Otis Historical Archives
National Museum of Health and Medicine
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology

Date of Records: 1860s-ca. 1910
10 Cubic Feet, 28 Boxes

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Description

The collection consists of various logbooks kept by the Army Medical Museum to record its holdings between its founding and 1910. The museum's first accessing system included three sections: Surgical (items related to surgical operations), Medical (items related to diseases not surgically treated), and Microscopical (prepared microscopic tissue sections). Preserved in the 1866 Catalogue of the Army Medical Museum, this system was soon modified.

In the late 1860s, the Surgical Section became the Pathological Section and three new sections were introduced: the Anatomical Section (non-pathological anatomical specimens); the Miscellaneous Section (artifacts, now in Historical Collections); and Comparative Anatomy Series (veterinary specimens). Museum staff also employed provisional sections and separate numbering systems for photographs.

Curator James Carroll briefly (1906-1907) employed a system based on McGill University, but the following curator returned to the earlier system. These early numbering systems lasted until World War I when a new accessioning system was begun.

FLAT GREY BOXES:

Surgical/Pathological Section (I) logbooks [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21]
PS 19978-10742 (MM 8782), 1890-1894
SS 4720-5473 (MM 8773), 1867-1868

Medical Section (II) index [see also Boxes 2, 3, 9, 12, 17, 20, 22-24]
Specimens 1-1217 (MM 8768), nd, indexed to Catalogue of the Medical Section of the US Army Medical Museum, Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1867

Medical Section (II)/Pathological Section (I) logbook [see also Boxes 2, 3, 9, 12, 17, 20, 22-24]
Specimens 1-881, renumbered as PS 7448-8330 (MM 8755)

Anatomical Section (IV) logbooks [see also Boxes 4, 5, 9, 13, 17]
AS 1-534 (MM 8775), 1867-1869
AS 535-1234 (MM 8759-1), 1869-1875
AS 1235-1954 (MM 8759-2), 1875-1879

Anatomical Section (IV) logbooks [see also Boxes 4, 5, 9, 13, 17]
AS 1955-2840 (MM 8759-3), 1879-1888
AS 2841-3544 (MM 8783), 1888-1894, inc. Comparative Anatomy (V) and Miscellaneous Section (VI)
material [see also Boxes 6, 7, 9, 14-17]

Comparative Anatomy Section (V) logbooks [see also Boxes 6, 9, 14, 15, 17]
CA 1-2675 (MM 8561), nd-1888
CA 1822-2422 (MM 8784), nd-1881, duplicating entries in above book, called "Skeletons of Fishes"

Miscellaneous Section (VI) logbooks [see also Boxes 7, 9, 16, 17]
MS 1-856 (MM 8758-1), 1867-1877 (1st series)
MS 857-1060 (MM 8758-2), 1877-1884 (1st series)
MS 1047-1894 (MM 8560), 1889-1894 (2nd series)

Various logbooks
Index to donors of Surgical Section (I) specimens 1014 to 6241 (MM 8769), nd [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21]
Index to patients, Provisional Pathological and Provisional Anatomical Sections (MM 8748), nd [see also Boxes 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11-13, 16-18, 20, 21]
Index to patients, Surgical Section (I) (MM 8747), nd [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21]

All collections logbook
Reception book, all collections (MM 8731), 1884-1907

Illustrations logbooks [see also Boxes 10, 18, 19]
Register of photographs (MM 8802), ca. 1869-1894, indexed by name and subject
Logbook of woodcuts for publications, 1-2000 (MM 8590), nd, with engravings of specimens cut out and pasted onto pages, with section and specimen numbers

HOLLINGER BOXES:

Surgical/Pathological Section (I) logbooks [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21]
SS 4720-6154 (MM 8760-1), 1864-1872
SS 6155-7189 (MM 8760-2), 1872-1881
SS 7190-7447 (MM 8760-3), 1881-1884
PS 6718-7448 (MM 8559), 1877-1882

Surgical/Pathological Section (I), Medical Section (II) and Comparative Anatomy (V) logbooks
PS 9200-10007 (MM 8771), 1884-1890 [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21]
Numerical Index of Surgical Section [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21] and Comparative Anatomy [see also Boxes 6, 9, 14, 15, 17] specimens (MM 8781), nd
Catalogue, Section I, Subsection II, Injuries and Surgical Diseases of the Lower Animals, (MM 8539), ca. 1860s [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21]
Catalogue of Medical Section, 1-1585 (MM 8523-5), nd [see also Boxes 2, 3, 9, 12, 17, 20, 22-24]

Microscopical Section (III) and Anatomical Section (IV) logbooks and lists
Catalogue of Microscopic Preparations, Added since Printed Catalogue Was Issued, 2121-4472 (MM 8537), nd [see also Boxes 9, 13, 17, 25-28]
Logbook for Microscopical Section, 6417-7760 (MM 8761-3), nd [see also Boxes 9, 13, 17, 25-28]
List of Pathological Specimens Referred to the Microscopical Section (MM 8794), 1880-1898 [see also Boxes 9, 13, 17, 25-28]
Logbook of Anatomical Section, AS 1344-2171 (MM 8762), 1876-1884 [see also Boxes 4, 5, 9, 13, 17]
Catalogue of Crania and Skeletons, nd

Comparative Anatomy Section (V) logbooks and lists [see also Boxes 6, 9, 14, 15, 17]
Comparative Anatomy logbook with accompanying letters of transmittal (MM 8761-2), 1870s
List of Skeletons and Crania in the Section of Comparative Anatomy, manuscript by H.C. Yarrow (MM 9193), 1870s
List of Crania and Skeletons of Birds (MM 9194)
List of Crania and Skeletons of Fishes (MM 9196)
List of Crania and Skeletons of Batrachia and Reptilia (MM 9195)

Comparative Anatomy Section (V) logbooks and lists [see also Boxes 6, 9, 14, 15, 17]
Catalogue of Comparative Anatomy cross-referenced to Linnaean taxonomy, nd
Index of specimens of Comparative Anatomy sorted by class (MM 8770), nd
Index of specimens of Comparative Anatomy sorted by class (MM 8766), nd
Index of specimens of Comparative Anatomy sorted by species (MM 8541), nd
List of Crania of Lower Animals (MM 8793), nd

Miscellaneous Section (VI) logbooks and indexes [see also Boxes 7, 9, 16, 17]
Logbook of Miscellaneous Section, MS 1-1046 (MM 8776), 1883-1889, with "old number" and donor cross references
Index to Microscopes and Microtomes, nd
Index to Instruments (MM 8765), nd
Catalogue of Indian Curiosities, Etc., nd (photocopy)
Numbering and location of medals, nd (no descriptive information)
Miscellaneous Articles, Chiefly Interesting as Curiosities, nd

Various logbooks Reception Book, all sections, no numbering system (MM 8562), 1877-1894
Specimens Received, all sections, no numbering system (MM 8774), 1877-1879
History of Specimens/Inventory of Specimen Preparation (MM 8761-1), 1863-1864?
Case and Shelf Location of Specimens (MM 8645), nd

Various logbooks [see also Boxes 10, 18, 19]
Index to Surgical Photographs (called Index of Miscellaneous Drawings, Etc.) (MM 8800), 1869-1880
Index to (Surgical) Photographs (MM 8797), nd
List of photographs and woodcuts used in circulars and MSHWR (MM 8845), nd
Catalogue of Woodcuts (used in circulars and MSHWR) (MM 8529), nd
Illustrations Used in the Publications of the S.G.O. (MM 8746), 1865-1893
Provisional Pathological Series logbook/Contributed Photographs logbook/Photographs taken at AMM
logbook (MM 8646), nd [see also Box 8]

Various logbooks [see also Boxes 10, 18, 19]
Index to Photographs by patient name, Surgical and Contributed Photographs (MM 8799), nd
Reception and disbursal of photographs/specimens requiring examination and report (MM 8795), 1864-1894
Pelvis - General and Specific Memoranda for MSHWR (MM 8786), nd
Gunshot Penetrating Wounds of Abdomen logbook (MM 8763), nd
Alleged Recoveries from Wounds of Liver, Kidney, Gall Bladder (MM 8815), 1863-1865
Upper Extremity References (MM 8785), nd

Various logbooks
Stomach and Intestines, Spleen and Pancreas logbook (MM 8764), nd

Index of (Pathological) Specimens (I), PS 1-14801 (MM 8767), with case and shelf location, nd [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21]
Histories of Pathological/Surgical Series (I) of Drawings (MM 8778), nd [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21]
Catalogue of Pathological Drawings of Medical Series (II), nd [see also Boxes 2, 3, 9, 12, 17, 20, 22-24]

FLAT YELLOW BOXES:

Surgical Section (I) Reception Book, SS 6200-7447, 9200-9950 (MM 8754), nd [see also Boxes 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21]

Record of Specimens Received, Medical Section (II) (MM 8730), 1864-1884 [see also Boxes 2, 3, 9, 12, 17, 20, 22-24]

Medical Series (II) No. 2, specimens 882-1477, renumbered as PS 8331-8927 (MM 8729-1), 1864-1879 [see also Boxes 2, 3, 9, 12, 17, 20, 22-24]

Medical Series (II) No. 3., specimens 1477-1741, renumbered as PS 8927-9191 (MM 8729-2), 1879-1883 [see also Boxes 2, 3, 9, 12, 17, 20, 22-24]

Catalogue of Microscopical Preparations (Section III), Vol. 1, #2121-5254 (MM 9536-1), 1865-1874 (previous numbers in printed catalogue) [see also Boxes 9, 13, 17, 25-28]

Catalogue of Microscopical Preparations (Section III), Vol. 2, #5309-7977 (MM 8536-2), 1868-1879 [See also Boxes 9, 13, 17, 25-28]

Catalogue of Microscopical Preparations (Section III), Vol. 3, #7978-12338, 1879-1909 [see also Boxes 9, 13, 17, 25-28]

Catalogue of Microscopical Preparations (Section III), Vol. 4, #12501-17500 (MM 8536-4), 1918-1919 [see also Boxes 9, 13, 17, 25-28]

Catalogue of Microscopical Preparations (Section III), Vol. 5, #17501-20823 (MM 8536-5), 1918-1919 [see also Boxes 9, 13, 17, 25-28]

LARGE FLAT GREY BOX:

Record of Circular No. 7 ("Report on Amputations of the Hip-Joint in Military Surgery" by George A. Otis) S.G.O., 1867, listing contributors of cases and patients, including loose pages in folder

Record of Circular No. 5 ("Report on Epidemic Cholera" by Woodward), S.G.O, 1867, listing contributors of cases

By Joan Redding, December 18, 1995; Rev. November 1, 1996