[NOTE: This material is adapted from
NIH Publication No. 86-261,
a special color pamphlet issued in 1986 to commemorate the 150th
anniversary of the establishment of the National Library of Medicine.
The presentation attempts to follow the original as closely as possible
within the limits imposed by hypertext markup language (html).
Due to the passage of time, certain of the facts and figures cited
in the publication are now out of date, although it is still a
helpful introduction to the history and services of the Library.
Where necessary to avoid confusion or to point to more current
information, current editorial comments not in the original
pamphlet will appear within square brackets.
A few directional phrases referring to placement of figures in the original
have been deleted].
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
NEW FRONTIERS IN HEALTH COMMUNICATION
SESQUICENTENNIAL 1836-1986
About the Cover
The nearly life-size "Portrait of Professor Gross,"
also called "The Gross Clinic,"
was painted by Thomas Eakins in 1875.
Eakins had attended lectures at the Jefferson Medical College
and had undoubtedly seen Samual David Gross, Chairman of Surgery,
both as lecturer and in the clinic.
Eakins' students and friends posed as the spectators of the operation.
In addition, Eakins included a self-portrait of himself sketching
the procedure at the center right of the painting.
The procedure which is being performed is the removal of a piece of bone
diseased by osteomyelitis.
The woman in the picture is a relative of the patient and her presence
indicates that this is a charity case.
The law at that time required that a relative be present for surgery
on a charity patient,
a situation which was permitted by doctors who even then wished to avoid
malpractice suits.
The painting has remained at Jefferson since 1875 despite attempts
by the National Gallery of Art to acquire it.
Courtesy Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
About the Illustrations
The works of art used to illustrate the sections of this brochure
where chosen to link past to present as part of the
Sesquicentennial or the National Library of Medicine.
The pieces selected demonstrate not only technical aspects of medicine in
history,
but also allow us access to the manner in which the poeple of various periods
in history preceived the medical practitioners of their time.
Unless otherwise indicated,
the illustrations are from the prints and photographs collection
of the National Library of Medicine.
Instruction in Surgery.
Five physicians and their colleagues in the surgical amphitheatre of
the Massachusetts General Hospital watch as the anesthetist administers
ether to a patient who is about to have surgery.
This illustration appeared in an 1889 issue of Harper's Weekly.
Next page
History of Medicine exhibits
Instruction in Surgery.
Five physicians and their colleagues in the surgical amphitheatre of
the Massachusetts General Hospital watch as the anesthetist administers
ether to a patient who is about to have surgery.
This illustration appeared in an 1889 issue of Harper's Weekly.