We all use Boolean logic everyday when searching library databases or using a search engine (New Orleans Saints AND shirts). George Boole, the mathematician who established Boolean logic was born today (November 2nd) in 1815. His big breakthrough was that logic (which had previously been associated with philosophy) could instead be thought of mathematically.
NLM exhibit
With the news that Cholera has taken over 100 lives in Haiti, a National Library of Medicine exhibit on the history of the disease came to mind.
Louisiana has had its own battle with the disease. As recently as 1986, cases of cholera were reported in South Louisiana, including Jefferson Parish. Not to mention the over 4,000 people who died of the disease in New Orleans in 1832.
October 19th was the 67th anniversary of the discovery of streptomycin which proved to be effective against tuberculosis and other penicillin resistant infectious diseases.
African American surgeons, nurses and hospital staff have often been slighted in recognition of providing care for soldiers and civilians during the Civil War. Despite the challenges they faced due to race and gender, they simply downplayed the prejudices?áand carried out their duties as healers and caregivers.?á?áIn hopes to change that, a 6-banner traveling exhibit is making its way around different cities in the U.S. The fight for freedom seemed to be a family affair as some nurses served alongside their relatives. While the war showed opportunity for some, those who received a stipend, others were sent into the field by their owners who kept the money for themselves. One notable mention in the exhibit is Susie King Taylor, who served as a caregiver on the battlefield, yet didnÔÇÖt receive any compensation for her work.
To find a location near you, check out the traveling exhibition. If none are offered locally explore the exhibition online through the educational resources.
Have you ever wondered what it was like to sail the Seven Seas as a medical professional with the navy of the British Empire??á Thanks to the National Archives (UK) you can now get first hand information on the health issues experienced by British sailors as recorded in the journals and diaries of the Royal Navy Medical Officers.
In June 2008, the National Archives won a grant from the Wellcome Trust Research Resources in Medical History program to digitize the records of Royal Navy surgeons and assistant surgeons.?á These journals date from 1793 to 1880 and document the experiences of surgeons serving on Her MajestyÔÇÖs ships and in British naval hospitals, as well as on emigrant and convict ships.
The records, ÔÇ£which include a variety of colourful talesÔÇØ, can be easily searched by diseases, ailments, or names of medical officers or patients (HIPPA does not apply).?á They offer a wonderful insight into the medical practices and challenges faced by medical professionals of a bygone era.
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) recently launched a new digital repository that is entitled Digital Collections. This free online database provides access to biomedical books and videos, which are an important part of the NLMÔÇÖs interesting history.
The content in Digital Collection is in the public domain and is available worldwide. You can also find a link to this database through the libraryÔÇÖs Online Resources. Enjoy!
In 1884, cocaine was first used as a local anesthesia for eye surgery. Sigmund Freud even endorsed it. At the time it was considered much more useful than ether.
110 years ago today, Major James Carroll, a US Army Physician, “allowed an infected mosquito to feed on him in an attempt to isolate the means of transmission of yellow fever. Carroll developed a severe case of yellow fever, helping his colleague, Army pathologist Walter Reed, prove that mosquitoes transmit this often-deadly disease (from the Library of Congress).” James Carroll is one of the Yellow Fever Commission physicians featured on the Enrique Alferez frieze in the LSUHSC Library Commons. The featured men are Walter Reed, Aristides Agramonte (for whom the Library was originally named), Jesse Lazear, and James Carroll.
Conquest of Yellow Fever frieze by Enrique Alferez
The Exhibition Program of the National Library of Medicine produced a new online exhibit, An Odyssey of Knowledge, Medieval Manuscripts and Early Printed Books from the National Library of Medicine. Featuring twenty one medieval manuscripts and five early printed texts scanned at high resolution, the exhibit displays some of the most prized items held by the National Library of Medicine. It gives viewers a rare look at texts that are normally kept under lock and key, containing medical knowledge which spans over two millennia.
The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Library was chosen as a recipient for the Historical Preservation and Digitization Award. This $25,000 grant is awarded by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine South Central Region.
The title of the project is ÔÇ£Digitization of the Aristides Agramonte Collection on Yellow FeverÔÇØ and will be led by the Principle Investigators, Deborah Sibley and Molly Knapp.
The goal of the project is to digitize 149 rare books and journals identified as the first materials acquired for the LSU medical school library. The books belonged to Dr. Aristides Agramonte, a prominent pathologist and a proposed department chair at LSU before the School of Medicine opened; he passed away before he could begin his position. His collection includes a large number of early publications on yellow fever. Dr. Agromonte is a central figure in the historical Enrique Alferez frieze entitled ÔÇ£The Conquest of Yellow Fever.ÔÇØ This sculpture now hangs in the Library Commons.
Drink Only Approved Water
The History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine has a new online exhibit, the Iconography of Contagion, an exhibition of twentieth century health posters. The exhibition offers some posters from NLM’s collection as well as an historical perspective on their necessity.
On Saturday, April 24th, Louisiana State University will celebrate its 150th birthday. The Baton Rouge Advocate has produced a special section in anticipation of the anniversary on Sunday, April 18th.
The LSU School of Medicine was part of the main campus in Baton Rouge (even though it was in New Orleans) from its inception in 1931 until the Medical Center became its own campus in 1965.
| In need of an historical image to jazz up a presentation? Check out the Images from the History of Medicine Collection from the National Library of Medicine.
NLM does not own the copyright to the images in the database, nor do we charge access or permission fees for their use. We do request, however, that published images include the credit line “Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.” |
 Dental Clinical at Camp Livingston, Louisiana. 1943 |
This is the appropriate week to highlight the National Library of Medicine online exhibition, Frankenstein.
from the NLM online exhibit.
This online exhibition “explores Mary Shelley’s world that gave birth to Frankenstein. The exhibition considers how her novel provides a framework for discussions of contemporary bio-medical advances that sometimes challenge our understanding of what it means to be human.”
The National Museum of Health and Medicine has been digitizing many of its historic photos. While some of these are available in their online galleries, others are located on a Flickr page.
Check out this food safety poster from World War II.
Flickr is an online photo management tool. If you are having difficulty viewing this image, try switching to the firefox browser. Flickr images do not work with IE on campus.
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