Informational works

Elements area

Taxonomy

Code

http://id.loc.gov/authorities/genreForms/gf2014026113

Scope note(s)

  • Works whose main purpose is to record and convey factual information.

Source note(s)

  • Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Display note(s)

    Equivalent terms

    Informational works

      Associated terms

      Informational works

        263 Archival description results for Informational works

        US AA103 · Collection · 1850-1944

        This small collection includes a letter, a hymn, and several books written by William A. Muhlenberg, a few inscribed to particular people. Several books written about him are included, the most significant by Dr. Robert Abbe, which describes Muhlenberg's childhood, and bears Abbe’s autograph, and Muhlenberg’s personal Bible. The finding aid container list also includes other books about the family and its history that are held in the archives library.

        St. Luke's Hospital Center. Richard Bolling Medical Library
        US AA098 · Collection · 1850 - 2015

        The records of St. Luke’s Hospital Center (1857-1979) includes the records of the earlier years of St. Luke’s Hospital (1857-1952), prior to merging with Woman’s Hospital (1953); the addition of the word “Center” to the name in 1965 is to indicate the multiple institutions involved. The collection is stronger in the administrative records; the clinical records contain within are sparse and incomplete. Some of what is here are restricted under HIPPA laws because they contain personal information on patients.

        The materials include meeting minutes and reports of the Board of Managers and Medical Board and their executive committees as well as some alumni groups; correspondence; committee, death logs; patient casebooks; photographs; videos; legal briefs, opinions, real estate documents and patents; by-laws, acts, and constitution of the hospitals; dietary and formulary lists; superintendent’s statistics logs; pastor’s records; some departmental records; patient and medical library records; event programs; house staff skit scripts; St. Johnland documents; medical and surgical reports; military records; various publications, both historical and commercial; newsletters; reprints of doctors’ articles; artifacts, both medical, military, and historical and ephemera.

        St. Luke's Hospital Center (New York, N.Y.)
        Meeting Minutes
        US AA098.S001.SS001.SS001 · Subseries · 1850-1979
        Part of St. Luke's Hospital Center records

        This series includes the minutes from the Board of Managers of St. Luke's Hospital. It also includes a folder with a "General Index to Book of Minutes, St. Luke's Hospital, 1850 May 16 1870 Apr 25," which sums up significant events from the minutes in that time frame. In 1953 St. Luke's Hospital and the Woman's Hospital in the State of New York merged and the Board of Managers was renamed the Board of Trustees. The first two volumes (1850-1892) include indices. Minutes dated November 1965 to January 1974 may include Board of Trustee Executive Committee meeting minutes. In 1979 St. Luke's Hospital Center and Roosevelt Hospital merged and Board of Trustee meeting minutes after October 1979 would be found under the St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center series.

        St. Luke's Hospital Center. Board of Trustees
        US AA101 · Collection · 1854-1966 (bulk 1855-1952)

        The documents comprising the records of the Woman’s Hospital in the State of New York include annual reports, committee reports, meeting minutes, correspondence, photographs, reprints and written works prepared by the medical staff, 19th century patient casebooks, the manuscript of the first gynecological text book in the U.S., notebooks recording expectant fathers’ thoughts, original gynecological illustrations for text books, and medical instruments. Although most of the material deals with the administrative aspects of the hospital, documentation of the medical staffs’ accomplishments is also provided.

        Bound volumes of annual reports, which include reports from the Woman’s Hospital Association, Board of Governors, Board of Supervisors and the Medical Department, form the most complete series among these records, though the collection lacks the first 22 volumes of reports, and only starts at Volume 23, 1877-1878. The reports provide a description of the hospital’s organizational structure and its constitution and by-laws. Additionally, each offers an overview of the major events and accomplishments for that year: statistical data, such as the number of patients admitted and treated, financial information concerning the budget, and donations and their donors. Several of the reports include the text of speeches given at the annual combined meetings of the Boards and biographical sketches of hospital physicians. (Note: Earlier copies of Woman’s Hospital annual reports are found at the New York Historical Society.)

        Also included in the annual reports are monthly and quarterly reports submitted to the Board of Governors by the Boards and their committees. Their dates and numbers imply that several are missing. These reports include statistical information, e.g., number of patients being treated, financial data, and descriptions of the hospital’s physical condition. Although incomplete, the medical reports provide statistical and narrative reports of the pathologist and other physicians.

        Minutes of meetings constitute a significant portion of this collection. They record the proceedings of the various Boards and their respective committees. The discussions reveal the hierarchy in the Woman’s Hospital organizational structure. There are gaps in the reports, however.

        Some correspondence addressed to the Board of Governors has been filed with the Board’s records. Several of the letters refer to appointments of physicians and other personnel, while the remainder are general in nature.

        The casebooks span dates between 1855 and 1871 and include patient information from J. Marion Sims, MD and Thomas Addis Emmet, MD. The text includes original, hand drawn pencil sketches of some of the cases, sometimes in color. The original casebooks are fragile and have been digitally scanned for researcher use.

        The records of the Woman’s Hospital in the State of New York shed light on the history of the Hospital from an organizational and medical perspective. The evolution of the hospital is highlighted by the wide time span covered by the materials. References to other hospitals and certain epidemics supply information about general health conditions in New York City during this time period.

        Woman's Hospital in the State of New York
        US AA102 · Collection · 1854-1960

        This is a small collection. Of particular significance are the two patient registers, or casebooks, of the Infirmary which report on the condition of the patients cared for there by the Sisterhood of the Holy Communion. The last page of the second volume refers to the transition to the new St. Luke’s Hospital in 1858. The collection also includes several historical sketches of the church, a program from the 90th anniversary service, a short biography of Anne Ayres, the first Sister, is included as well as a portrait of her, and pictures of the church building. (Note that these have been moved to the Archives Photograph Collection.) A Founders’ Day sermon from 1927 and a charming Christmas card from a Miss Roberts and Sister Anne are also found in the collection.

        St. Luke's Hospital Center. The Richard Bolling Memorial Library
        US AA148 · Collection · 1863-2013

        The documents comprising the Roosevelt Hospital School of Nursing Records Collection reflect the school’s inception, growth, and affairs for much of its 78 year existence (1896-1974). The collection is particularly rich in photographs, which include directors and other principals of the school as well as graduating classes.

        The Alumnae Association Bulletin, subsequently the Roosevelt Review, remains a primary and exceptionally rich source of information, not only for the school’s affairs, but also for much of Roosevelt Hospital’s history and activities during that period.

        Roosevelt Hospital (New York, N.Y.). School of Nursing
        Roosevelt Hospital records
        US AA105 · Collection · 1866-2013

        Please review the notes under the individual series below. For additional information on that series, go to https://libguides.mssm.edu/catalog and enter the OCLC # provided to read the catalog record for that series.

        Roosevelt Hospital (New York, N.Y.)
        US AA005 · Collection · 1881-1923

        This collection contains the private practice records of Dr. Arpad G. C. Gerster. They span almost his entire career as a surgeon in New York City, from 1881-1923. These records are contained in three bound volumes and five boxes. The patient cards were received in three wooden boxes.
        The volumes, which were personalized for Dr. Gerster, contain chronological patient records from January 1, 1881 to July 24, 1906. Each patient record has pre-printed slots for the following information: date, age, name and dwelling, business and nativity, diagnosis, treatment, and remarks. Dr. Gerster completed these categories. However, he often had little or nothing to say under 'remarks' and sometimes did not include 'age.' 'Business' was included less often in later years. Presumably, comments under 'treatment' were not completed when not necessary.
        The first volume is entirely in German (except for Latin diagnoses). Some of the early entries in the second volume are in English, and by 1892 they are primarily in English. In the front of each volume is an alphabetical index to patients' case records. The last entry in the third volume is on July 24, 1906.
        There is a three year gap between the bound volumes of patient records and the first case in the file boxes, which commences on July 26, 1909. Here, cases numbered from 1 - 442 were recorded on pre-printed cards. Some additional questions are included on these cards. These include: civil state, family history, personal history, previous diseases, date of operation, operator, assistant, anesthetist, anaesthetic, amount and examination of urine (chart to be filled in). On the reverse side are pre-printed anatomical drawings for further notations. These forms were clearly meant for use with patients expecting a surgical procedure. However, these cards were often not completed as many patients did not require surgery. Beginning with case number 444 (January 1911) Dr. Gerster ran out of the pre-printed forms and used plain paper to record his patient information. These records reflect the same information as that on the preprinted cards, however they are more difficult to read.
        The patient records reflect a private practice of the time. Although Dr. Gerster functioned as a general physician, his practice revealed a bias towards surgically treatable patients. At this time, it would have been difficult to have an exclusively surgical practice because there would not have been enough business to support it. However, because of Dr. Gerster's abilities and prominence, he came as close as possible to having such a practice. Over the span of the records, the types of cases did not show any significant shift in character. The cases have a great deal of variety. Included among the many diagnoses were rheumatoid arthritis, alcoholic hepatitis, acute nephritis, chronic gastritis, double cleft palate, eczema, inguinal hernia, syphilis, vulva cutis, pulmonary tuberculosis, arteriosclerosis, uterine hemorrhage, and many others.
        There are a variety of inserts and attachments found throughout the patient records. These include sketches by Dr. Gerster illustrating ailments and abnormalities of patients; correspondence from physicians introducing patients (a number of these are from out of state and many are not in English); pathology lab reports from both the German Hospital and Mount Sinai regarding excised tissue; correspondence from patients; and two radiographic images. (These images are located in: Case Book Number 3, April 17, 1901, and Card File Box 1, in front of Case 104.)
        Private patient records such as these are probably uncommon in hospital archives since they do not directly relate to hospital practice. These records are especially interesting because they occur during a period when surgery became safer and more common and when the rise and dominance of surgery as a method of treatment was seen. Additionally, they are of interest because they are the records of Dr. Gerster, an influential and prominent surgeon during his time.
        Dr. Gerster's notes end with case number 3670 on February 23, 1923. The patient records continue to October 27, 1923. An unidentified physician apparently took over Gerster's practice shortly before his (Gerster's) death on March 11, 1923.

        Gerster, Arpad G. (Arpad Geyza), 1848-1923
        Autopsy record books
        US AA209.S001 · Series · 1883-1910
        Part of Mount Sinai Department of Pathology records

        These autopsies were not the first done at Mount Sinai, but they seem to be the first time the physicians created and gathered together a structured record of the autopsies. The early autopsy reports were signed, usually by a member of the house staff, so names such as Drs. Burrill B. Crohn, Eli Moschcowitz, Israel Strauss (later chief neurologist) and others appear. In 1893 a formal Pathology Laboratory was created by Henry Heineman, MD. In 1895 he turned the operation of this over to Frederick Mandlebaum, MD, who served until 1926. Dr. Mandlebaum developed an allergy to formalin and delegated the autopsy work to assistants. In 1896 Charles Elsberg, MD, later a noted neurosurgeon, was appointed Assistant Pathologist and he created entries in these volumes. In 1904, Leo Buerger, MD was appointed the first Pathological Interne and so he created some of the entries. Dr. Emanuel Libman signed more autopsies than any other person in the early volumes. He served as the Assistant and then Associate Pathologist for many years. George Baehr, MD was in charge of the morbid anatomy and autopsy service from 1919-1926.

        These volumes document primarily autopsies on adult patients, with the exception of three boxes of pediatric autopsy protocol records. The first five volumes of this series record all autopsies and wound explorations that were done at The Mount Sinai Hospital from February 1883-December 31, 1910, over 2,025 cases in all. The early volumes are indexed by name and also diagnosis. By volume 3, there is only a list of patient names in the front and no index of diagnoses. By the end of August 1908, there is no longer even a list of patient names. The early volumes have a few drawings in them and there is one photograph pasted in volume 1. There are sometimes un-numbered cases written in the last pages of the log books. They have the letters IND (?) penciled in at the top. These may be autopsies done by individual physicians not part of the autopsy service. Abraham Jacobi is listed as a physician on one of these cases. The entries are initially all hand written, but typed pages are pasted in as time goes on. Note that someone wrote Volume 4 in the front pages of volume 3. The 1912 volume says “no. VIII” on the spine. It is not clear how many volumes are missing between 1910 and 1912.

        The volumes were initially used until the pages were filled, and so they end at random dates. Volume 5 ends with December 31, 1910. This may mark the beginning of the practice of volumes being devoted to set time periods, with new years beginning in new volumes.

        There are some gaps in the data. There are no records for 1911, 1913-15, 6-12/1929, 7-12/1933, 1-3/1935, and the last third of 1951. The pediatric entries only cover from 1954-1972 and the information seems duplicative of what is in the main volumes.

        All of these volumes list the diagnosis, patient information that varied over time (name, age, nationality, date/time of death), and autopsy findings. Initially there are no microscopic findings recorded, but these appear before the 20th century.

        Mount Sinai Hospital (New York, N.Y.). Department of Pathology
        US AA007 · Collection · 1888-1928

        This small collection, (inclusive dates: 1888-1928), is comprised primarily of eight folders of reprints of Abbe's published articles on a variety of medical case studies, and a number of reprint articles about Abbe by others (1 folder). The remaining twelve folders include: an address by Abbe to soldiers leaving for World War I from Maine; a 70th birthday dinner menu, and a bound volume of transcriptions of congratulatory letters on the same occasion; out-going letters to nephew Hubert Howson and niece Helen Louise Howson, Robert Abbe MacKenzie, a distant relative and namesake, and Carrie Bath, the St. Luke's Director of Nursing, recommending two Bar Harbor, Maine women for the program; an article on his donation of artifacts of prominent medical figures to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia; several small drawings and doggerel ("comic verse composed in irregular rhythm") by Abbe; recollections of him by Robert Abbe MacKenzie; a memorial book of quotes from Abbe's writings; and a few photographs including formal portraits of Abbe, and prints of images he made of his family in Maine, taken from Lumiere autochrome plates, as well as the original autochrome plates. Note that the photographs have been removed from the collection and added to the Mount Sinai Archives Photograph Collection, and need to be requested separately for viewing.

        Abbe, Robert, 1851-1928
        US AA088.S001 · Series · 1893-1997 (bulk: 1893-1910; 1943-1958; 1980-1991)
        Part of Mount Sinai Beth Israel records

        This series consists of the annual reports of the Beth Israel Medical Center (New York, N.Y.) and its predecessor, the Beth Israel Hospital. The collection has significant gaps; see file-level description for complete list of available editions. From 1955 to 1958, the title of the reports is "A Record of Progress."

        Beth Israel Medical Center (New York, N.Y.)
        US AA101.S010.SS007 · Subseries · 1895-1933
        Part of Woman's Hospital in the State of New York records

        This volume, labeled The Surgical Contributions of Dougal Bissell, MD, includes a preface from Encyclopedia of American Biography and various reprints of his published articles focusing on gynecological issues. It also includes the first issue of "The Bulletin of the Woman's Hospital," dated June 1912. Dr. Bissell was an Attending Surgeon at Woman's Hospital.

        Bissell, Dougal, 1864-1935
        US AA149 · Collection · 1895 - 2016

        This small collection has five series: School of Nursing records, the Alumnae Association records, Alumnae Papers, Artifacts and Photographs. The School of Nursing series is 14 folders of basic information about the School, the highlights of which are the annual announcements catalogs (folders 2-5) outlining the entrance requirements and the curriculum, and the Triennium, the class yearbooks for 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1968, 1973, and 1974. The proposal by the New York Infant Asylum to provide obstetric training is also of note as it provides a detailed list of areas of instruction for 1895 (folder 9). Student transcripts from 1941-1974 are also included in this collection; please see note under that series for details.

        Significant records in The Alumnae Association series are the annual reports for the Association and a nearly complete run of the Association’s Bulletin, providing news of its members and of the Hospital. (Note that a number of annual reports are published in particular Bulletin issues, which are clearly noted in the container list. Also note that an appendix listing all of the Bulletins in the collection, along with a list of all the directresses, can be found at https://archives.mssm.edu/downloads/aa149.pdf) Also of significance are the three volumes of Alumnae Rosters, the first of which contains a short history of the School. These books and the two volumes of the Alumnae Association annual reports are behind all the folders in box 2. Photographs of Alumnae are also included in the collection; however, they are filed in the larger St. Luke’s Hospital series of the Photograph Collection. A scrapbook of snap shots of student nurses around 1953-1955 is also found in the artifacts.

        The Alumnae Papers consists of materials donated by the School’s graduates and may include bulletins, pamphlets, yearbooks, artifacts such as uniforms or graduate pins, invitations and other materials. This series is arranged by donation date.

        Artifacts include a complete student nurse’s uniform, with its distinctive wool cape and the School's graduate pin.

        St. Luke's Hospital (New York, N.Y.). School of Nursing
        US AA098.S006.SS002.F043 · File · 1914-1917
        Part of St. Luke's Hospital Center records

        The physical album consists of 75 pages of photographs taken at St. Luke's Hospital between 1914 and 1917, by Dr. Norman Titus. It appears that many of the images were taken on the roof-top patio of the Travers Pavilion, and views of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine are sometimes visible. Most of the images are of medical staff - doctors, nurses and student nurses, though some young patients are included, as are few general ward images. Some of the images are labeled with places or names, but not all.

        Dr. Titus was a member of the House Staff, starting in Pathology in 1914 and moving to 6 month rotations in Ear, Nose & Throat, Surgical, and Medical services through 1917. It might be of interest to note that fellow house staff colleagues in the Pathology Department Andrew Peters, Jr. MD, Robert Emmet Sribels, MD, George N. Acker, MD, and Frank D. Scudder, MD are often the subject of his photographs.

        Titus, Norman E.