Hospital Supplies, Orthopedic Apparatus, Trusses, Etc. Philadelphia: Charles Lentz & Sons, 1911.

Charles Truax & Company. Price List of Physicians' Supplies. Chicago: The Company, ca. 1886.

All now reside in the History of Medicine Room, and are available for research by appointment, or during walk-in hours on Thursdays, 12:00-3:00.

Laennec in the classroom

2012-01-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a belated update to my series of posts about rare books I've been bringing for the History of Medicine I class in the School of Medicine. Two weeks ago, Dr. Alan Hunter gave a lively le
cture on René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laennec and the invention of the stethoscope. We are lucky to have several titles by Laennec in our collection, and for this class I chose an American edition of Laennec's study of the medical value of listening to the sounds of the body:

Laennec, R. T. H. A Treatise on the Diseases of the Chest and on Mediate Auscultation. New York: S. Wood & Sons, and Collins & Hannay, 1830.

The students are always glad when I bring something printed in English, but this title didn't capture their imaginations as much as, say, our Vesalius. Next time, I'm hoping that a few of our 19th century stethoscopes will bring some more excitement into the mix.

New exhibit: Celebrating 30 Years of Work for a Healthy and Peaceful World

2012-01-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

OHSU Historical Collections & Archives is pleased to announce the exhibit Celebrating 30 Years of Work for a Health and Peaceful World. This public exhibit marks the 30^th anniversary of the Oregon chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a leading advocate for environmental health and nuclear disarmament. Drawing on research by Joy Spalding, PhD, the exhibit displays books and archival material to showcase Oregon PSR’s historic contributions to public health in our region.

The exhibit is on view from January-March 2012, and is open to the public. It is located on the OHSU campus, BICC building 3rd floor, Main Library lobby.

A Sad Ending to a Remarkable Story

2012-01-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

The last installment of the tale of Simeon Josephi. In his own words:

The history of a number of institutions devoted to the art of healing is told by Dr. Josephi in the second of the two installments of his narration, he is speaking from first-hand knowledge of the inception and growth.

"When I came to Portland on February 4, 1867, I had no intention of staying here more than six months," said Dr. Josephi, when I interviewd him recently...

"I came as a bookkeeper and clerk for Dss. Hawthorne and Loryea, who were operationg the Oregon hospital for the insane on Asylum avenue, now Hawthorne avenue, in East Portland. Before I had been there long I began reading medical works, and almost before I knew it I changed my life plans and in place of being a merchant or a businessnam I decided to be a physician. I graduated from what is now the medical department of the University of California, in 1877 and became assistant physician at the hospital for the insane in East Portland. When Dr. Hawthone died, in February, 1881, I became medical superintendent, and continued in this position till 1882, when the superintendent and continued in this position until 1883 when the patients were moved to Salem and Dr. Carpenter became superintendent of the state insane asylum. He resigned in 1886 and I was appointed by the board, consisting of Govenor Z. F. moody, Ed Hirsch, treasurer, and Rocky P. Earhart, secretary of state, as his successor. I married Miss Hannah M. Stone on April 27, 1871. I resigned in July, 1887, to resume my medical practice in Portland.

For several years prior to taking up the practice of medicine I was engaged in business. I studied commercial law, was an expert bookkeeper, and was familiar with business practice. I found that this commericail training was invaluable to me in many ways. For example, I have served as treasurer of the Good Samaritan hospital for the past 36 years, and you can readily understand how useful the knowledge of business I acquired has been in this position. Some day you must get a story from Miss Loveridge. I believe she is the only woman at the head of a Protestant hospital as large as the Good Samaritan in the United States. She came here from Bellevue training school to be head of the nurses'training school. When Miss Wakefield, the superintendent of Good Samaritan hospital died, Miss Loveridge succeeded her.

I was the first dean of the school of medicine of the University of Oregon and I have served as dean for 25 years. Here is a letter that I value greatly from President P. L. Campbell of the University of Oregon, in which he notifies me that on June 16, 1924, the degree of doctor of laws was to be conferred on me.

For many years I was a member and secretary of the Port of Portland, I resigned on February 14,1896. I was president of the Medical College association when it was started here in Portland. The faculy of the school organized a corporation to erect a building. We borrowed on our personal note $1000.00 from the First National bank with which to put up a building on the grounds now occupied by the Good Samaritan hopsital. The lecture room was below, and on the upper floor we had a dissection laboratory. Matthew P. Deady was president of the board of regents and professor of medical jurisprudence. I was the dean of the faculty, and among the other members of the faculty were Dr. Curtis Strong who was secretary; Dr. Holt C. Wilson, Dr. Otto S. Binswanger, Dr. K. A. J. MacKenzie, Dr. A. C. Panton, Dr. J. F. Bell, Dr. M. A. Flinn, Dr. G. M. Wells, Dr. Henry E. Jones, Dr. A. J. Geisy, Dr. G. B. Eaton, Dr. W. H. Saylor, Dr. Richard Nunn, Dr. Thomas B. Carey and Dr. Arthur D. Bevan, who is now the head of the department of surgery of the Rush Medical college. Before becoming dean of the medical department of the University of Oregon, I was on the faculty of the medical college of Willamette University. In 1878, shortly before I started practice in Portland, I became professor of genito-urinary and surgical anatomy. The medical college at Willamette University moved from Salem to Portland in 1878. They were located on Fourth street between Morrison and Yamhill, but in 1885 they erected a building on the corner of 14th and C streets. when I became a member of the faculty, Drs. L. L. Rowland, Sharlpes, Peyton, Watkins, Glisan, Harvey, Puummer, (who, by the by was dean of the faculty), Rex, Framer, Wilson, Alden and Deady were members of the faculty.

In 1891 we organized a corporation, of which I was a member, to erect a building for the University of Oregon medical school at the corner of Lovejoy and 23rd streets. When the school burned, we sold the ground and moved the school to Marquam Hill. I have served as treasurer of the Good Samaritan hospital since 1890.

Mayor George H. Williams appointed me a member of the water commission of Portland, Govenor Moody appointed me a member of the state board of pardons, and right here is a good place to say that I believe the pardoning power should be in the hands of the board of control in place of being vested in the governor. I served two terms in the state senate, 1889 and 1901. I also served as a first lieutenant in the medical reserve corps of the United States army. After lecturing on various medical subjects for 40 years in the Willamette University and later in the University of Oregon, I finally retired and became emeritus dean and professor of nervous and mental diseases of the University of Oregon.

For many years I have been senior warden at St. David's church. I am a member and ex-president of the Portland Medical society. In fact, I was one of the organizers and served as the first president. I also helped organize the Portland Academy of Medicine and am a fellow of the American Medical association and a member of the American Protestant Hospital association.

Three of our five children are living. Our daughter Hannah Louise Josephi, for the past ten years head of the social service department of the New York hospital, is spending her vacation with us now. Our daughter Mary Ellen married George C. Durham. They live in Portland. Our daughter Rachel Frances married Colonel George William Helms. He is ececutive officer of the infantry school at Fort Benning, Ga. Our son, Hawthorne M. Josephi, while a student at Standord, was working during his vacation for the Portland General Electric Company. He was 18 years old. On August 16, 1899, he rode his bicycle home and was caught in a hard rain. He went to the bathroom to take a bath and found the electric light was not working properly. Standing on an iron register in his wet clothes, he attempted to fix the light, and was instantly killed. We have never recovered from the grief of his death."

Celebrating Thirty Years of Work for a Healthy and Peaceful World

2012-01-12T21:22:00.001-08:00

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility has been celebrating its 30th anniversary this last year and last night we helped them celebrate. For the last three months, Dr. Joy Spalding and I have been working diligently to prepare an exhibit about PSR. It has been quite an adventure and a joy (pardon the pun) and is now open for public viewing.

The opening reception took place last night, January 11, with a remarkable turnout of PSR and library folk and members of the public in attendance. Our speakers were Dr. John Pearson, current Oregon PSR President, and Charles Grossman, M.D., who has been on the Board of Directors since the inception of the organization and is also a past-president.

Dr. Pearson reminded us that the nuclear threat is not behind us. It is our duty, he stressed, to express our concerns to our local, regional and national leaders, to inform them about the dire issues related to the production and use of nuclear weapons and the ongoing health concerns related to dump sites and issues that effect the people who live near them and for those who live in and near war zones. It really was quite stirring.

Dr. Grossman spoke about the beginnings of the national and Portland/Oregon PSR groups and the key events and players in those early years. I might add that Dr. Grossman just turned 97. He is a long time activist in the fight for economic equality for all people, towards a world without war and, in particular, he has been instrumental in working towards friendly relations with the people of China, leading numerous delegations to China over the years.

Dr. Spalding, the Oregon PSR historian, wrote the text for the exhibit brochure that highlights a brief history of the organization, and she was also co-curator of the exhibit's installation. Her generosity to share her knowledge, wisdom and her memorabilia are instrumental to the success of the exhibit. From Dr. Spalding we learned that PSR does much more than work for peace. Among their projects are working for a healthy environment, healthy foods in health care, and informing the public about global warming. You can learn much more by visiting their Web site.

Oregon PSR Executive Director, Kelly Campbell and PSR Communcations and Development Associate, Sean Tenney, were generous with their time, sharing their knowledge and documents and artifacts for the exhibit.

Maija Anderson, head of HC&A, with the assistance of the PSR staff, put on a tasty and healthy spread for the attendees to enjoy. Due to her expert planning and coordination of the event, it was a wonderful and effortless time for all.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Dr. Jackie Wirz, faculty member of the OHSU Library, who was an invaluable asset to the soire. She greeted, made name tags, stored bags and purses, hung coats, assisted with set up and take down... and I don't know what else.

And last but not least, I have to give an honorable mention to our student assistant, Max Johnson. Without his assistance the exhibit would not have been possible. Well, would not have been so pretty. He is truly an expert at cutting and mounting. (You think that's easy? Just try it.) He also assisted with the install and was our official event photographer.

And, of course, a big thank you to the OHSU Library staff that attended. You know who you are and you know how much your support means.

I am sorry if you missed the opening, but you haven't missed the exhibit. It will be open to the public through March 2012 and you can always visit virtually by checking out the online version on our Web site, which has the brochure text and some of the images in the exhibit.

Here's to a healthy and peaceful world.

Max: What would we do without you?

New acquisitions: Five modern classics

2012-01-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

Our History of Medicine Collection has a long and complicated history of development. For many years, only books published before a certain date were added to the collection. Most recently, a cutoff date of 1901 was established. However, as understanding about the use and value of rare books evolved, later facsimiles, reprints and modern classics were added. Nowadays, I am only too happy to add an important 20th century text to this collection.

Yesterday, five modern classics came back from cataloging, and are ready to be shelved alongside the centuries-old books that make up the majority of the HOM Collection:

Cummins, Harold, and Charles Midlo. Finger Prints, Palms and Soles; An Introduction to Dermatoglyphics. New York: Dover, 1961. A reprint of a seminal 1943 work on the science of dermatoglyphics.

Merritt, H. Houston, Raymond D. Adams, and Harry C. Solomon. Neurosyphilis. New York: Oxford University Press, 1946. Merritt was an eminent neurologist and a leading authority on neurosyphilis. His work culminated in this monograph - which was almost immediately rendered obsolete by the advent of penicillin.

Morton, Dudley J. The Human Foot: Its Evolution, Physiology and Functional Disorders. New York: Columbia University Press, 1935. This landmark work by the world's foremost expert on the foot is still pertinent in anatomy and surgery today.

Penfield, Wilder and Theodore Rasmussen. The Cerebral Cortex of Man; A Clinical Study of Localization of Function. New York: Macmillan, 1950. Penfield was one of the greatest neurosurgeons of the last century. This monograph summarizes his extensive studies of the motor and sensory functions of the human brain. A somewhat tattered copy of this book was transferred from the library's circulating collection to HC&A - we are lucky to be able to add a second, fresher copy free from library markings and with a dust jacket!

Wyburn-Mason, Roger. The Vascular Abnormalities and Tumours of the Spinal Cord and Its Membranes. London: H. Kimpton, 1943. Wyburn-Mason's M.D. thesis was the first compilation of current knowledge on this subject, and was published as a monograph.

These books are part of a collection donated by the family of Russel L. Baker, an alumnus of University of Oregon Medical School. Dr. Baker practiced internal medicine in Portland and evidently had a fine library. HC&A also holds Dr. Baker's papers.

John Hunter in the classroom

2012-01-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

The History of Medicine I course starts up again today, and I'm continuing my series of posts about books I've selected to bring to this class. This term kicks off with the Hunters: John and William. We have a nice variety of works by John Hunter to choose from. I selected this one:

Hunter, John. A Treatise on the Venereal Disease. London: Sold at No. 13, Castle-Street, Leicester-Square, and by Mr. G. Nicol [etc.], 1788.

This is the second edition of Hunter's 1786 study of gonorrhea and syphilis, which he believed were one and the same. Our copy was acquired decades ago through the George E. Burget Memorial Fund. Burget was a faculty member in the medical school during the early 20th century. He donated many of the rare books in our collection, and was a major benefactor and booster of the library. After his death, the Portland Academy of Medicine established a fund for purchasing historical books for the library in his memory. There was also discussion of naming the library's historical collections in his honor.

When possible, I bring a book that can be passed around during the lecture, as well as a rare showpiece. Today the students got to browse through a 1972 facsimile of lecture notes from a 1752 anatomy course given by William Hunter. This also gave me an opportunity to remind them to save their own lecture notes, since they or their instructor might be world-famous someday!

Primary texts on the eugenics movement

2012-01-04T14:52:00.000-08:00

While reviewing the holdings of our main library collection, my colleague Jackie Wirz reminded me that we have a fascinating collection of primary texts on the eugenics movement. They include such sensational titles as The Hill Folk: Report on a Rural Community of Hereditary Defectives and "Violent Temper and its Inheritance." I was fascinated to learn that one of these titles, The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeblemindedness, had been debunked in Stephen Jay Gould's The Mismeasure of Man. Among other criticisms, Gould alleged that photographs of the "degenerate" Kallikaks had been altered to make them look more threatening.

Many of these publications were issued by the Eugenics Record Office, a research center founded at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory by the biologist and eugenicist Charles Davenport. We have 29 ERO publications in the library, including several by Davenport. Many are also available online from Google Books.

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility collection

2011-12-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

Founded in 1961, Physicians for Social Responsibility is a a leading advocate for environmental health and nuclear disarmament. The organization's Oregon chapter was founded in 1982 by a group of health care professionals concerned with the health threats of nuclear war. Today, the chapter also addresses issues such as global warming, environmental toxins, and food safety.

For the last few months, Karen has been collaborating with the Oregon chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility to develop our upcoming exhibit, Celebrating 30 Years of Work for a Healthy and Peaceful World. During this process, we also began working with Oregon PSR's leadership to establish an archival collection of their organizational records here in HC&A. Our mission to preserve the history of medicine in the Pacific Northwest makes this a natural partnership, as does our holding of a complementary collection of the papers of Dr. Charles Grossman, a leader in Oregon PSR. The first accession has already arrived, and Oregon PSR has put a call out to their membership to contribute additional materials to the collection.

We commend Oregon PSR's leadership for recognizing the significance of their records - not only to the history of the organization, but also to the history of our region. We are excited to be working with Oregon PSR to preserve these important records of Oregon's environmental and social history.

Holiday greetings

2011-12-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays from Historical Collections & Archives!

Above: A snowman visits campus. Sara found this photograph in the University News & Publications collection, and shared it for the 2006 holidays.

Blog posting will be light for the next two weeks as we take time to spend with family and friends. We will be open as usual for walk-in hours on Thursdays from 12:00-3:00.

Starr-Edwards oral history project

2011-12-15T12:46:00.000-08:00

Historical Collections & Archives is participating in a new oral history project that will collect first-hand accounts of the development of the Starr-Edwards heart valve. We recently received DVDs of the first two interviews in this project:

Arne Solberg (pictured above left, with Richard Farnsworth and M. Lowell Edwards), worked as a machinist for Edwards. Mr. Solberg discusses in detail the innovative technical processes that led to the success of the Starr-Edwards valve.

Jeri Dobbs is a perfusionist who began working for Dr. Albert Starr in 1966. In his interview, he shares vivid memories of working on Starr's research team.

Both subjects were interviewed by Rich Mullins, MD. I'm looking forward to working with Dr. Mullins and producer Matt Simek to add more interviews to this project. Historical Collections & Archives will preserve DVDs and transcripts of interviews, as well as administrative records of the project.

An interview with Dr. Albert Starr is also available as part of the OHSU Oral History Program. The recording and transcript can be checked out from the Main Library.

John Hunter, MD elected to Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

2011-12-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

We heard last week that OHSU's own John Hunter, MD was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Dr. Hunter is Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery, and is also an active member of the OHSU History of Medicine Society, which supports the lecture series managed by HC&A. As an honorary fellow of the college, Dr. Hunter joins an international group of over 17,000 Fellows and Members.

Tracing its roots to 1505, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is one of the oldest surgical societies in the world. Since that time, it has been dedicated to maintaining and promoting the highest standards of surgical practice. The college is also committed to preserving its long history through the Surgeons' Hall Museums, which itself is historic - founded in 1832, it is Scotland's oldest museum.

HC&A joins the rest of the university in congratulating Dr. Hunter on this honor!

Round-up of history of medicine books in the classroom

2011-12-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

This fall I've been posting about books that I've brought to the History of Medicine I course, a weekly lecture given in the School of Medicine by Dr. Lynn Loriaux. Before each lecture, I do a short book talk tailored to the audience of first-year medical students. Rare and fragile items are displayed on a podium during the lecture, and I stay afterwards to answer questions and guide the students as they inspect the books. But whenever possible, I bring non-rare items that are appropriate for the students to pass around and browse through freely during the lecture.

The final lecture of the term was last week. This week I'm posting a round-up of the books I selected for each class - partly as a memory aid for me next year, but also for of other librarians out there who are interested in teaching with primary sources. I've included a link to a bib record or blog post for more information on each item.

LECTURE: Ancient Greece

BOOK: Karl Kerenyi, Asklepios: Archetypal Image of the Physician's Existence

LECTURE: Hippocrates
BOOK: Hippocrates, Aphorisms, 1638

LECTURE: Galen
BOOK: Works of Galen

LECTURE: Arabic medicine
BOOKS: Rhazes, A Treatise on the Small-Pox and Measles
Maimonides, A Treatise on Poisons and their Antidotes
Hunayn ibn Ishaq, The Book of the Ten Treatises on the Eye

LECTURE: The Middle Ages
BOOK: I missed out on this one, but had hoped to bring:
Guglielmo da Saliceto, The Surgery of William of Saliceto
Leonard Rosenman, A Medieval Surgical Pharmacopeia and Formulary

LECTURE: The Renaissance
BOOK: Andreas Vesalius, De humani corporis fabrica

LECTURE: The English Humanists
BOOK: John Caius, The Works of John Caius, M.D.

LECTURE: William Harvey
BOOK: William Harvey, The Works of William Harvey

LECTURE: Willis, Sydenham and Leeuwenhoek
BOOK: Thomas Willis, Pharmaceutice rationalis

I'll change some of these selections in the future, based on what the students seemed to respond to best. In a couple cases I'll also be making different selections that complement the lecture content a little more closely.

Teaching with primary resources is an emerging competency for archivists and special collections librarians. I recently joined the Teaching with Primary Resources Working Group of the Reference, Access and Outreach Section of SAA, and in 2012 I'll be looking for more opportunities to bring our collections into a classroom setting.

OHSU Oral History Program - interviews with Dr. Richard Mullins and Dr. Brian Druker

2011-12-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday we kicked off production of two exciting new additions to the OHSU Oral History Program:

Richard J. Mullins, M.D. was interviewed by Don D. Trunkey, M.D. Dr. Mullins discussed his mentors and role models, his role in developing the Oregon trauma care system, and his military service during the Iraq War. He and Dr. Trunkey also had an insightful, theoretical discussion about the future of trauma care.

Brian Druker, M.D. was interviewed by Edward J. Keenan, Ph.D. It was fascinating to learn the personal story behind Dr. Druker's revolutionary research in oncology. We learned about his motivation to pursue cancer research, his decision to leave the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for OHSU, and the development of the pathbreaking drug Gleevec.

Many thanks to the interviewees for sharing their experiences so openly and thoughtfully, to the interviewers for their engaged and informed questions, and to all for taking time out of their busy schedules to contribute to this program.

Our friends at Pacific Standard Television will complete production of the video interviews, and then they're off to the transcriptionist. Then it's back to the library to be processed for our collections. Completed transcripts will be available from HC&A upon request. DVDs of the interviews, along with indexed transcripts, will be processed for the OHSU Main Library's collection. Please see our Website for a complete inventory and index of interviews completed for the OHSU Oral History Program.

Thomas Willis in the classroom

2011-12-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

Here's the next installation of a series of posts about books I've been bringing to the History of Medicine I class, including editions of Vesalius, Galen, and Hippocrates. This week's History of Medicine I lecture covered a lot of ground - Leeuwenhoek, Thomas Willis, and Thomas Sydenham. I had a few different choices of what to bring for this class, and decided on a recent acquisition made in 2009.

Willis, Thomas. Pharmaceutice Rationalis, or, An Exercitation of the Operations of Medicines in Humane Bodies: Shewing the Signs, Causes, and Cures of Most Distempers Incident Thereunto ; in Two Parts ; As Also a Treatise of the Scurvy, and the Several Sorts Thereof, with Their Symptoms, Causes, and Cure. London: Printed for T. Dring, C. Harper, and J. Leigh : 1679.

Thomas Willis (1621-1675) was an English physician who co-founded the Royal Society and made important advances in anatomy and neurology, among other fields. This is the first English edition of his last work. Pharmaceutice rationalis is one of the major English works on pharmacology, and also contains observations on diabetes that contributed greatly to endocrinology. I also made sure to show the medical students the section where Willis discusses the effects of what was then a new and trendy beverage: coffee.

Our copy of this book carries the very snazzy bookplate of Otto Orren Fisher:

Dr. Fisher was a scientist and book collector who lived in Detroit. His collection was dispersed, and books he once owned can now be found in many museums and libraries.

Historical Collections & Archives receives Edwards Lifesciences Fund award

2011-11-29T09:22:00.000-08:00

We are proud to announce that Historical Collections & Archives has received an award from the Edwards Lifesciences Fund to complete a public history project on M. Lowell Edwards, co-inventor of the Starr-Edwards heart valve.

Funding will support a six-month project that will include the development of a Web presentation of the library's collections related to Lowell Edwards, providing longevity for our current exhibitio n, educating the public about M. Lowell Edwards, and providing online access to selected materials in our collections. Historical Collections & Archives staff will collaborate with staff in the library's Content Management & Systems department to complete this project. The award will also fund the production of a booklet to publicize the library's resources on M. Lowell Edwards, and the preservation of the Jeri L. Dobbs Collection of heart valve prototypes.

This news came on the heels of the announcement of a grant from LSTA to fund the Isabel McDonald Library's digitization project, which HC&A will also support. All of us in HC&A are looking forward to not one but two exciting grant projects in 2012!

Giving thanks

2011-11-21T11:46:00.000-08:00

Historical Collections & Archives will be closed this Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. I'd like to thank those in the campus community and beyond who have gone the extra mile to support HC&A programs:

-- Rich Mullins, M.D. has been mentioned many times on this blog in the past year, mainly for his collaboration with us on our exhibit on M. Lowell Edwards. But I also want to recognize his unflagging support for HC&A and commitment to preserving the history of medicine in Oregon.

-- All the university staff who have helped out with upgrades to security in HC&A space, especially Brad and Joseph from the Lock Shop, and Valerie Fishler from Library Administration. Thank you for understanding our security needs and coming up with creative solutions to keep our collections safe!

-- Matt Simek and Teresa Bergen, respectively the producer and transcriber for the OHSU Oral History Program. Without their energy, reliability and outstanding communication, our oral history program would probably just be a wish list of interviewees and a mountain of untranscribed recordings!

-- Morgen Young of Alder LLC, the consulting historian on the OHSU Diversity Wall project. As well as being an outstanding researcher to work with, Morgen ensured that the Diversity Wall highlighted our collections and represented HC&A as the source for university history.

-- And of course, all the wonderful donors who have given books and archival material for our collections. This year we made important additions to our collections through the generosity of university faculty, alumni and their families, members of the Portland-area medical community, and other health sciences libraries. All of these donors chose HC&A as the new home for their treasures, and we couldn't be more flattered and pleased.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Isabel McDonald Library awarded LSTA grant

2011-11-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

The Oregon National Primate Research Center’s Isabel McDonald Library has been awarded a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the Oregon State Library. The grant supports digitization of a selection of rare books on primatology from the McDonald Library’s collection. Staff of the Isabel McDonald Library will collaborate with OHSU Library staff to complete this project. Grant funding will begin in February 2012, with the project to be completed in a 12-month period.

We in Historical Collections & Archives are very proud to support the McDonald Library’s in this project, and are looking forward to participating in this collaborative effort.

MLA Oral History Project interview with Isabel G. McDonald

2011-11-14T09:07:00.001-08:00

We just received a transcript of an interview with Isabel G. McDonald, conducted for the Medical Library Association's Oral History Project. Active since 1977, this program supports the study of health sciences librarianship, and the history of the MLA.

Isabel G. McDonald was Librarian at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center from 1961-1990. She was instrumental in growing the library's collection of books on primatology, including the development of a unique rare books collection. She also introduced online searching and interlibrary loan networking to the institution. On her retirement, the library was renamed the Isabel McDonald Library.

The transcript will be cataloged for the PNW Collection and available for research in HC&A. A separate interview with Isabel McDonald was conducted for the OHSU Oral History Program in 1997. The transcript and recording are both available at the Main Library.

As told by Josephi

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

It was October 7th when I posted about my visit with James Hawthorne Beck, great grandson of the famous James C. Hawthorne. I mentioned then that I would post some highlights from the interview that Fred Lockley, reporter with the Oregon Journal, conducted with Dr. Simeon Josephi on September 1, 1926. I have been feeling remiss since a month has passed since my promise. So instead of highlights, I decided to transcribe the interview for your reading pleasure. Besides information about Josephi, our first Dean, you will read here a bit of history about Portland, Hawthorne, the Insane Hospital and much more.

Enjoy!

Lockley: "Here begins an installment story of the career of a poineer physician of Portland, who came hither in 1867. A second chapter forthcoming.

Dr. S. E. Josephi is, in point of service, dean of the medical profession of Portland. When I interviewed him recently, at his office in the Corbett Building, he said:"

Josephi: "I was born in New York city on December 3, 1849. My father, Edward Josephi, with his brothers Henry and Isaac, conducted a wholesale jewelry establishment in Maiden Lane. My father was born at what was then St. Petersburg but is now Leningrad, Russia. My mother's maiden name was Mendoza. Her parents were Spanish but she was born in England. You can see that I am a product of that melting pot. There were eight of us children. I have five sisters and two brothers. I went to school to Professor Quackenbos. He had a private school in New York city at that time and was the author of an arithmetic that was very popular. Later I attended the public schools of New York city and still later the New York college. I secured work as a clerk in a wholesale hat house.

My oldest brother, David Josephi, had gone to San Francisco as manager of the San Francisco branch of the I & S Josephi & Co., wholesale jewelers. In 1866, when I was 17 years old, I had a bad attack of wanderlust. I wanted to see the world, so I went out to San Francisco to visit my brother David. After I had been in San Francisco about six months Dr. Loryea of Portland dropped in to visit my brother David. David introduced me to Dr. Loryea, who inquired as to my plans. When he learned that I was a clerk and understood bookkeeping, he said 'Dr. J. C. Hawthorne and myself have the contract from the state for the care of the insane. Our hospital is in Portland. If you want to come up to Portland and take a look around and see if you like the country, you can work for us keeping books and doing clerical work.' I agreed to go to Portland and work for Drs. Loryea and Hawthorne for six months.

I will never forget my introduction to Portland. I came up aboard the Oriflamme, Ben Holladay's favorite steamer and flagship. We reached Portland on the evening of February 4, 1867. For a day or two there had been a continuous rain storm. The river was high, the wind was blowing a gale, and when the captain got the hawser out to draw us into the dock it snapped and we drifted back into the stream. Once more the hawser was attached to the dock, and again the wind and current snapped it, so we dropped anchor and stayed out in the stream until morning. Next morning I was met by an attendant from the hospital and taken by horse and buggy across Stark street steam ferry to East Portland and driven to the hospital. In those days the ferry ran only during daylight. If you wanted to cross the Willamette to Portland after dusk you stood on the bank and called across to the ferryman, who came over in a rowboat to get you.

I had not worked at the asylum long until Dr. Hawthorne suggested that I take up the study of medicine. At that time the practice was that a physician must study one year under a preceptor and spend two years at college before he could secure his medical degree. Dr. Hawthorne was a very capable physician and a very likeable man. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1819. He graduated from the Medical University at Louisville, KY. In 1850 he located in Auburn, Placer county, California, where he was engaged in general practice but also in hospital work. He served as state senator from Placer county for two terms. In 1857 he came to Portland and engaged in practice. The following year he was given a contract by the county commissioners to take charge of the county hospital. Govenor Whiteaker gave him the contract to care for Oregon's insane. For 21 years he had charge of the Oregon hospital for the insane. He was a specialist in nervous diseases, having made a deep study along this line and also of the treatment of the insane.

I worked as a clerk at the hospital for the insane for two years, putting in my spare time studying medicine. Dr. Hawthorne, who had the contract for the county hospital also, maintained this hospital in the rear of the buiding in which the insane patients were quartered. There were usually from half a dozen to a dozen patients in the county hospital, so this gave me some clinical opportunites. In 1869 I went back to New York city to take my medical course at Bellevue. I was unable to arrange my financial affairs to be able to graduate, so I returned to Portland, resuming my work at the hospital. In 1869 there were several banks in Portland, among them the bank of Oregon, of which Ladd & Tilton were the proprietors; the Bank of British Columbia; the First National Bank; the bank of Wells Fargo & Co., and on the east side of the river, to what was then the city of East Portland, was the bank of Stephens & Loryea. On account of my familiarity with bookkeeping methods and accounts, Dr. Loryea offered me a position in the bank. I divided my time between my work for Dr. Hawthorne in the hospital and my work at the bank. Later I took a postion with Hamilton Boyd, agent for the well-known insurance company. While working for Mr. Boyd I took a course in commercial law.

I still continued my medical studies from 5 a.m. till breakfast, put in the day at my work, and resumed my study in the evening. When I had saved sufficient money to see me through college, I went to San Francisco and entered Toland Medical school, which later became the nedical department of the University of California. I graduated in 1877, 49 years ago. Dr. Hawthorne offered me a place as assistant physician of the hospital. I accepted this place, and when Dr. Hawthorne died, in February, 1881, I became medical superintendent of the hospital, continuing in this position till 1883 when the insane patients were removed to a building that had been erected in Salem." ........................................................................................................................................

The second and final installment coming up next Friday.

Charles T. Jackson's A Manual of Etherization

2011-11-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

I posted last week about Josiah P. Flagg's The Family Dentist, a new acquisition for our History of Dentistry collection. I mentioned that Flagg and his brother were both involved in disputes around the discovery of etherization in the mid-19th century (Massachusetts General Hospital's "A Celebration of Ether" includes a short summary of the ether controversy). Another recent acquisition is an artifact of this fascinating moment in medical history.

Jackson, Charles T. A Manual of Etherization: Containing Directions for the Employment of Ether, Chloroform, and Other Anaesthetic Agents by Inhalation, in Surgical Operations, Intended for Military and Naval Surgeons, and All Who May Be Exposed to Surgical Operations; with Instructions for the Preparation of Ether and Chloroform, and for Testing Them for Impurities. Comprising, Also, a Brief History of the Discovery of Anaesthesia. Boston: J. B. Mansfield, 1861.

This book contains Charles T. Jackson's claim to his discovery of anesthesia, and also includes chapters on the administration of ether and its effects. Of the major claimants to the discovery of anesthesia, Jackson was easily the least credible. He also claimed to have invented the telegraph and guncotton, and to have discovered the digestive processes of the stomach before Beaumont.

Our copy of this book contains two interesting inscriptions:

"Charles Roberts Esq / Editor Bangor Evening Times / with the respects of the publisher"

Some quick internet research reveals that the book's first owner was Charles Phelps Roberts (1822-1914). Phelps graduated from Bowdoin College and practiced law before turning his attention to journalism. He edited several different newspapers in Bangor during the 1850s-1860s. He also wrote poems! His "The Sleep of Nature" is in an anthology of Maine poets on Google books.

The second inscription:

"W W Fellows / Bangor / Maine"

This would be William Warren Fellows, (1835-1920) who was an engineer with Bangor's city waterworks, and a leader in the Bangor Historical Society.

Jackson's claim to the discovery of etherization will be cataloged for our rare book collections and available for research in Historical Collections & Archives.

David K. Grandy papers

2011-11-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week we received our first donation of papers of David K. Grandy, Ph.D., Professor in the Physiology and Pharmacology Department. Dr. Grandy's research focuses on neurotransmitters, with the goal of developing new drugs to treat drug addiction and mental illness. His work also seeks to raise awareness of the biological causes of mental illness, reducing the social stigma faced by its victims.

During our first visit with Dr. Grandy, Karen and I were treated to a guided tour of his busy lab. The Grandy Lab conducts research on dopamine signaling in the brain, and has also identified three previously unknown signaling systems.

We look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Grandy to preserve the records of his research in the university archives.

Josiah P. Flagg's The Family Dentist

2011-10-31T09:57:00.001-07:00

We're fortunate to have recently acquired a copy of one of the earliest American books on dentistry.

Flagg, Josiah F. The Family Dentist; Containing a Brief Description of the Structure, Formation, Diseases, and Treatment of the Human Teeth. Boston: J. W. Ingraham, 1822.

Worldcat shows 33 other copies, with only 2 other copies on the West Coast (at UCLA and UCSF).

Josiah Foster Flagg (1788-1853) was the son of Josiah Flagg (1763-1816), who is known as "the first native-born American dentist." The younger Flagg studied medicine in Boston under Dr. John Collins Warren. Flagg practiced a variety of professions, including medicine and anatomical illustration, before settling on dentistry. He devoted much of his career to improving dental technology and educating the public about dental care. Flagg and his brother John Foster Brewster Flagg (also a dentist) were both involved in the controversy surrounding the discovery of etherization in the mid-19th century.

Flagg's book is aimed not at dentists or students, but at a popular audience. He describes his purpose as "1. To give, in as few words as possible, a clear description of the structure and formation of the teeth...2. To give a brief sketch of the most common diseases to which the teeth are liable; together with such directions, relative to their treatment and preservation, as shall enable the reader to take the necessary care of his own teeth...3. To guard against the injurious practice of ignorant operators."

The book includes a striking frontispiece, probably created by Flagg himself. The text describes it as "a representation of the bones of the face, in which the first and second sets of teeth are so exposed as to show their relative situation in both jaws, as they are found in a child at about the age of six or seven years."

This title will be cataloged for our History of Dentistry collection, where it will join many other works by Josiah F. Flagg, and one by John Foster Brewster Flagg.

Vesalius in the classroom

2011-10-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Frontispiece, De humani corporis fabrica

Tomorrow's History of Medicine class is another great opportunity to bring rare books to our students. For the lecture on Renaissance medicine, I'm bringing one of the highlights of our collections, a 1555 edition of Andreas Vesalius's De humani corporis fabrica. I also invited library staff to drop in and visit the book while we have it on hold for class - I was delighted to share it with some colleagues who had heard we had this monument of Western medicine, but had never seen it themselves.

As Sara noted in 2007, something that often seems to impress viewers of rare books is the condition and quality of the paper. Many are surprised to find that you can easily turn the pages without doing any damage. Our centuries-old Vesalius, while not in tip-top condition, has held up much better than, say, your average 1950s paperback book - primarily due to the quality of the paper they were each printed on.