Armed Forces Institute of Pathology: Its First Century 1862-1962

Armed Forces Institute of Pathology: Its First Century 1862-1962
by Robert S. Henry

4133807Armed Forces Institute of Pathology: Its First Century 1862-1962Robert S. Henry

The Armed Forces Institute

of Pathology

The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology

Its First Century

1862-1962

by

Robert S. Henry, A.B., LL.B., Litt.D.

OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1964

THE ARMED FORCES INSTITUTE OF PATHOLOGY

Advisory Editorial Board

Colonel John Boyd Coates, Jr., MC, USA, Chairman
Colonel James E. Ash, MC, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General George R. Callender, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Raymond O. Dart, USA (Ret.)
Major General Elbert DeCoursey, USA (Ret.)
Howard T. Karsner, M.D.
Rear Admiral William M. Silliphant, USN (Ret.)

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 63-60060

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $4.25 (Buckram)

Contents

	Page,
FOREWORD	v
PREFACE	xi
Chapter
I. The Institute and Its Ancestry	1
The Threefold Mission	1
The American Registry of Pathology	2
"Unique in the World"	5
II. Background and Beginnings
Some Medical Problems of the 1860's	8
A New Surgeon General	9
The Scientific Approach	11
The First Curator	13
Collecting Specimens	17
New Quarters for the Museum	23
Grounds for Anxiety	26
Plans for an Army Medical School	28
The Museum's Collections Grow	29
Hammond in Exile	30
The Second Curator	32
Reorganization of the Museum	32
Pioneering in Microscopy	34
Woodward, Curtis, and the Camera	36
The Museum and the Lincoln Tragedy	41
III. Second Wind	51
Supply and Funding for the Museum	51
Increasing Activities of the Museum	53
The Museum's Fourth Home	54
Praise from Foreign Visitors	60
The Museum and the Medical Profession	63
The Museum and the Congress in the 1870's	63
Enlarging the Aims of the Museum	65
Varied Uses of the Museum	66
Scientific Skepticism as to Bacteria	66
The Third Curator	68
The Museum and the Garfield Tragedy	68

Chapter	Page
IV. Broadening the Base	73
Inadequate Quarters	73
Support From the Medical Profession	76
A New Surgeon General Presses for a New Building	77
Objections to Proposed New Building	78
John Shaw Billings Becomes Curator	79
The Museum Moves	82
A Shift in Emphasis	84
The "Old" and the "New" Museums	84
Dr. Billings' Appraisal	85
V. An Ending and A Beginning	89
The Museum and the Army Medical School	90
Walter Reed, Curator	93
Problems With Space	95
The Prime Source of Specimens	98
Bacteriology and Roentgen Rays at the Museum	100
Services of Dr. Billings	101
Animal Experimentation at the Museum	103
The Spanish-American War	105
VI. The Walter Reed Chapter	107
Yellow Fever Epidemics	107
Studies on Transmission	109
The Yellow Fever Board at Work	112
Dr. Finlay's Mosquito Theory	118
Human "Guinea Pigs"	119
The Death of Dr. Lazear	120
Studies at Camp Lazear	122
Soldier Volunteers	124
Testing the " Fomites" Theory	125
Transmission by Mosquitoes Established	127
Search for a Cause	130
VII. Triumph Over Typhoid	133
Typhoid and the Medical Museum	134
The Typhoid Board's Report	135
A New " Villain"— The Fly	137
Changes in the Museum Command	139
Volunteers for Vaccination Against Typhoid	139
European Experience	142
Compulsory Vaccination Introduced	143

Chapter	Page
VIII. The "Pickle Factory" Period	147
The Army Medical School Moves Out	148
Changes at the Museum	150
Changes in Classification	153
The Devotion of Dr. Lamb	156
IX. The Museum in a World at War	159
Making Pathologists in a Hurry	160
Dr. James Ewing's Mission	161
The Autopsy Question	162
Procurement of Specimens	163
Two Museums in One	165
Launching the Movement for a New Building	167
Applying the Graphic Arts to Medicine	170
Motion Pictures	171
Pictures as Training Methods	174
Use of Animated Drawings	176
The Museum Goes Abroad	179
Necropsy Service in the AEF	180
Medical Photography in the AEF	183
The Museum's Major Aim	186
X. The Institute Idea	189
The First Practicing Pathologist to Become Curator	191
Space Problem Intensified	191
Plans for a Great Medical Center	194
American Registry of Pathology	197
Working in a New Direction	198
Varied New Activities of the Museum	201
Possible Courses of Action	203
XI. The Registry Movement	207
Objective of the Registry	209
Organized Civilian Cooperation	212
Histopathology and the Museum	214
Inescapable Housekeeping	216
The Museum at Threescore Years and Ten	218
The Dental and Oral Registry	220
More Registries Formed	221
Publications of the Registries	222
Advantages of the Registry System	224

Chapter	Page
XII. Between the Wars	227
Deterioration at the Museum	228
Inadequate Space, Insufficient Personnel	230
Working Under Handicaps	231
The Edgar Bequest	234
Gaining Ground	235
Prospects for a New Home	236
A New Building— Where and When?	239
Action Delayed	241
XIII. Pathology Worldwide	245
Regional Centers for Histopathology	246
Increase in Personnel	249
A New Name for a New Organization	250
Scientific Investigations	251
The Attack on Tropical Diseases	254
Use of Materials for the Study of Pathology	256
Study Sets	257
The Army Medical Illustration Service	259
Storage of Museum Collections	264
Veterans' Administration and the Museum	265
Words of Appreciation	267
XIV. The Immediate, Imperative Objective	269
Continued Efforts To Get a New Building	270
Changes in Role of the Museum	271
Problems of Location	272
Building Plans Reviewed	277
Scientific Advisory Board of the AFIP	280
The Hawley Board	283
XV. New Name, New Home, New Responsibilities	287
Legislative Tangles	289
Congressional Hearings	289
A Bomb-Resistant Structure	292
Going Ahead on the New Building	293
Breaking Ground	295
Laying the Cornerstone	302
Dedication	307
XVI. Carrying On in the "Old Red Brick"	311
The Cooney Committee	315
Atomic Bomb Research Unit	318
Atlas of Tumor Pathology	320

Chapter	Page
XVI. Carrying On in the "Old Red Brick" — Continued
The American Registry	324
The Medical Illustration Service	326
Rebirth of the Medical Museum	330
Research Programs	332
TriService Administration	334
XVII. Life in the New Building	337
Shortage of Space	344
Expanded Facilities and Services	346
Program of Education	351
The American Registry of Pathology	356
The Medical Illustration Service	357
Television	361
The Museum's Movements	366
International Efforts	369
Aerospace Pathology	371
XVIII. Into the Second Century	373
Organization	373
The Four Departments	377
Extramural Monetary Support	386
Scope of the Institute's Activities	390
Emphasis on Research	391
APPENDIXES
A. A Chronologic Synopsis of Events	395
B. Board of Governors, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology	403
C. Scientific Advisory Board Members, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology	405
index	407

Illustrations

Figure
1. Brig. Gen. William Alexander Hammond, The Surgeon General, U.S. Army, 1862-1864	10
2. Circular No. 2, Surgeon General's Office, 21 May 1862	12
3. Circular No. 5, Surgeon General's Office, 9 June 1862	14
4. Group of U.S. Army medical officers prominent in the history of the Army Medical Museum and the Library of The Surgeon General . . .	15
5. Maj. John Hill Brinton, U.S. Volunteers, first Curator of the Army Medical Museum, 1862-1864	16

Figure	Page
6. Surgeon John H. Brinton, with a group of Union Army officers in the field	18
7. A page from the first Catalogue of the Army Medical Museum.	21
8. The first home of the Museum	23
9. The second home of the Museum	24
10. The third home of the Museum	26
11. The "Incredible" General Sickles and his leg bones	31
12. Lt. Col. George A. Otis, the second Curator of the Army Medical Museum, 1864-1881	33
13. Lt. Col. Joseph J. Woodward, MC	35
14. Maj. Edward Curtis, U.S. Volunteers	37
15. Photomicrography spreads
16. Pioneer photomicrography
17. Photomicrography by artificial light	42
18. Diatom, a form of unicellular life of microscopic size, magnified by 2,540 diameters	43
19. Bullet that ended President Lincoln's life, instrument used to locate it, and bone fragments which adhered to it	45
20. Hermann Faber	46
21. Sketch made by Hermann Faber	47
22. Reward poster, revised	48
23. Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Barnes, The Surgeon General of the Army, 1864- 1882	52
24. The fourth home of the Museum	55
25. Museum visiting rules	57
26. Main exhibit hall of the Museum, Ford's Theater building, 1866-1887	58
27. Early "dry" exhibits in comparative anatomy	61
28. Wet specimens on display enclosed in glass	64
29. Surgeon David Low Huntington, U.S. Army, third Curator of the Museum, 1881-1883	69
30. Bullet from the body of President Garfield	70
31. Maj. Charles Smart, Surgeon, U.S. Army	74
32. Dr. John Shaw Billings, famed Librarian, fourth Curator of the Museum, 1883-1893	80
33. Fifth home of the Museum	82
34. Foundation and evolution of the microscope collection	86
35. Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion	91
36. Brig. Gen. George M. Sternberg, The Surgeon General of the Army, 1893-1902	92
37. Maj. Walter Reed, fifth Curator of the Museum, 1893-1902 94
38. Army Medical School laboratories, located in the Museum-Library building in the first decade of the 20th century	96
39. Early X-ray apparatus at the Medical Museum	102
40. Early dental equipment	104

Figure	Page,
41. Dr. Carlos Juan Finlay	111
42. Lt. James Carroll, a member of the Yellow Fever Board, became sixth Curator of the Army Medical Museum, 1902-1907	114
43- Dr. Jesse W. Lazear, a member of the Yellow Fever Board	115
44. Dr. Aristides Agramonte, Cuban member of the Yellow Fever Board .	116
45- Camp Lazear	123
46. Maj. Frederick F. Russell, seventh Curator of the Museum, 1907-1913	140
47- Maj. Frederick F. Russell vaccinating volunteers against typhoid	144
48. World War I typhoid vaccination	145
49. Rented quarters of the Army Medical School in 1910	149
50. Maj. Eugene R. Whitmore, eighth Curator of the Museum, 1913-1915	151
51. Dr. Daniel Smith Lamb	I55
52. Col. Champe C. McCulloch, Jr., ninth Curator of the Museum, 1915-1916	158
53. Col. William O. Owen, tenth curator of the Museum, 1916-1919 .	168
54. Colonel Owen's "dream" of a new Museum and Library building, as pictured by Lt. Morris L. Bower, October 1918	169
55. Laboratory of Dr. William M. Gray	170
56. Instruction Laboratory, World War I	172
57- Film dealing with venereal disease, produced by the Instruction Laboratory	173
58. Establishment of Anatomical Art Department is announced	177
59- Headquarters for medical art in the Army Medical Museum, World War I	178
60. Samples of scenes and messages from lantern slide sets developed for instructional use by the Army Medical Museum	181
61. Col. Charles F. Craig, eleventh Curator of the Museum, January-September 1919	190
62. Maj. George R. Callender, twelfth Curator, 1919-1922, and fourteenth Curator, 1924-1929, of the Museum	192
63- The "Great Hall" of the Museum in the 1890's	195
64. Gross pathological laboratory, Army Medical Museum	196
65- President and Mrs. Eisenhower congratulate Mrs. Helenor Campbell Wilder	200
66. Maj. James F. Coupal, thirteenth Curator of the Museum, 1922-1 924 .	208
67- Dr. Howard T. Karsner	210
68. Title page and an illustration from volume XII of "The Medical Department of the United States Army in the World War"	213
69. Col. James E. Ash, fifteenth Curator, 1929-1931; twentieth Curator, 1937-1946; and first Director, Army Institute of Pathology, 1946-1947 .	215
70. Maj. Paul E. McNabb, sixteenth Curator of the Museum, 1931-1933	217
71. Maj. Virgil H. Cornell, seventeenth Curator of the Museum, 1933-1935	219
72. Maj. T. C.Jones, VC, Registrar, Registry of Veterinary Pathology, Army Institute of Pathology	223

Page
73. Brig. Gen. Raymond O. Dart, eighteenth Curator of the Museum, 1935-1936; second Director, Army Institute of Pathology, 1946-1949; and first Director, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1949-1950	229
74. Capt. Hugh R. Gilmore, Jr., nineteenth Curator of the Museum, 1935- 1937	232
75- Maj. Harry A. Davis	237
76. Architects' drawing of a new home for the Library and Museum, authorized by Congress in September 1941	243
77. Schematic representation of the flow of pathological materials during World War II	248
78. A unit of the Museum and Medical Arts Department of the Museum photographing a diseased native of a tropical isle	251
79. Maj. Gen. Norman T. Kirk, The Surgeon General of the Army, presents to Col. Balduin Lucke the Legion of Merit	253
80. Various methods used by the medical illustrator to present the picture of trauma and disease	260
81. "Wounds" for training purposes	263
82. Main exhibit hall of the Medical Museum in the 1930's	272
83. Maj. Gen. Norman T. Kirk outlining, to a press conference, plans for a new medical center	277
84. Colonels James E. Ash and Raymond O. Dart look over an exhibit prepared for the American Medical Association Meeting in 1946 .	278
85- Sixth home of the Museum, Chase Hall, 1947-1960	281
86. Materials awaiting inventory as the Medical Museum moved from warehouse storage to Chase Hall	281
87. A corner of the exhibits of the Museum as shown in Chase Hall	282
88. Scale model of the new building as planned before the requirement that the structure be blast-resistant	291
89. Brig. Gen. Elbert DeCoursey, second Director, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1950-1955	294
90. Lt. Col. Colin F. Vorder Bruegge	296
91. Programs for the three ceremonial steps in the erection of the AFIP building	298
92. Turning of the sod	301
93. Clearing the site of the new building	303
94. Excavation troubles	304
95- Cornerstone laying ceremony	305
96. Typical floor plan of new Armed Forces Institute of Pathology building	307
97. Coverage of the dedication ceremonies in the Service Stripe	308
98. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicates the new building	309
99. Quarters in the old red brick building in the 1940's	312
100. Mary Frances Gridley	314
101. Samples of the fascicles	321

Figure	Page
102. Diagnostic consultation, under the direction of Dr. Hugh G. Grady, Scientific Director, American Registry of Pathology, 1949-1957	323
103- A sample study kit	325
104. President Harry S. Truman inspects an Institute exhibit on U.S. Government hospital services, shown at an American Hospital Association meeting	327
105. Antonio Cortizas	328
106. Roy M. Reeve	329
107. Aerial view showing the location of the Institute building in relation to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center	335
108. Dr. Ernest W. Goodpasture, first Scientific Director, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1955-1959	338
109. Capt. William M. Silliphant, MC, USN, third Director, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1955-1959	340
110. Col. Joe M. Blumberg, MC, USA, Deputy Director, 1957-1963, and Director, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1963- ; Scientific Director, American Registry of Pathology, 1960-	341
111. Capt. Roger H. Fuller, MC, USN, Deputy Director, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1959-1963	342
112. Col. Frank M. Townsend, USAF, MC, fourth Director, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1959-1963	343
113. Dr. Robert E. Stowell, second Scientific Director, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 1959-	345
114. Specimens in storage and on display	346
115. Dr. Elson B. Helwig, Chief, Department of Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology	349
116. Optical and electron microscopes	351
117. Educational sessions	353
118. Handling radioactive materials	356
119. The evolution of an emblem, for the Institute	359
120. Award-winning exhibits of the Medical Illustration Service	361
121. War surgery told largely in pictures	363
122. Printing the fascicles of the Atlas of Tumor Pathology	364
123. Modern photomicrography apparatus	365
124. Television camera mounted in ceiling of Armed Forces Institute of Pathology autopsy room	366
125. Col. Joseph L. Bernier lectures with the use of visual aids	367
126. Threefold mission of the Institute	374
127. The Institute Organization, 1962	375
128. The three Surgeons General and The Director, AFIP, participate in the unveiling of a plaque on 19 July 1962	376
129. Executive officer and administrative staff	377
130. Organizational chart, Department of Pathology, 1 February 1962	378
131. Department of Pathology staff, Professional Divisions	379

Figure	Page
132. Administrative staff, Department of Pathology	380
133- Lawrence W. Ambrogi, Chief, Histopathology Laboratories	381
134. American Registry of Pathology staff	388
135- Medical Illustration Service staff	389
136. Curator and staff of Medical Museum, 1962	390
137. Building erected for the Army Medical Museum and the Army Medical Library in 1887	391
138. The Institute's expanding research program	392