Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Synapsis Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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pieuRS 1

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Until recently, medical historians of this millenium had assumed that health maintenance facilities of the area once known as Philadelphia were geographically limited to the central portion of the city. This assumption was based upon the excavations of previous expeditions as outlined in area A of the map in figure 1 (facing page). It was not until the extremely fortuitous discovery of glyphs on the facade of an already known bastion of academe (photo. 1, details A B), that indications of a more extensive medical complex were first brought to the attention of this committee. Guided and inspired by the aforementioned glyphs, an expedition was IMMEDIATELY formed to re-evaluate that sector of Philadelphia (figure 1, area B) not previously investigated.

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To the excavators of site D (see figure 1, area B), it soon became apparent that they had unearthed a find of momen- tous import. As the work progressed, an increasing number of artifacts were uncovered, allowing the investigators to piece together a fascinating picture of a hitherto unknown school of medicine, differing in philosophy, politics, and economics from those already known. From student accounts, memoirs, and additional glyphs, it soon became obvious that the philosophic tenets held by the scholars at this site had differed so sharply from con- temporaneous medical authorities that the defensive struc- tures known in the artist ' s reconstruction were thought necessary by the powers of the institution. It is interesting to note, however, that no reference to either the institution or its philosophy has as yet been uncovered by researchers in area A. As additional portions of the structure were unearthed, references were found to a satellite facility on the periphery of the municipal area (figure 1, area C). An exploration of this new site was begun, although limited in scope by lack of funding. To date, no evidence of fortifications has been found there, suggesting vastly improved relations with the other medical authorities of the city at the time of its construction. FACING PAGE: Artist ' s recon- struction of the facility at site D, as observed upon excavation. (Detail added in accord with student accounts of the period, unearthed at this site and elsewhere.)