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.

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.

Kark discusses his life and training (originally from South Africa); his work in South African hospitals and the University of Natal medical school; his arrival at Mount Sinai as Director of the Dept. of Surgery; his impressions of the program; affiliations with Greenpoint Hospital and the City Hospital Center at Elmhurst and the reasons for them; his contributions; planning of space in Annenberg; why he resigned; his opinion of Drs. George James, Solomon Berson, Kermit Osserman, John Garlock, Ralph Colp, Leon Ginzburg and Samuel Klein; his opinion of the residency training program. (Interview starts on August 16, 1973 and is continued on August 21, 1973.)

In this engaging interview, Dr. Lorieo describes episodes from his childhood, how he found his way to medicine, and surgery, how he was Influenced and mentored by Drs. Peter Bossart, Hugh Fitzpatrick, Bob Miller, Conrad Lattes, and his interest and involvement in setting up the kidney transplant program. He relates several colorful stories about being on the medical team for the Yankees, Madison Square Garden and the Metropolitan Opera, and the perks of working at these locations, (meeting Muhammad Ali, Clyde Frazier, playing basketball with Marv Albert, etc.).

Of interest is Dr. Lorie’s personal critique of the development of medicine from the 1960s to current practices and sub-specialties. He also briefly touches on how that has effected St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center.

He also talks about his wife, Jackie, an occupational therapist and a sculptor, and mentions some of the museums that display her artwork, and his two sons and their lives, his life-long model train hobby and his sports interests, as a young boy and more currently, and what activities he will be investing in after his retirement in 2020.

Dr. Ginzburg discusses his experiences in Mount Sinai's Third General Hospital during World War II; working at various New York hospitals, especially Beth Israel Hospital; the surgical service at Mount Sinai and the personalities involved; the issue of credit for research on Crohn's disease; anti-Semitism in medical training.

This is a recording of the oral history of Samuel Elster, MD interviewed by Richard Steele the Medical Center Archivist at Mount Sinai on July 10th, 1996. Some of the significant topics presented in this oral history are his upbringing as part of a Jewish immigrant family in the Bronx; the difficulty he faced being accepted into medical school; and his experience at New York University Medical School. Dr. Elster worked as a cardiologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital (1950-1997), a faculty member of The Mount Sinai School of Medicine (early 1950s until retirement), and Dean of the Page and William Black Post-Graduate School of Medicine (1976-1986) and the oral history includes anecdotes from his internship and how he received his first surgeries, his residency and duties as Chief Resident, as well as how he increased the hospital’s post-mortem rate, and the spirit of volunteerism he brought to his career at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Klein discusses his early days as an intern/resident in the late 1920s, early 1930s, presenting an interesting picture of what training was like then and then compares it with his residents at the time of this interview (late 1960s), noting the changes in practice. He also relates stories about his Army experiences, the difference surgical services, adding a little on how that has changed over time, and mentions what he knows about the “ileitis story” (Crohn’s disease), and adds some personal information about himself, his schooling, marriages, etc.

Some names mentioned include: Leon Ginzburg, Gordon Oppenheimer, John Garloc, Allan Kark, A.A. Berg.

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 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 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.

This interview is with Jane Lattes, wife of the late surgeon, Dr. Conrad Lattes, who relates stories about Conrad’s birth in Torino, Italy, and how he came to the U.S. with his father, Raffaele Lattes, who became head of surgical pathology for many years at Columbia, in either 1940 or 1941. She adds some additional information on Raffaele, and how his family were physicians going many years back. She then continues to tell the story of how she and Conrad met at Swarthmore College, how he choose a medical specialty and his early days at a physician and how his career progressed at St. Luke’s. She adds some facts about their children and her current life and husband.

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.