When the United States entered World War I, Base Hospital 21, the medical reserve unit based at the Washington University Medical Center, placed a call for volunteers as the U.S. had yet to institute the draft. There was a great response from the public. In a nation of immigrants, many enthusiastically joined up in support [Read more]
A new historical exhibit titled, “Brain Localization: images and ideas through 500 years,” is on display from June 11 to September 14 on the seventh floor of the Bernard Becker Medical Library.
A very generous donation of archival materials was given to Becker Library in May 2018 consisting of letters, photographs, case reports, and other papers that had belonged to John T. Hodgen, one of the most prominent 19th century physicians in St. Louis.
April is National Poetry Month! That means it’s time for us to venture into the stacks and find examples of one of the most entertaining poetic subgenres: Medical Poetry.
Today, nearly 300 women attend Washington University School of Medicine, making up approximately 50 percent of the student body. One hundred years ago this month, the School of Medicine admitted its first women medical students.
This story is summarized from Valentina Suntzeff’s unpublished autobiography, which can be found in the Valentina Suntzeff Papers in the Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives. Early Life Valentina Davidovna was born in Kazan, Russia on February 28, 1891. Her father was a physician, and he encouraged Valentina to pursue medicine at a young age. When she entered [Read more]
We believe the earliest illustrations of the brain that can be found at Becker Library are in two books in from the 1490s: “Fasciculus medicinae, 1491” (facsimile 1988) and “Philosophia Pauperum (Philosophy for the simple),” 1496.
William Osler (1849-1919) is one of the most influential figures in North American medicine. After earning his MD from McGill University in 1872, he spent two years studying abroad in London, Berlin and Vienna before returning to McGill to teach. He remained at McGill until 1884, when he accepted the chair of clinical medicine at [Read more]
One of the great pioneers in research at Washington University School of Medicine was Lenabell McClelland Bell.
Applying to medical school today is widely known to be an intensive and rigorous process. In 1891, the year Washington University first offered medical education, an applicant to the university’s medical school only needed to satisfy any one of the four admission requirements listed below: A college degree A high school diploma A certificate denoting [Read more]