University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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UNIVERSITY O F PITTSBURGH History of the Medical School THK Directory of 1815. of the City of Pittsburgh, contains an article which tells of the formation, in 1814. of a Western Pennsylvania Medical Society. In 1815. it owned a library, chemical and philosophical apparatus, and a cabinet of minerology. Meetings were held every two weeks in a room in the Court House. Dr. Joel Lewis was the lecturer on anatomy; Dr. B. Troust, lecturer on chemistry: M. M. Murray, attorney, lecturer on botany; Mr. l'red Ayster, lecturer on minerology; Joseph Patterson, Ksq., lecturer on astronomy and natural philosophy. This was the first organization, of any kind, in Western Pennsylvania which was founded for the purj ose of studying subjects allied with medicine. In 1864. the Bedford Medical Society had its first meetings. It was named for Dr. Nathaniel Bedford, a pioneer physician of Pittsburgh, and a founder of the Pittsburgh Academy, now the 1‘niversity of Pittsburgh. Nathaniel Bedford came to America from Hngland with the British Army and having settled in Pittsburgh, practiced medicine from 1770 to 1818. This Society met weekly and held all its members responsible for doing serious work in making the meetings worth while. Any member absenting himself three nights in a month was suspended. The club expired in 1885. In nature and in spirit, it would appear that the Pittsburgh Academy of Medicine was the natural successor of the Bedford Medical Society, or it might be said that the Bedford Medical Society was continued after 1888 in the Pittsburgh Academy of Medicine. Our School of Medicine has no direct ancestry in these societies, but from these sources came the incentive for the foundation of a medical school, for undergraduates, in Pittsburgh. There was an article on this subject in a Pittsburgh newspaper of 1848, of unknown origin, but it was in a paper read by Dr. Andrew Fleming, at a meeting of the Bedford Medical Society at the office of Dr. James King, January 26. 1865. that the question was very definitely raised. The members of the society seemed to have been greatly impressed, because they voted for the publication of the pa| er in the Commercial Journal. There were certain general causes for the advocacy of a medical school at this time. There was an increase in the number of medical students commensurate with the growth of population in Western Pennsylvania, and it seemed unjust to allow these persons to go elsewhere for their medical education when the mines and mills about Pennsylvania provided such a wealth of material in surgical work. But more specific causes can Ik- found in two acts of the State Legislature. One act provided for the distribution by a State Anatomical Board to physicians and students for dissection, of unclaimed bodies of i ersons dying in state institutions or elsewhere. Obviously this law was highly beneficial to the cause of medical education. Another act concentrated the schooling of practicing physicians of Pennsylvania within the state, by requiring the endorsement of graduates of schools outside the state by one of the state medical colleges. All the medical colleges of Pennsylvania -Jefferson, University of Pennsylvania, Hahnemann, and the Woman’s Medical College—were located in Philadelphia. There was none in Western Pennsylvania. The actual founders of the Western Pennsylvania Medical School were Dr. James McCann, a man of character, a surgeon, and the author of a definite program for the college; Dr. James B. Murdock, a student of surgical literature; 27

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M I C A L S C H O O L Founders and Original Faculty of the Western Pennsylvania Medical College Now School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh William J. Asdai.k, M.D., Professor of Diseases of Women Samukl Aykks, M.I)., Professor of Nervous and Mental Diseases Hugo Blank, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry Nathaniel W. Brown, M.D., Professor of Hygiene Austin (I. Cask, M.D., Professor of Diseases of Children J. C. Connell, M.D., Professor of Botany, Materia Medica and Thera| eutics John Milton Duff, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics J. C. Dunn, M.I)., Professor of Diseases of the Skin William T. English, M.D., Professor of Physical Diagnosis Thomas I.. Hazzard, M.D., Professor of Physiology Herman W. H ecu elm an, M.D., Professor of Diseases of Eye and Ear Cyrus B. King, M.D., Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery J. Chris Lang, M.I).. Professor of Principles and Practice of Medicine John S. Maron, M.D., Professor of Diseases of Xose and Throat E. A. Mundorf, M.D.. Professor of Pathology and Histology James B. Murdoch, M.D., Professor of Practical and Operative Surgery James McCann, M.D., Professor of Principles and Practice of Surgery T. M. T. McKennan, M.D.. Professor of Anatomy J. K. Slagle, LL.D., Professor of Legal Medicine Whitmore Snively, M.D.. Practice of Medicine and Clinical Medicine J. I). Thomas, M.D., Professor of Genito-Urinary and Venereal Diseases E. A. Wood, M.D., Professor of Dietetics Thomas D. Davis, M.I). Dimidium Facti Qui, Coe fit, Habct 26

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MEDICAL SCHOOL Dr. |. Chris Lange. an internist and a very conservative practitioner; Dr. Whitmore Snively. an eloquent diagnostician who was called KI” by his friends Itccausc of his preference of this drug for various chronic diseases; Dr. Cyrus B. King, an orthopedic surgeon and a general surgeon as well; and Dr. William J. Asdalc, a medical man and a gynecologist. Among themselves and their friends in the medical profession enough stock in the school was sold to provide a working capital for the venture. This was necessary because there was no endowment for the school. By means of this fund the original building which housed the medical school was erected on Brereton Avenue, adjoining the W estern Pennsylvania Hospital. Originally the Dissecting room was to have been in the old building of the Pittsburgh Free Dispensary, built by the “Turners”. But this plan was changed and the scope of the college was enlarged by an operating pavilion built at the south end of the surgical wards of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital and by a dispensary building and women's clinic, “The Emma Kaufmatin Clinic.” donated by Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Kaufmann. These are the original buildings of the college. The original faculty had the following members: Dr. Samuel Ayers, professor of Nervous and Mental Disorders; Dr. Win. J. Asdalc, Professor of Diseases of Women; Dr. X. W. Brown, Professor of Hygiene; Dr. Hugo Blanck, Professor of Chemistry; Dr. Austin (I. Case. Professor of Diseases of Children; Dr. J. Connell, Professor of Botany, Materia Medica and TherajK-utics; Dr. J. C. Dunn, Professor of Diseases of Skin: Dr. John Miller Duff, Professor of Obstetrics; Dr. W. T. English, Professor of Physical Diagnosis; Dr. Herman W. Hechelman. Professor of Diseases of Eye and Ear; Dr. Thomas I.. Hazzard, Professor of Physiology; Dr. Cyrus B. King, Professor of Orthojiedic Surgery; Dr. J. Chris Lange, Professor of Principles and Practice of Medicine; Dr. James B. Murdock. Professor of Practical and Operative Surgery; Dr. John J. Mabon. 28