HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE
The Norwich Medical Society: A Man with Two Hearts
By Michael M. Deren, MD
Present-day Norwich physicians are
fortunate to have an exceptional record
of the minutes of the Norwich Medical
Association dating from 1892 to 1912. The
record is in the original hand writing of
the physicians of the day and was stored
in the closet behind the Board Room at
the William W. Backus Hospital. It is an
original source treasure of historical facts
describing the methods local physicians
practiced in the 1890’s. At the end of the 19th century distant travel
was often difficult so physicians in various cities would frequently
form a city medical society and then gather on a monthly basis to
discuss and present the new therapies which they had used to treat
their patients. They also evaluated new physicians to determine if
they were suitably educated and were of good ethical standing to
become members of the city medical society, as in the case of the
Norwich Medical Association.
The physicians would meet in the mayor’s office and present their
patients and the disease processes each physician had seen during
the previous month. For example, they might present how many
cases of typhoid or yellow fever each had seen during the previous
30 days. If the number were unusually high it could indicate a
possible epidemic.
Then a designated physician would present the care and treatment
of a specific diagnosis such as lobar pneumonia, after which each
physician would share how he treated that disease, including the
medications used, such as calomel and procedures used, such as
bleeding. It appeared that all physicians gladly and willingly shared
their knowledge for everyone’s benefit.
Patients with an unusual diagnosis were occasionally invited.
They would describe their symptoms and then be examined, often
followed by a discussion by the physicians with the patient present.
An interesting example of this occurred on November 4, 1896
(from the minutes of that meeting): The subject was a gentleman
“claiming to be 490 years old and to have two hearts in his chest
which he was traveling around the country exhibiting.”
“As a preliminary the subject...demonstrated his ability to bend a bar
of iron 7/8 inch in diameter by striking it across the muscles of his
left fore arm near the elbow joint. He has an enormous development
of muscle at the point struck by the iron covered by a thick callous.
He then bared his chest and indicated the localities where the
hearts were situated and requested examination.”
“On percussion a rather enlarged area of dullness in the usual
cardiac area on the left side is made out. Good resonance of the
2 THE OPEN JOURNAL
area indicated by him as location of second heart. At this second
location, however, a faint pulsation can be felt and the heart sounds
are quite distinct growing more so as one listening across the chest
approaching the true apex beat.”
“By a strong muscular effort he was able to interfere with the action
of his heart to a certain extent. He then exhibited certain tricks with
his abdominal muscles claiming to dislocate his heart & c. After
which he took up a collection & departed happy.”
There is no further mention of what the physicians thought about
this demonstration. I suspect, however, that they were very skeptical of
the gentleman’s presentation. X-rays were discovered in 1895 and very
likely the technology had not reached Norwich at this time.
These minutes are a primary source document of interest not only to
Historians, but also to practicing physicians of our day. It makes us
question whether the therapies and procedures we use today will
be viewed with skepticism, humor and disbelief a century from now.
For example, during my surgical training in the 1960s I assisted on
bilateral adrenalectomies for advanced metastatic breast cancer, a
procedure hard to believe in this day and age.
Many of us are disinterested in history. It’s often viewed as little
known, less-cared-about, moth-eaten facts from the department of
obscure information. The older I get, however, the more interesting
history becomes. Young physicians have little history of their own.
As I grow older I too wonder how my life compared with others’
long gone. Have I made a difference, has my life been involved in a
worthwhile endeavor?
As a physician, if you want to be famous in your time, see a lot of
patients and perform a lot of surgeries. If you want to be immortal,
write.
I encourage everyone to write their memoirs. Memoirs are easy
to write. They are your experiences and impressions. What did
they teach in medical school? How was it taught? What was your
practice like? What changes occurred while you were in active
practice? Your family and other physicians may not be interested in
such remembrances today, but a hundred years from now, they will
be primary source documents of truth which others will read with
great interest. n
Editor’s Note:
Well, well, Dr Michael Deren, a spiritual kindred. Your
last paragraph sums up the purpose of The Open Journal.
No surprise of course. Dr. Deren is Editor of Connecticut
Medicine. His just reward will be a touch of immortality.
- Dennis Slater MD