PDF Version Printer-Friendly Version
Vital Signs
Then & Now
A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from a history of Dartmouth's Norris Cotton Cancer Center published circa 1987:
"The first official suggestion
that the federal government
might have an appropriate
role to play in the effort to
find a cure for cancer came
from Matthew Neely, a Democratic
Senator from West
Virginia. As early as 1928,
he introduced a bill in the
Senate authorizing the National
Academy of Science
to investigate cancer." In
the 1960s, Dr. Frank Lane,
director of radiation therapy
at Dartmouth, "perceived
and articulated the need for
a regional cancer center . . .
that could serve all of rural
northern New England."
The National Cancer Act
was finally passed in 1971.
20,000
Number of patients now cared for each year at Norris Cotton Cancer Center
A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from DMS's 1902 "Circular of Information":
"Applicants for admission to
[DMS] must have (a) graduated
from a registered College,
or (b) satisfactorily
completed a full course in a
registered Academy or High
School, or (c) have had a
preliminary education considered
and accepted as fully
equivalent. . . . All other
candidates for admission . . .
will be examined in the following
subjects." Among the
subjects listed were Shakespeare's
Merchant of Venice;
Pope's Iliad; Scott's Ivanhoe;
Allen's Short History of the
Roman People; chemical
notation; quadratic equations;
plane geometry; and
"the ability to translate at
sight easy Latin prose."
> 4,600
Number of applicants to the DMS Class of 2010
A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from the 1976 MHMH annual report:
"With the addition of a second
cardiac surgeon, Dr. Jose
Mijangos, the increased surgical
activities so essential to
full development of the cardiology
program have begun.
. . . A special intensive cardiac
surgery unit is being
constructed in the Intensive
Care Unit area. . . . The
new centralized Cardiopulmonary
Laboratory is now
fully active and is a central
element to the success of
cardiac surgery activities."
54
Number of beds today in
DHMC's Coronary Care,
Intermediate Coronary
Care, and Cardiothoracic
Intensive Care Units
> 5,000
Number of procedures
annually in the Cardiac
Catheterization Laboratories
A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from the Fall 1976 issue of this magazine:
"Dr. David Frechette '70
practices family medicine in
the rural Connecticut River
Valley town of Woodsville,
[N.H.] . . . [He] is a country
doctor with a goal: to improve
the health-care delivery
system in one part of rural
New Hampshire. . . . 'I
think,' he concluded, 'that a
tie with Dartmouth Medical
School will be beneficial to
upcountry physicians. It will
keep us on our toes, so that
we don't stop learning after
our residencies.'" Frechette
still practices at Woodsville's
Cottage Hospital.
25
Number of beds today at Cottage Hospital
2
Number of Dartmouth
medical students who did
rotations there in 2005-06
If you'd like to offer feedback about this article, we'd welcome getting your comments at DartMed@Dartmouth.edu.
This article may not be reproduced or reposted without permission. To inquire about permission, contact DartMed@Dartmouth.edu.