This photograph of leprosy affecting a young male subject comes from John Wood's book of poems titled, Endurance & Suffering. The book was reviewed by the Canadian Medical Association Journal—the print version of the journal has 65,000 subscribers and the on-line version gets over a million hits a month. To access the PDF file of the review, click on "Begin manual download" on the web page here »» An expanded version with more images and poems can be accessed directly here »»
Began cataloging a monograph by Dr. Carel Eduard Daniëls of Amsterdam titled, Un cas de leontiasis ossea (craniosclerosis). The girl's sweet severed visage seen in the first plate is transmogrifed by the image of her skull reproduced by the second plate.
Cataloged the memoirs of an Ohio physician.
Began cataloging a portfolio of albumen prints on the medulla oblongata and compiled by Duchenne.
Cataloged a paper on Acromegaly by Xavier Gouraud titled, Un cas d'acromégalie.
A côté de la salle de cours se trouve un laboratoire photographique, destiné surtout à la reproduction des objets microscopiques. Dans la salle voisine de l'amphithéâtre est disposé l'appareil photographique de M. Roux dont nous avons donné la description dans le tome I de ces Annales. Les deux pièces contiguës serviront de salle de manipulation et de chambre noire.
A l'extrémité du pavillon, à droite et à gauche du couloir central, on trouve deux pièces carrelées destinées aux recherches sur les animaux aquatiques. Elles forment une partie du domaine de M. Metchnikoiï, qui y a installé divers aquariums. Les deux pièces marquées sur le plan opérations et dissections serviront surtout aux expériences sur les grands animaux, qu'une porte, à plain-picd du sol, permet d'y introduire. Le pavé bétonné, en pente vers un égouttoir, permet de les nettoyer du sangetdes immondices auxquelles donne toujours lieu toute opération ou toute dissection.—from Annales de l'Institut Pasteur. v. 3 (1889), p. 4.
Cataloged a monograph by the Alsacien bacteriologist Isidore Straus, titled, Le charbon des animaux et de l'homme.
Cataloged Professor John Duns's memoir on Sir James Y. Simpson.
Cataloged a paper by James H. Hutchinson titled, Case of general hyperostosis.
Cataloged a paper by Edward Arning titled, Herpes tonsurans in vier concentrischen Ringen.
Cataloged a paper by Paul Gerson Unna titled, Syphilis und Ekzema seborrhoicum.
—from 0. N. Rood, On the practical application of photography to the microscope. "American journal of science," vol. 82 (1861), p. 186.
Dans une petite localité du département de l'Aisne, à Neuilly-Sl-Front, vit modestement un honorable praticien rural, qui partage sa vie entre la rude pratique de la médecine de campagne et le culte des beaux-arts. Cet estimable confrère s'est fait une collection précieuse et unique peut-être de portraits de médecins célèbres de tous les temps dont la peinture, la statuaire ou la gravure ont conservé l'image. Cette collection, M. le docteur Baratte, à rencontre de tous les collectionneurs, dont l'égoïsme est traditionnel, ne veut pas la conserver pour lui seul, et, grâce à la photographie, il a commencé la publication de ces portraits, qu'un tirage considérable permet de livrer à très bas prix. L'exécution photographique a été confiée à Pierre Petit, c'est dire qu'elle offre toutes les garanties d'une réussite certaine. Une trentaine de ces portraits, déjà exécutés, donnent la mesure de ce que sera cette collection précieuse. Mardi dernier, des épreuves de ces portraits circulaient pendant la séance de l'Académie de médecine, à laquelle M. Baratte a offert un exemplaire de chacun des portraits terminés, et tout le monde en admirait l'exécution splendide. —from L'Union médicale: journal des intérêts scientifiques et pratiques..etc. v. 22 (1864), p. 245.
Asile Sainte-anne. — L'année dernière, le Conseil général de la Seine avait émis le vœu qu'un laboratoire de photographie destiné à consigner d'une manière irrécusable les résultats anatomiques, fut installé à l'Asile Sainte-Anne.
Le bureau d'admission de cet asile reçoit, en effet, dans le courant de l'année, 2,500 à 3,000 malades présentant non seulement toutes les formes mentales) mais encore les dégénérescences physiques et intellectuelles les plus nombreuses et les plus variées. Des notes sont recueillies sur tous ces cas ; mais à l'observation écrite, il est bon de pouvoir ajouter la démonstration plus palpable que donne la photographie.
Nous apprenons qu'un projet a été élaboré pour l'exécution de ce laboratoire; les plans et devis ont été dressés et, soumis a la commission de surveillance, qui a émis un avis favorable à l'exécution des travaux, niais à la condition que les photographies des malades soient tirées en nombre strictement nécessaire à l'étude des maladies mentales, qu'elles restent la propriété do l'asile et ne soient, sous aucun prétexte, communiquées au dehors. —from Journal de médecine de Paris, vol. 1, 1881, p.587-588.
Began updating the catalog description for Leloir, Traité pratique et théorique de la lèpre. Added a jpeg of one of plates found on the web.
Updated Hauser's monograph on the Proteus Vulgaris bacillus titled, Fäulnissbacterien und deren Beziehungen zur Septicämie. Ein Beitrag zur Morphologie der Spaltpilze..
The theory that memory depends upon persisting movement has recently been advocated by Mr. Luys.2 He calls that property of the nervous elements by virtue of which vibrations in them persist phosphorescence, since it seems analogous to that property of phosphorescent substances which causes them to remain luminous after the source of their light has disappeared. Luminous vibrations, as shown by the investigations of Niepce de Saint Victor, may be garnered up in a sheet of paper and by the use of proper re-agents, made to appear months afterward. The same persistence of vibrations is illustrated in the common forms of photography.
A plate of dry collodion retains for weeks the changes produced in it by exposure for a few seconds to the sun's rays. Similarly in memory, vibrations of an impression persist in the nervous elements, and to revive the impression it is only necessary that a suitable awakening agency renew the vibrations.1
The second theory, that memory depends upon a persisting trace, has long been a favorite one. Plato taught it in his figurative way. And among the moderns it has not lacked adherents since the days of the physiologist Haller. Among recent writers Oliver Wendell Holmes has eloquently illustrated it.2 He deems the hypothesis probable, " that memory is a material record; that the brain is scarred and seamed with infinitesimal hieroglyphics, as the features are engraved with the traces of thought and passion."t A favorite illustration of this view has been the comparison of the brain in memory to a phonograph.4 Like the tinfoil of the latter, the brain preserves a trace of impressions made upon it, and may be called a " conscious phonograph." —extract from Memory, historically and experimentally considered (1889, "Am. J. Psychol.," v. 2, p. 571-572).
One of several images of leprosy in volume 2 of Henry Radcliffe Crocker's atlas, Diseases of the skin: their description, pathology, diagnosis, and treatment, published in 1905 (Philadelphia, Blackiston's, facing p. 907).
Cataloged William Noyes's article on paranoia.
Simply beautiful early photomicrographs of neurons brought into light by Golgi's stain, reported by Leopold Greppin.
Began cataloging a commemorative biography of one of Italy's greatest anatomists, Bartolomeo Panizza, written by one of Italy's greatest alienists, Andrea Verga.
Stopped cataloging Dietz, Essai sur l'éléphantiasis des Arabes. Will return to it when more information emerges.
Finished cataloging Boeck.
Began cataloging Boeck, Iagttagelser over enkelte sjeldnere Hudsygdomme i Norge, a compilation of papers originally published in Norsk Magazin for Laegevidenskaben.
Began cataloging Dietz.
Began revising Etude de voiture d'ambulance by Vercamer.
Hard to find graduate thesis research on sheep pox conducted by Hugo Carl Plaut. Title: Das organisierte Contagium der Schafpocken und die Mitigation desselben nach Toussaint's Manier.
A rare nineteenth century photograph of a rare genetic disorder–ichthyosis hystrix. Paper was written by Dr. James P. Ryan.
Second paper on sporadic cretinism, written by Sir Edward Charles Stirling of Adelaide University.
First of two papers on sporadic cretinism, both illustrated with photographs and published back to back in the Transactions of the Intercolonial medical congress. The first was written by Australia's Inspector-General of insane asylums, Dr. Frederic Norton Manning.
Added content to the Carlo Forlanini and Francesco Gatti desription.
The photographs (taken by Prof. S. H. Gage) here shown are believed to be the first ever made of " the foramen of Monro ;" in the enlarged one the orifice is seen to be bounded caudad by the thalamus, cephalad by the fornicolumn, ventrad by the continuity of the two, and dorsad by the endyma reflected from the parts named upon the intruded portiplexus. — Prof. Burt G. Wilder, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. T.; from an abstract published in Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 1885 ; Page 526.
Here is a paper on congenital vitiligo published by Carlo Forlanini and Francesco Gatti in the Annali universali di medicina e chirurgia.
Began cataloging a paper by Fitzgerald reporting his operation for talipes equino-varus which won over a number of converts. The paper is remarkable for its illustrations. Five leaves of albumens made by the Melbourne studio of Johnstone & O'Shannessy.
Finished cataloging Dr. Francis Bowe's report.
Dr. Ultzmann, teacher at the University of Vienna, lately read a paper before the Medical Society of Lower Austria, on the "Use of Photography in Medical Studios." Inter alia, he mentioned, on the authority of Dr. Vogel, that an eruption of small-pox had heon made evident by photography twenty-four hours before it actually came out. Although no one could as yet observe anything on the skin of the patient, the negative plate showed stains on the face which perfectly resembled the variolous exanthem, and twenty-four hours afterward the eruption became clearly evident, —Med. and Surg. Rep. [extract from, Baltimore physician and surgeon, Volumes 2-6 ; Page 7].
Began cataloging a medical mystery from 1889, reported by Dr. Francis Bowe of Maryborough, Queensland Australia. Title of the report is Diseases of Polynesians as seen in Queensland, and it is illustrated with an albumen photograph representing distal necrosis affecting a male native of Motlap.
Updated, Excision of the elbow-joint. showing results; from a series of 21 cases operated on at the Massachusetts, reported by Dr. Henry Harris Aubrey Beach in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.
De la prothèse immédiate, appliquée à la résection des maxillaires/ by Claude Martin of Lyons.
Janiceps asymmetros, by Augustus Caillé.
An early image of flash light photography—taken by Henry Piffard—illustrates this paper titled, The "boat-belly" of tubercular meningitis. Reported by Virgil Pendleton Gibney.
A second paper on contracture published by François-Alexis-Albert Gombault in the Revue photographique des hôpitaux de Paris.
A book commemorative of the mind of Edward Meryon who first described muscular dystrophy. Title of the book is Epigrams, epitaphs, personal anecdotes. There is nothing in the book that can be construed as medical, but it is valuable for the portrait of Dr. Meryon.
Here is a description to a paper on a pseudotumor of the buttock written by the great Édouard-Jacques-François Hervieux. Titled, Tumeur congénitale molluscoïde de la région fessière..&c.
Updated superintendent Samuel A. Powers photographic journal of small-pox.
Added a bibliographical reference for the two cabinet cards on pages 186 and 187 of the Mütter Museum Historic Medical Photographs atlas.
Added a bibliographical reference for the set of cabinet cards on pages 144 and 145 of the Mütter Museum Historic Medical Photographs atlas.
Bibliographical references for the photographs in the Mütter Museum Historic Medical Photographs atlas continue to emerge. Put up an index for the guide.
Catalogued a second paper on congenital malformity reported by Deffaux in the Revue photographique des hôpitaux de Paris.
Today's catalog entry is for the first published photograph of a horseshoe kidney.
Catalogued a paper written by Jean Cornillon titled, Corps fibreux de la grande lèvre droite chez une femme enceinte; accouchement naturel; ablation de la tumeur six semaines après la délivrance; gangrène; érysipèle; guérison.
Pseudarthrose de la jambe, written by Albert Gombault, a year or two after he became a member of the Charcot circle.
Updated Moore's 1867 monograph on epithelial cancer of the face.
This paper on infantile paralysis was coauthored by Henri Liouville who married Charcot's stepdaughter.
Corrected a mistake in the cataloging of a Charcot paper, entered on April 5.
Paper by Paul Reclus on tuberculosis of the urinary genital tract titled, Tubercules généralisés des organes génito-urinaires.
Completed the cataloging of Chondro-sarcome développé à l'extrémité inférieure du fémur; amputation...etc. written by Léon Labbé. Next up is a paper by Paul Reclus on tuberculosis of the urinary genital tract.
Began cataloging a paper by Léon Labbé.
A great specimen photograph of a chondroma reported by Charles-Henri Petit. Unfortunately there is very little known about this surgeon. Title of the paper: Chondrôme calcifié de la troisième côte gauche.
Early published photograph of an encephalocele reported by Pierre Budin. Titled, Spina bifida rachidien et cránien (méningo-encéphalocèle).
First published photograph of ulnar claw reported by Henri Duret, titled, Griffe consécutive a une lésion traumatique du nerf cubital.
Began cataloging a paper by Broca, Du Torticolis.
Cataloged Montméja's paper titled, Coloboma de la choroïde dans un seul oeil; absence d'iris dans les deux yeux.
Done with Charcot for now, moved on to Giraldès Nécrose circonscrite du maxillaire inférieur; gangrène partielle de la joue gauche; autoplastie. He was an expert on necrotizing abcesses of the jaw.
Began cataloging a Charcot paper on the polios, Groupe des myopathies de cause spinale; paralysie infantile.
Made a few more changes to the Duchenne paper.
Made extensive revisions to the description of the Duchenne paper, De l'atrophie musculaire progressive de l'enfance, et de son diagnostic éclairé par l'iconographie photographique.
Updated Duchenne, Album de photographies pathologiques complémentaire du livre intitulé De l'électrisation localisée.
Began updating Landouzy and Dejerine.
Today's link goes to a pretty scarce report on the tuberculosis bacillus that was published in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1885! Scant information is available on the author, Dr. Martin R. Corchado, not even dates of birth and death.
Began updating Benecke's translation of Moitessier titled, Die Photographie als Hilfsmittel mikroskopischer Forschung. Added an excerpt and translation from his introduction.
Finally found a copy of the Moitessier manual on photomicrography titled, La photographie appliquée aux recherches micrographiques.
Here is a very scholarly report of a case of mycosis fungoides written by Henry William Blanc who practiced in New Orleans.
A man with Recklinghausen's was surgically treated by Dr. Ernest T Tappey of Detroit. Tappey was an investor in, and board member of, several Detroit commercial and public enterprises.
Added another paper by B. Merrill Ricketts—a report on a congenital lymphedema of long duration affecting only the facies. Title: A case of nævoid elephantiasis.
Another interesting skin disorder—a lichen planus without pruritis reported by a Utica, New York, specialist, Dr. Charles Patterson Russell.
A very interesting skin disorder reported by Dr. Edward Bennett Bronson of the New York Charity Hospital. The subject was a 14 year-old boy who worked in a wallpaper factory.
Here is a paper by B. Merrill Ricketts, another physician photographer.
Finished cataloging Thibault and began cataloging White.
Began researching a doctoral thesis from a pupil of Jean Darier.
Updated a work by Recklinghausen & Meyer.
Society Of Amateur Photographers, New York.—By the courtesy of Chancellor McCracken and Professor D. W. Hering, of the University of the City of New York, part of the photographic exhibit of the University at the World's Fair was exhibited and described at a special meeting of the Society on December I9th. One specially interesting exhibit was an old camera box, made in 1839 for Professor John W. Draper by a carpenter living in Macdougal street, New York. This was copied from the cigar-box camera, first used in this country for making daguerreotypes. This latter camera was destroyed in the fire which gutted the old University Building. The next box showed improvements, there being an arrangement for focusing, and a marked scale. This is the first box specially constructed for portraiture. The next is dated 1840, and has a door for exposing, and is fitted with a removable ground-glass. The lens is shifted from the back. The iodine and also the mercury box used by Draper were shown. This included the apparatus shown. The chief feature of the evening was the exhibition of the first daguerreotype ever made of the human countenance. This is a portrait of Miss Draper, made by Professor Draper, in 1840, in Washington square. The subject's face was whitened with flour or chalk and an exposure of twenty minutes given. The exact date of the making of this picture is unknown, but that it was made before July 31, 1840, is proved by a letter alluding to this portrait, sent with the daguerreotype to Sir John Herschel. Other extremely interesting daguerreotypes, including several photomicrographs, were shown. Perhaps the most interesting, apart from the portrait, is the daguerreotype of the solar spectrum, made by Draper in 1842, in Virginia, showing the effect of the ultra-violet rays.
In the discussion which followed, Dr. O. G. Mason expressed doubt as to whether the picture shown was the first portrait made by Draper. Mr. Mason was the secretary of the society of which Dr. Draper was president, and saw, himself, Draper's first attempt, which was by no means as good as the daguerreotype exhibited. He thought that the first picture was destroyed in the fire.
Mr. H. J. Newton concurred with Dr. Mason, and said he could say for certain whether or not the picture exhibited was the first one made if he could see the back of the plate. Mr. Newton had had Dr. Draper's manuscript of his memoirs at his house, and said that Draper stated therein that the first portrait made was a picture of his wife, while this was of the sister.
Professor Hering said that there was no doubt but that this was the oldest photograph of a human face in existence, and no doubt but that the family of Professor Draper believe this to be the first portrait made.
Mr. Murray thought that this might have been the first good picture made, others of a more experimental nature having preceded it . The meeting ended with a demonstration of Floragraph paper.—New York: Anthony's photographic bulletin, vol. xxv (1894), p. 35.
Began reading and cataloging a biography of John William Draper.
Began reading and cataloging the second of two papers by Julius Wolff, this one on stress modeling the internal structures of the pathological femur.
Began reading and cataloging two papers by Julius Wolff on stress modeling the internal structures of the femur.
Here is Dr. George Fenwick's procedure for excision of the knee joint, illustrated with 10 beautiful collotypes.
It is always satisfying to find a missing piece to a bibliographical puzzle. The photographer who made the images for this report on the Trichina worm is the historically important figure, James Inglis, who had the largest studio in Montreal at the time.
Women And Obscene Literature.—A certain class of very good and well-meaning folk never tire of declaiming from the platform of the corrupt and licentious conduct of men, but from a recent discussion in Parliament respecting the rapid spread of corrupt literature in this country, it would appear that the male sex are not alone to blame in this matter. Indeed, were the corrupt literature business to depend on the patronage of men alone it would die a natural death. The chief customers of the vile traders in obscene publications and indecent prints and photographs are said to be women. In some parts of London there are reading-rooms and lending libraries open to females only, where young girls can have the use of private rooms, and a supply of indecent books and prints at a small charge. This is a matter which might well engage the attention of the Social Purity Association.—London Hospital Gazette.
First attempts of photographing the stomach are recorded here.
L. Rabe is the author of a paper on the structural changes to the interior architecture of the femur after a fracture. Unfortunately, there is scant biographical information on this surgeon.
