The collection includes a variety of materials, from clippings to publications, and instruments developed by Mount Sinai surgeons over the years. The material is listed by item type and then chronologically, with information about its current location noted. The item types represented here are: Instruments; General Publications, Illustrations and Clippings; Mount Sinai Publications; Photographs.

The papers found in this collection are overwhelmingly of a professional nature: notebooks, notes, papers, reprints. Still, it is possible in reviewing these files to get some insights into Dr. Rubin as a person. The records that serve best to do this are the letters written to him over the years (Box 1) and the photographs that came as a part of this collection. Also, interspersed with his notes (see, for instance Box 3, f.2), are sheets of paper filled with "jottings", lists of trite phrases that seemed to have some relationship, one to the next. In the file of his own writings (Box 1, f.8), further aspects of him can be seen in a note on ancestral worship, and a letter to his wife in 1921. Also of note here is a file compiled in 1935 during a failed attempt to secure Dr. Rubin a Nobel Prize for his development of the Rubin Test. (See Box 2, f.5)

The professional material contains notes and raw data, as well as papers in progress and his collected works. The notebooks include those from his medical school days at Columbia Physicians and Surgeons in 1904 and 1905, as well as notes taken while studying in Vienna. Some of the latter were written in German. The notebooks are arranged chronologically.

The Papers/Reprints files are arranged alphabetically by subject or title, depending on how Rubin labeled the folders. These papers are mostly all undated. The files many times contain long notes on the topic and show Rubin's thoughts and questions he wanted to solve. If no paper was included in the file with the notes, they were simply labeled "Notes" and filed under that heading.

Other items of particular interest or value in this collection include the typed copies of articles relating to fibroid tumors, dating from 1878-1932. (Box 1, f.3) There is a long note about a visit he made to Austria in the early 1920's where he discusses the changes brought by the First World War. (Box 1, f.8) Finally, there are operative assignments from 1911, listing which operations Dr. Rubin performed on a given day and his notes about the case. On these, and throughout the collection, there are many drawings to illustrate pathology or technique. Any patient information here is restricted according to the law and the policies of the Archives.

One of the more interesting parts of this collection is the photographs that accompany it. They date from 1907-1958, mostly black and white. Of special note are a series of snapshots from the Rubins' trip to Greece in June, 1952 to receive an honorary degree from the University of Athens. There is also a photograph of Dr. Rubin's private examining room in 1911. Dr. Hiram Vineberg is pictured in Mount Sinai's clinical amphitheatre in 1907, supervising an operation without surgical masks. There are also many photos of unidentified babies, usually with an inscription of thanks to Dr. Rubin.

Many of the photographs are oversize. These can be found in Box 7. The photographs of events, many in rolls, are stored in Box 6. Memorabilia, a Jacobi Medallion and two souvenir money clips, have been placed in Box 5.

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 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.

Two volumes of reprints of published articles.

This small collection spans the career of Dr. Garlock: from medical school material, to ambulance duty logs from his internship at New York Hospital, photographs and some case reports on plastic surgery patients, private practice patient records, Operative Clinic presentations he made as Chief of Surgical Service at Mount Sinai, to the book on surgery of the alimentary tract that was published after his death.
While the range is wide, the records still only provide a surface picture of the man. The detailed notes and sometimes colorful drawings that Dr. Garlock created in medical school speak to his attention to detail. The early volumes are labeled "John Harry Garlock." He also noted a change of address on the notebooks from 346 W. 56th Street to 180 Claremont Avenue. This move happened during his medical school years.
His surgical acumen and style are brought out in the patient files and transcripts of the surgical clinics. The latter also give a glimpse into early plastic surgery at New York Hospital and The Mount Sinai Hospital. It was Dr. Garlock who helped establish plastic surgery as a surgical specialty here. The clinics were ended in January of 1943 for the duration of the War because there was a problem obtaining a sufficient number of orderlies.
Also instructive for insights into Dr. Garlock are the correspondence files, one with colleagues (Box 1, f.6) and the other with patients (Box 2, f.6). The ambulance log books in Box 1 show Dr. Garlock's keen eye for his surroundings and provide wonderful details on the people he treated and the treatments of the day.
Of note, too, is a series of letters Dr. William Hitzig wrote on behalf of Dr. Garlock when the latter was planning a trip to India. Dr. Hitzig had many connections there and wrote letters of introduction for the Garlocks. There is also a series of letters regarding a controversy between Drs. Sigmund Mage and Richard Lewisohn. (Box 1, f.9)
The patient records found here are only a portion of the files maintained by Dr. Garlock at his office. At his death, the records were divided among Dr. Garlock's junior colleagues. Many of those included here are the records of ileostomy and colostomy patients that were taken by Dr. Albert S. Lyons.
This collection contains some photographs, many of which are large and mounted. Thirteen posed publicity photos of unknown musicians and dancers were removed and sent to the Lincoln Center Archives for inclusion in their collections.

The Kirschner Papers include historical material gathered to write papers on the history of thoracic surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital, as well as the history of the New York Thoracic Surgical Society.

Memos, correspondence, and plans regarding Hospital reorganization, including the Medical Division, Laboratories, and Neurology, Pediatrics, and Surgery. Memos include excerpts from the minutes of the Reorganization Committee. Contains a diagram of proposed reorganization plans for the Medical Service. Contains memos from Dr. Turner's predecessor, Dr. S.S. Goldwater.

Memos and reports on staff roles and schedules, sterilization methods, and use of surgical supplies. Memos document plans for the reorganization of Surgical Services and the establishment of Urology as a separate service and residency.

Correspondence related to the outpatient department regarding admissions policies, staffing, and salary arrangements. Correspondence on clinics includes materials on the Eye Clinic, Gynecological Clinic, Salvarsan Clinic, and Dispensary.

Memos regarding attempts to cut costs across the Hospital, including surgical costs, laboratory costs, supply and drug costs, personnel costs, and food waste. Includes recommendations from the Medical Board's Committee on Economy.

Memos and correspondence on staffing, costs, and eligibility of patients for care in the Outpatient Department. Memos include notes from minutes of the Joint Committee on the Outpatient Department. Correspondence includes legal statements on providing contraceptive treatment.