Another Mystery Solved

In our beautiful Krause Room, there are four busts that look down from the trim that surrounds the room and tops the bookcases. They are about ten feet off the ground, and are a bit difficult to see.

But half of that mystery was recently solved, when searching through an 1899 Maryland Medical Journal article about MedChi’s history. In the article, there was an engraving of a bronze bust with the caption as follows: Engraved from bronze bust in possession of Medical & Chirurgical Faculty. Nathan R. Smith, MD of Baltimore, 1797-1877.

Dr. Smith lived in Baltimore and was selected to become the chair of surgery at the University of Maryland in 1827, commencing an eventful, 50-year career. Considered a bold and skillful operator, Smith was known to his students as “The Emperor.” His removal of a goiter from a patient was the first procedure of its kind in Maryland and only the second thyroidectomy in the country. 

Something about the engraving in the article seemed familiar, so I went to the Krause Room to take close-up images of the busts. Once I spent a few minutes comparing the actual bronze to the engraving of the bronze, I realized that that they were the same person: Nathan Ryno Smith, MD. Interestingly, it looks like there are two small repairs on the bust, one on the top of his head and a smaller one on his clavicle.

As I continued to read the article, I realized another image showed the second of the four busts!

It is John D. Buckler, MD (1785-1866) and again, it’s an engraving from a bust in our collection.

He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1817 and was an adjunct professor of anatomy there, as well. This one was a bit easier because the hairstyles are so similar. 

Two down. Two to go!

MedChi Museum and Archives Now on Instagram!

Well, we have come whipping into the 21st century and set up an Instagram account for the MedChi Museum and Archives. The address is www.instagram.com/medchimuseum/ 

We would love it if you gave us a follow to see what we're doing. As you know, we are always finding interesting things in our collections, and if you follow along on Instagram, you will get a snapshot (haha) of that. The blog will be for longer, more informative posts.

The 2024 Hunt History of Medicine Lecture

One of the highlights of the History Committee's work is the annual Thomas E. Hunt, Jr., MD History of Medicine Lecture. And there was only one topic that we could present this year - Our Own History!

MedChi President, and medical history aficionado, Benjamin H. Lowentritt, MD, FACS, will present this year's lecture on the history of MedChi, "From Leeches to Lasers: 225 Years of Service."

This year's lecture will take place on Tuesday, October 22 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The evening will begin with a light reception and the lecture will begin at 6:00 p.m. There will be a time for questions and answers after the lecture.

Again this year, we will be presenting the lecture in hybrid form, but hope that you will join us in person and take the opportunity to visit the MedChi Museum of Maryland Medical History. 

When you RSVP, please let us know whether you will be attending in person or via Zoom. Additional details, including parking, will be sent out shortly before the event. If you have any questions, please email Meg Fielding HERE.

We will look forward to seeing at the Hunt Lecture!  

It's Ghost Tour Time!

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that Marcia plays a big role in our history! She was appointed as the first Executive Secretary in 1903 and worked for the "Faculty" from 1896 to 1946. She lived on the premises the entire time!

You may also know that she's still here. Over the past decades, we've discovered items that were not there the day before, seen shadows where there should not have been any, and heard footsteps when no one was around. We, of course, attribute all of the unexplained happenings to our dear Marcia.

With Halloween coming up quickly, we are again hosting the Second Annual Ghost Tours in our historic 1909 offices.

There are no guarantees that you will see Marcia, but there will be a few fun evenings of story-telling, history, and of course, tours of our building which is very rarely open to the public.

Tickets, which are $10 each, are absolutely required, and each evening is limited to 20 guests. Last year, we sold out the two evenings in two hours. The funds raised will support the History of Medicine in Maryland and the various programs associated with it. Scan or click the QR code below to purchase tickets. Tours begin at 6:30 and last about an hour and a half. Free parking is available on the premises.

When you get your ticket, at the end, you will be asked to choose evening you'd like to attend - Monday, Wednesday, or HALLOWEEN, when we suggest coming in costume! Click or scan the image above for tickets.

Dictionaire des Sciences Medicales (1813-1822)

A few weeks ago, I was at an actual live, in-person auction, and a lot of early 1800's French medical dictionaries came up for bid.

There wasn't a lot of interest in them (!), so I snatched them up for a great price. When I got them back to the office, I found that a full set of these books are valued at about $7,200! If you know me, you know I didn't pay that kind of price.

The collection numbered 50 volumes, including two indexes. The books were published by Imprimerie de Panckoucke and edited by C.L.F. Panckoucke between 1813 and 1822. Each volume numbers about 500+ pages, and the volumes aren't evenly divided, but are in sections such as Pht-Plad, or Eau-Emo. 

Most volumes have one or more engravings and some of them have fold-out charts. I have selected some of my favorite illustrations below. 

Polydactyl Hands

Checking the heartbeat

Orthopaedics

Something about a nose

Dwarf

Early Syringe

Although the bookplate illustrated at the top says Transylvania University, most of the other books were marked "The Dudley Heirs" or Walter O. Bullock, who was a physician in the late 1800s. I haven't been able to find anything about the Dudley Heirs.

MedChi and the National Anthem

Today marks the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore and the subsequent writing of the American National Anthem. One of the founders of the Medical & Chirurgical Faculty, now known as MedChi, played a pivotal role in its writing.

Dr. William Beanes, one of the 101 Founders, was a physician/farmer in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. As the British moved up the shores and waters of the Potomac River, the soldiers camped at Beanes' farm. On their way back from burning the capital, they again camped at his farm. They were jubilant after their victory, and stole a pig to celebrate.

Dr. Beanes thought that was a violation of his agreement with the British, and arrested one of them. He was then arrested by the commander of the British Army and taken by boat down the Potomac and up the Chesapeake towards Baltimore. The British planned to burn and bomb Baltimore into oblivion like they did in Washington.

A young lawyer, Francis Scott Key, nephew of MedChi's first president, was given the job of negotiating with the British for Dr. Beanes' release. As the boat Key and Beanes were on moored off of Fort McHenry, they watched the Fort being bombed for 25 straight hours. 

When the sun rose on the morning of September 14, Key and Beanes could see that "the flag was still there" and Key began to write the poem that eventually became our National Anthem. 

In summary, if Dr. Beanes had not been arrested, and if Beanes' friend, Upton Scott, MedChi's first President, hadn't had a nephew who was a lawyer, then neither of these two men would have been in the Baltimore harbor, and the anthem would not have been written. 

To watch a short video about MedChi's role in writing the National Anthem, please click here to go to the MedChi Museum and Archives' YouTube channel. While you're there, we have several other videos about our history and some of our early accomplishments.

If you would like to make a contribution to support MedChi's Museum and Archives, please click here. 

World Premiere! The Museum and Archives YouTube Channel!

For the past several months, I have been working on a series of twelve videos, and I have just created a YouTube channel, MedChi Museum and Archives, which will eventually feature all twelve of these video. Right now, there are only eight on-line, but expect the additional four or five shortly.

Here are the videos and links to them:

1. Our Founding Link

2. The First Meeting Link

3. The War of 1812 Link

4. The Napoleon Chest Link

5. The First Dental School Link

6. Sir William Osler, MD Link

7. Max Brödel, Medical Illustrator Link

8. What's in a Name? Link

Each video is about five minutes long, so I hope you will either watch them in one go, or dip in and out and watch a few at a time.

Let me know what you think!