Memos regarding the structure of the Department of Anesthesia, instruction in anesthesia, nurse anesthetists, and the Committee on Anesthesia.

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.

This collection has two series. The first series is composed of files that were created as part of the research process for the writing of two books about the history of Mount Sinai: This House of Noble Deeds: Mount Sinai Hospital, 1852-2002 (NYU Press, 2002) and Teaching Tomorrow's Medicine Today: the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1963-2003 (NYU Press, 2005), both co-authored with Barbara J. Niss. This series includes a small collection of files relating to the contracts with New York University Press and the publication of the books and the research files themselves. Material that had been obtained from the collections of The Mount Sinai Archives has been removed as it can be found in its original form in the Archives.

The second series consists of general files created or received by Dr. Aufses over his later career after he stepped down from the Chairmanship of the Department of Surgery. This includes some files from his service as the Acting Chairman of the Health Policy Department from December 1, 2007 through September 2008 after Mark Chasson, MD left Mount Sinai.

A large series of scrapbooks, certificates, and plaques was received in July 2015. The certificates were removed from their frames for better storage. These are found in Oversize Box 1. Some items were discarded.

These papers represent a small portion of the work Dr. Ludwig was involved in during his career, focusing primarily on research he undertook in the 1950s. There is nothing here about his private practice. The files include grant applications and reports of research on connective tissue, which was under the direction of Paul Klemperer, MD, Director of Mount Sinai's Department of Pathology. There is also a folder of material that includes a letter from Norman Boas, MD about a research project they had begun that seems not to have been published. Of note are two slim notebooks where Dr. Ludwig recorded research data, as well as reviews of articles he had read on the topic. He inserted hand drawn charts and tables. They are an interesting example of how a clinician did research at this time.
Six photographs are included in this collection. The originals were scanned to create digital copies and were returned to Mrs. Ludwig. The photographs include four in a series from 1966 that show Dr. Ludwig meeting with house staff in the Department of Medicine, and then going on rounds in the Klingenstein Clinical Center. There are also shots of the First Medical Service staff in 1947 and the Second Medical Service house staff in 1943. Printouts of the scans are also filed in the Photograph Collection.

This collection consists primarily of subject files maintained by Dr. Arthur Sohval on various disorders of the gonads. Most files contain Dr. Sohval's research notes alongside associated research material. Many files also contain draft manuscripts of Dr. Sohval's published articles. The research material in each file typically consists of annotated journal clippings, but it sometimes includes photographs (standard and microscopic), case histories, and correspondence with other physicians. Conditions represented include cryptorchidism, Klinefelter's syndrome, cell tumors, and various forms of intersexuality and gonadal dysgenesis. The collection also contains several files documenting Dr. Sohval's grant applications for his studies in electron microscopy of the gonads.

Memos regarding autopsy permissions and procedures and correspondence with other hospitals seeking advice from Mount Sinai Hospital on autopsy practices.

The Burrill B. Crohn Papers include memorabilia, awards, the typescript of the book "Understanding Your Ulcer", and a notebook from 1907 when he was a student at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. There are four items of oversize memorabilia.

Memos and reports on the organization of a Cancer Detection Center, including Medical Board committee minutes and a review of and recommendations for care of cancer patients.

One strength of this collection is that it spans Dr. Deuschle’s entire career, with some documentation of his Kentucky years, as well as his travels abroad to study and advise on community needs. Naturally, there is also extensive documentation on the Mount Sinai Department of Community Medicine (DCM) but it is spread out into many files and more difficult to piece together. The newsletters and annual reports provide wonderful insights into the goals and efforts of the Department over time. The best way to track the work of particular divisions or areas is to search under the names of the individuals involved. Also, please note that the Archives has a separate series of records for the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

These files represent an almost complete official record of the Clinical Excellence Committee, the Task Forces, and their subcommittees. The minutes are complete, with only one exception. There are few interim reports or correspondence among the coordinators, the chairmen of the committees, and members. The final report is contained in Box 2, folder 1.

Some of the minutes have notes made by Dr. Thomas Chalmers, President and Dean of The Mount Sinai Medical Center and School of Medicine. The files probably came from that office, although, aside from these few notes, they are generic.

This material documents some of the tremendous amount of significant work in cardiology that was pursued at The Mount Sinai Hospital starting in the early years of the 20th century. This collection brings together many of the articles that were written by Mount Sinai's leaders in cardiology over several decades: Harry L. Jaffe, Simon Dack, and Arthur Grishman, all working under the guidance of Arthur M. Master, the head of the Cardiographic Laboratory at The Mount Sinai Hospital from 1934-1957. These papers, with Jaffe as a single author or co-author, describe work in all aspects of cardiology over a span of 50 years. There is also an interesting certificate for an exhibit in 1940 on The Fluoroscopic Diagnosis of Coronary Occlusion.

The files in this collection primarily cover The Mount Sinai Hospital's doctors and nurses stationed at the 3rd General Hospital. Details about Mount Sinai clinicians and staff in active duty stationed at other locations during World War II are found in the publication Grand Rounds: Memos from Mount Sinai Men to their Fellows in the Services. The records cover the time period from 1942 through 1945.

A prominent item in this collection is Ralph Moloshok's unpublished historical account. The manuscript provides a detailed chronicle of Dr. Moloshok's experiences in basic training at Camp Rucker, and his active duty at the 3rd General Hospital in North Africa. The document is approximately 400 pages long. The first 118 pages are written as a journal, with entries appearing almost daily. These entries provide in-depth descriptions of the weeks spent in basic training at Camp Rucker. The second portion of the manuscript details the move to Casablanca, and finally the order to begin duty at the 3rd General Hospital in Tunisia.

The value of this manuscript is not just in its detailed descriptions of people, living conditions and medical military life, it also includes affixed original documents outlining the officers' schedules and basic training routines, anecdotes, illustrations (with no identifiable artist attribution), and photographs from Camp Rucker, Casablanca, Italy and France.

With so much of Mount Sinai's attention and resources turned toward the war effort, the Hospital moved to address the growing interest in information about the men and women in service at the 3rd General Hospital, as well as those assigned to other units in the war. Two members of Mount Sinai's administration, Sol Weiner Ginsburg, MD and Bella Trachtenberg responded by collecting, printing, binding and distributing the letters written by doctors in the war. These quarterly editions, called Grand Rounds: Memos from Mount Sinai Men to their Fellows in the Services, became wildly popular at home and among the soldiers serving abroad and within the United States. The compilation contains World War II letters and letter excerpts from September 1943 through October 1945.

Other important items in this collection are two scrapbooks on the nursing staff's military service during World War II. One was created by the Department of Nursing, the other by the Alumnae Association of The Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing. The scrapbooks include official military and hospital correspondence to and from the nursing staff in the form of letters and memoranda that range from 1942 through 1945. An interesting part of the Dept. of Nursing's scrapbook is the more casual correspondence such as greeting cards, personal notes, marriage and birth announcements, and Victory Mail (V-Mail). The greeting cards are addressed to the unit as well as to individuals. Some of the cards are hand painted. Samples of unused V-mail, intended to send holiday greetings (Mother's Day, Easter, and Christmas), are also included. Other loose items in the scrapbook include programs from amateur performances by the nurses and medical officers, concerts and religious services. The religious programs represent both Christian and Jewish faith observances at the 3rd General Hospital.

Other noteworthy scrapbook items include an original April 13, 1945 issue of Stars and Stripes announcing President Franklin D. Roosevelt's death. There are also various newsletters produced by and for the officers. These include issues of BBC News, Stethoscope 3rd General, and The Trooper. Several issues in this sampling are incomplete.

The bound pages of the scrapbook from the Alumnae Association of The Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing contains numerous keepsake items, mementos from various events, and personal and official correspondence to 1st Lt. Ruth Chamberlin, who served as Chief Nurse at the 3rd General Hospital.

In addition to this print material, the collection also includes an audio recording (VM_012) and printed transcript of The Story of Two Hospitals, as recorded by Robert St. John, an NBC war correspondent, in November 1943. There is also film footage related to the 3rd General Hospital that was taken by Dr. Henry Horn, a Mount Sinai staff member who was in the Unit. This includes footage from the Unit starting in North Africa and continuing through France, including a trip to Paris and the Follies Bergère. His wife later gave the film to the Hospital. All six reels of the film were digitized in 2005.