Medical America in the Nineteenth Century: Readings from the Literature

Preface

PREFACE An increasing interest in the development of medicine in America makes the need for a source-book apparent. I have, therefore, collected a series of papers to illuminate various aspects of the historical development of the medical profession and the commitment to public health in nineteenth-century America. The book is not intended to be a traditional collection of classical papers, although some are indeed classics, frequently cited but little read. Many wellknown papers, such as J. Marion Sims's description of vesico-vaginal fistula repair, have recently been reprinted and are already available. Instead, I have included selections that highlight problems and attitudes encountered in their time, to give the reader a better appreciation of what our forebears said and thought. This volume, then, is intended for all who wish to read, in their original form, the works of some of the important authors of the nineteenth century. It will become apparent that many problems faced by students, practitioners, and patients of that day are still being discussed. The introductions and references for each section are meant to give the entire volume some continuity, but more important, to help students find their way into a particular subject. The great scientific advances, beginning with the germ theory and the rise of the science of bacteriology in the last two decades of the 1800's, are touched upon, but only in so far as their surgical and hygienic applications are concerned. Papers by Walter Reed, Theobald Smith, George Sternberg, and many other medical scientists will be included in another volume dealing with the rise of scientific medicine in America between ca. 1880 and World War II, a period when the United States began to assume a preeminent position in world medicine . The final selection stands as a landmark of the beginning of a new era. It is also a fitting end for this volume. I have incurred several debts in the preparation of this book. Above all, I would like to express my appreciation to Professor Richard H. Shryock for his kindness and his encouragement, as well as for his many scholarly contributions in the history of medicine. All too often, when those of us who follow him think we have a good idea, it will be found to have been clearly stated already in one of his books or papers. Saul Benison, whose friendship and help have been ix x PREFACE invaluable, has been an encouraging and kindly critic who has saved me from a number of pitfalls. I also want to thank Professors Owsei Temkin, Lloyd G. Stevenson, and Charles E. Rosenberg for their suggestions and criticisms. I have not always heeded their advice, hence imperfections and omissions are chargeable to me. In most instances it has been necessary for me to shorten an article, and I hope my pruning will have been subtle enough so as not to be obvious. The spelling and punctuation of the essays have been modernized for easier reading. For typing and general assistance I owe thanks to Mrs. Mary Moore of the Institute of the History of Medicine,The Johns Hopkins University. GERT H. BRIEGER ...