Vital Signs

Then & Now

A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from Dartmouth Medical School: The First 175 Years by Carleton B. Chapman:

"The other significant appointment at the time was Oliver Wendell Holmes, the poet-physician of Boston. . . . Although he lectured at Dartmouth only two years, the remarkable fact is that he left his beloved Boston at all. He . . . accepted the job as Professor of Anatomy on 12 July 1838 . . . [but] had . . . misgivings about moving from the 'hub of the solar system' to the backwoods."

6
DMS faculty in 1838

2,185
DMS faculty in 2010

32
Graduates of DMS in 1838

192
Graduates of DMS in 2010

A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from the 1902 DMS Circular of Information:

In the second-year course in Bacteriology, "special attention is given to the examination of sputum for tubercle bacilli, to the diagnosis of diphtheria, the technic of the Widal serum diagnosis in typhoid fever, and to staining gonorrhoeal pus. Each student is required to isolate a number of different organisms. Special instruction is given to any student desirous of doing research work."

2000
Year DMS began a clinical trial of a new tuberculosis vaccine, in partnership with a Tanzanian medical school

2009
Year the researchers announced that the trial showed a 39% reduction in the rate of definite TB

A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from a 1991 his tory of Mary Hitchcock Hospital:

"The hospital continued to enjoy . . . the material and financial support of the community. Contributions took many forms, from x-ray machines (the hospital's first, in 1903, was the gift of four Hanover residents . . .) to assorted amenities for patients [such as, in 1906-07]: 'cream, milk, jellies, flowers, string beans, cucumbers, apples, summer squash, grape-fruit, [and] piccalilli.' . . . It became traditional to rely on private donations of fresh produce [and] canned goods . . . to feed patients."

$28.5 million
Contributions (in dollars, rather than in pecks of produce) to DHMC and DMS in 2009-10

A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from the Spring 1981 issue of this magazine:

"In June [1981], Dr. James Strickler will step down after eight years as dean of the Medical School." During his tenure, "the annual budget has doubled, but the deficit [he inherited] has declined steadily" and "the faculty . . . has increased by 50%. . . . As to his own plans, he will return to his former dedication as a teacher, . . . both at home and abroad."

6
Number of months that Strickler (and his wife) spent working at a refugee camp in Thailand after he stepped down as dean

30
Number of years since then (so far) that he has spent teaching and supporting global health initiatives