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Marcia Crocker Noyes
(1869 – 1946)
Further to my comment on old books and research that started with an interesting bookplate (Ex-Libris). I continued my research and found that the person in charge of the Osler library bookplate was a fascinating individual that today maybe a ghost in the MedChi library and building in Baltimore... This is certainly an article that can be called "A Moment in History"
Marcia Crocker Noyes was the librarian at The Maryland State Medical Society from 1896 to 1946 and was a founding member of the Medical Library Association.[1][2][3]
Sir William Osler, MD. a famous Johns Hopkins surgeon was a noted bibliophile and had a large personal collection of books on various topics. When he became the President of MedChi in 1896, he was dismayed at the condition of the library and knew that with the right person and some stewardship, it could become a significant collection. Sir William asked his friend, Dr. Bernard Steiner, a physician and President of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore for suggestions of a librarian, and Dr. Steiner recommended Marcia Crocker Noyes. A native of New York, and a graduate of Hunter College, Marcia had moved to Baltimore for a lengthy visit with her sister, and took a “temporary” position at the Pratt Library, which turned into three years. Although she had no medical experience or background, she was enthusiastic, and most importantly, she was willing to move into the apartment provided for the librarian, who needed to be available 24 hours a day.
The image in this article is Ms. Noyes on her first year on the job. Marcia developed a book classification system for medical books, based on the Index Medicus, and called it the Classification for Medical Literature. The system uses the alphabet with capital letters for the major divisions of medicine and lower-case ones for the sub-sections. The system was used for many years, but it's now dated and the Faculty's original shelving scheme was never changed. The card catalogs still reflect her classification and many of the cards are written in Marcia's back-slanting handwriting.
Marcia knew enough to ask the Faculty's members about medical questions, terminology and literature. She gradually won over the predominantly male membership and they became her greatest allies; Sir William at the start, and then for nearly 40 years, Dr. John Ruhräh, a wealthy pediatrician with no immediate family of his own. She made a point of attending almost every Faculty function, and in 1904, under guidelines from the American Medical Association, Marcia was made the Faculty Secretary. For much of her first 10 years, she was the Faculty's only full-time employee, only being assisted by Mr. Caution, the Faculty's janitor. Later in life Marcia would say that she hired him because of his name!
Within ten years, the library had outgrown its space, and plans, spearheaded by Marcia and Sir William before his move to Oxford, were made to build a headquarters building, mainly to house the library's growing collection of medical books and journals.
Marcia was instrumental in the design and building of the new headquarters. She travelled to Philadelphia, New York and Boston to look at their medical society buildings, and eventually, the Philadelphia architectural firm, Ellicott & Emmart was selected to design and build the new Faculty building. Every detail of the building held her imprimatur, from the graceful staircase, to the light-filled reading room, and all of the myriad details of the millwork, marble tesserae, and most of all, the four-story cast iron stacks. She was on-site, climbing up unfinished staircases, checking out the progress of the building, which was built in less than one year at a cost of $90,000.
Among the features of the new building was a fourth-floor apartment for her. She referred to it as the "first penthouse in Baltimore" and it had a garden and rooftop terrace. The library collection eventually grew to more than 65,000 volumes from medical and specialty societies around the world. Journals were traded back and forth, and physicians eagerly anticipated the arrival of each new issue. At the same time, Marcia was involved in the Medical Library Association as one of eight founding members. The MLA promotes medical libraries and the exchange of information. One of the earliest mandates of the MLA was the Exchange, a distribution and trade service for those who had duplicates or little-used books in their collections. Initially, the Exchange was run out of the Philadelphia medical society, but in 1900 it was moved to Baltimore and Marcia oversaw it. Several hundred periodicals and journals were received and sent each month, a huge amount of work for a tiny staff. In 1904, the Faculty had run out of room to manage the Exchange, so it was moved to the Medical Society of the Kings County (Brooklyn). But without Marcia's excellent administrative skills, it floundered and in 1908, the MLA asked Marcia to take charge once again.
In 1909, when the new Faculty building opened, there was enough room to run the Exchange and with the help of MLA Treasurer, noted bibliophile and close friend, Dr. John Ruhräh, it once again became successful. Additionally, Marcia and Dr. Ruhräh combined forces to revive the MLA's bulletin, which had all but ceased publication in 1908, taking the Exchange with it. This duo maintained editorial control from 1911 until 1926. In 1934, around the time of Dr. Ruhräh's death, Marcia became the first “unmedicated” professional to head the MLA. During her tenure, the MLA incorporated, the first seal was adopted, and the annual meeting was held in Baltimore. Marcia wanted to write the history of the MLA once she retired from full-time work at the Faculty, but her health was beginning to fail. She had back problems and had suffered a serious burn on her shoulder as a young woman, possibly from her time running a summer camp, Camp Seyon, for young ladies in the Adirondack Mountains. In 1946, a celebration was planned to honor Marcia's 50 years at the Faculty. But she was adamant that the physicians wait until November, the actual date of her 50 years. However, they knew she was gravely ill, and might not make it until then, so a huge party was held in April. More than 250 physicians attended the celebration, but the ones she was closest to in the early years, were long gone. She was presented with a suitcase, a sum of money to use for travelling, and her favorite painting of Dr. John Philip Smith, a founder of the Medical College in Winchester, Virginia. It was painted by Edward Caledon Smith, a Virginia painter who had been a student of the painter Thomas Sully.[4] She adored this painting and vowed, jokingly, to take it with her wherever she went.
The painting was not to stay with her for very long, for she died in November 1946, and left it to the Faculty in her will. Her funeral was held in the Faculty's Osler Hall, named for her dear friend. More than 60 physicians served as her pallbearers, and she was buried at Baltimore's Green Mount Cemetery. In 1948, the MLA decided to establish an award in the name of Marcia Crocker Noyes. It was for outstanding achievement in medical library field and was to be awarded every two years, or when a truly worthy candidate was submitted. In 2014, the Faculty began giving a bouquet of flowers to the winner of the award in Marcia's name, and in honor of her work. Much evidence exists for this tradition, as we know that the physicians, especially Drs. Osler and Ruhräh, frequently gave her bouquets of flowers. Marcia also cultivated flower gardens at the Faculty and decorated the rooms with her work.
Today, the MedChi building is open for tours and if the rumors are to be believed Ms. Marcia Crocker Noyes is still at work in her beloved library as the "resident ghost" [1][5]
NOTE: This article has been modified from the original Wikipedia article on Marcia Crocker Noyes. The article itself is well-written with interesting images of the subject. I would encourage you to visit it. The second insert is from book 00736 in my personal library and shows in pencil, the incredibly small handwriting of Marsha C. Noyes.
Sources:
1. "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" MedChi Archives blog.
2. "Marcia C. Noyes, Medical Librarian" (PDF). Bulletin of the Medical Library Association. 35 (1): 108–109. 1947. PMC 194645
3. Smith, Bernie Todd (1974). "Marcia Crocker Noyes, Medical Librarian: The Shaping of a Career" (PDF). Bulletin of the Medical Library Association. 62 (3): 314–324. PMC 198800Freely accessible. PMID 4619344.
4. Edward Caledon BRUCE (1825-1901)"
5. Behind the scenes tour MedChiBuilding
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UPDATED: One year ago, on Monday January 2nd 2023, Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest as a consequence of a tackle that impacted his chest. The football player had suffered a Commotio Cordis, a rare but known athletic cardiac injury that was reversed by the medical support teams present at the Cincinnati Football Stadium.
One year later, the University of Cincinnati has published a press release entitled "The Damar Hamlin Effect: Revolutionizing CPR and AED Training Nationwide". Because of this accident, the awareness for training in CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the need and availability of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) has increased. His foundation has to-date raised over 9 million dollars!
Following is the original (and updated) post:
I have received several questions regarding this term and its meaning, because of the cardiac arrest suffered on the field by the Buffalo Bills defensive player Damar Hamlin while playing the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2nd, 2023.
01/02/2023 Bengals stadium
For those who were watching the game, close to the end of the first quarter Hamlin blocked another player in what looked like a normal and standard play. Immediately after, Damar Hamlin stood up and immediately collapsed. The video can be seen here. The player was treated on the field and later reports indicated that he had suffered a cardiac arrest and was treated with CPR (manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation), the use of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and oxygen. The player was intubated and was considered to be in critical, but stable condition.
The consensus is that Damar Hamlin suffered a ventricular arrhythmia, which allowed the heart to beat erratically, but not be able to pump blood, which is why he had to be defibrillated using the AED.
The cause for this is an uncommon (30 cases per year in the US) but known situation known as Commotio Cordis, a ventricular dysrhythmia caused by a sudden hit to the sternum in a particular location*. It has been seen in baseball and softball players where the pitcher is hit in the sternum by a fast ball coning from first base. Also seen in lacrosse players. In most cases this happens in younger individuals where the four sternabrae that form the body of the sternum have not yet completely ossified, making the sternum and lower costal cartilages quite flexible, being able to “bend in” when hit directly and compress the heart.
As some of you may know, I am a 7th Degree Black Belt in Goju-Ryu Karate. This type of punch to the sternum is one of the many techniques used in advanced Martial Arts. In most cases this punch will slow down an opponent, but it does not cause Commotio Cordis. It is a technique that should only be practiced under very close supervision. In fact, this technique was thought to be legend and was called “the touch of death” in China.
Commotio Cordis at a karate tournament
An example of Commotio Cordis caused by a Karate punch can be see in the following YouTube video. The image in this article shows the instant the chest strike happens at 6 seconds in the video. Look at the hand of the practitioner on the right and the devastating consequence that follows. Please note the similarity of the situation in this video and what happened to Damar Hamlin. There is a lapse of time between the Commotio Cordis cardiac arrest where the athlete gets up or walks followed fainting and unconsciousness. What is distressing is that the young martial artist who suffered this devastating injury died at the tournament. The judges were not aware of the situation, no one felt his pulse, or started life-saving CPR. Because of the content this video is age-restricted and you may have to sign in to view it.
The words are Latin. Commotio means “agitation or commotion”. Cordis means heart. The conditions to cause Commotio Cordis need to be exact, as the heart needs to be in ventricular repolarization, when the heart ventricles are starting to refill with blood. The "window" for a sternal hit to cause Commotio Cordis is very small.
Please, if you do not know how to provide CPR, take a full CPR course or at least attend a short 10 minute training like the one provided by University of Cincinnati Health in their "Take 10 Cincinnati" program.
For additional information please visit StatPearls at https://www.statpearls.com/ArticleLibrary/viewarticle/19761
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How many scientists, physicians, or anatomists have musical pieces written for them? I was so surprised when I found out that there is a musical score entitled “André Vésale” written by Louis-Jean Abadie and published in 1861 in Paris, France. I felt the obligation to research this topic.
There are many people that follow the life and works of Andreas Vesalius, a 16th century anatomist who started the modern scientific approach to human anatomy and medicine. I count myself in this group that includes artists, historians, poets, painters,musicians, medical illustrators, physicians, surgeons, antique collectors, anatomists, etc.
In June 2023, I had the honor of being invited by the University of Antwerp in Belgium to speak at the 2023 Vesalius Triennial Meeting. It was here that I discovered this musical surprise!
Elke Robersscheuten
Theo Dirix
One of the events of this meeting was an afternoon concert entitled “Vesalian landscapes in music, poetry, and photographs” by pianist Elke Robersscheuten, and my friend Theo Dirix, who read the poetry. This was accompanied by slides of Vesalian works, and images of the city of Brussels and the island of Zakynthos, Greece. One of the pieces performed by Elke Robersscheuten was “André Vésale”. You can see Elke perform this piece in a video at the end of this article.
With the help of Theo, I started the process of unraveling the story of this musical piece:
Louis Abadie
The author
Abadie, Louis-Jean (c1814-1858). Louis Abadie was a baritone singer. He started performing in the French provinces as member of an opera troupe. In 1842 he settled in Paris where he wrote numerous chansons and romances which were very popular at the Paris salons at the time. He had success as singer and voice teacher in Paris and in 1848 he released records of his songs, which were well received. I have not been able to find copies of these records.
He went back to traveling and singing, with little success and decided to move to Bordeaux, and then back to Paris where he was unsuccessful trying to find a locale that would present his work to the public. He lived in poverty and in early December 1958 he had a stroke and died at 45 years old, leaving a wife and three children. As a side note to his life, many of his works were dedicated or mentioned by name a woman named Jeanne. His wife's name was Marie Jeanne Toussaint.
Seven years after his death, on May 2, 1867, Les Danseurs de Corde.(The Rope Dancers) , an operetta (comedic opera) in two acts for which he had written the music, was performed at the Théâtre des Folies-Saint-Germain.
The lyrics
The poignant lyrics to this work were written by Louis-Adolphe Turpin de Sansay (1832 – 1891) a prolific French dramatic author, chansonnier, and songwriter. He collaborated with musicians with lyrics for their work. The lyrics for “André Vésale” were written in 1860 and published the following year.
The works of Turpin de Sansay were presented in elite places line the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, the Théâtre Beaumarchais, and the Théâtre-Lyrique.
The lyrics for “André Vésale” are based on Vesalius being deported to the Greek island of Zakynthos (known then as Zanthe). We now know this is a legend and not true. Following is the French original and a free translation of this work:
"André Vésale" (French)
Dans un caveau sur ma table de pierre
J'ai de la mort compulsé les secrets.
J'ai de mes mains profané la matière,
Et maintenant j'éprouve des regrets.
Par mon travail si de l'anatomie
J'ai découvert et promulgué la loi:
Si j'ai cherché les sources de la vie,
Pardonnez-moi, mon Dieu, pardonnez-moi!
Ils m'ont banni sur la terre de Zante,
Ils m'ont traité d'impie et d'imposteur;
Et j'ai dû tendre une main suppliante,
Car sur mon front plane le noir malheur!
Mais l'avenir, qui devant moi rayonne,
A ranimé mon courage et ma foi;
Si j'ai rêvé du martyr la couronne,
Pardonnez-moi, mon Dieu, pardonnez-moi!
J'aurais voulu calmer chaque souffrance,
Venir en aide à notre humanité,
Malgré l'exil, cependant, la science
Se répandra dans la postérité!
A mon pays, quoi qu'ingrat, je signale
Mes longs travaux, c'est mon bien, c'est mon droit.
Si j'illustrai le nom d'André Vésale,
Pardonnez-moi, mon Dieu, pardonnez-moi!
"Andreas Vesalius" (English)
In a cellar, on my stone table
I have extracted the secrets of death.
I have desecrated matter with my hands,
And now I feel regret.
By my work of anatomy
I discovered and promulgated the law:
If I sought the sources of life,
Forgive me, my God, forgive me!
They banished me to the land of Zakynthos,
They called me impious and impostor.
And I had to hold out a pleading hand,
For on my forehead hovers black misfortune!
But the future, which shines before me,
Revived my courage and my faith.
If I dreamed of the martyr's crown,
Forgive me, my God, forgive me!
I would have liked to calm each suffering,
Come to the aid of humanity,
Despite the exile, however, science
Will spread to posterity!
To my country, although ungrateful, I point out (that)
My vast work is my property, it is my right.
If I inscribe the name of Andreas Vesalius,
Forgive me, my God, forgive me!
The publisher
Étienne Challiot (1837 – 1866) had his office located at 352-354 Rue St Honoré, in Paris, very close to Place Vendôme, Paris. He published books and music sheets. Some of his publications can be found online.
The printer
Almost nothing is known about the printer of this work. A female printmaker, Madame Dinquel, had her printer shop at 276 Rue Sain Honoré, in Paris, very close to the publisher Étienne Challiot. Today, Sapporo, a Japanese restaurant sits at this address.
The musical piece
Following is a video of pianist Elke Robersscheuten performing "André Vésale" by Luis Abadie.
The original score can be downloaded here. Thanks to IMLSP for preserving this music for posterity. You can click on the image for a larger depiction.
André Vésale sheet music by Luis Abadie. Public Domain
Sources:
1. Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique, Volume 1François-Joseph Fétis Libraire de Firmin-Didot, 1878 Paris
2. Obituary: Courrier de la librairie: journal de la propriété littéraire et artistique pour la France et pour l'étranger. 1858,7/12
3. Necrologie; B. JOUVIN. Théatres (French). Paris: Figaro, 09/12/1858. Article nécrologique dans Le Figaro (Lire en ligne sur Gallica)
4. Obituary: Courrier de la librairie: journal de la propriété littéraire et artistique pour la France et pour l'étranger. 1858,7/12
5. Frédéric Caille, La figure du sauveteur : Naissance du citoyen secoureur en France, 1780-1914, Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 2006, p. 222-224 6.
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Anterior view of the stomach
The term “lesser curvature” refers to the shorter, curved, and concave right-sided border of the stomach. The lesser curvature extends between the esophagogastric junction superiorly and the pylorus inferiorly.
Although generally curved, the lesser curvature presents with a sharp angulation called the incisura angularis or the angular notch.
The lesser curvature is connected to the liver by a double-layered fold of peritoneum called the lesser omentum. The lesser omentum is composed of two regions:
1. The gastrohepatic ligament, the larger component, found between the lesser curvature and the liver. It includes the pylorus.
2. The gastroduodenal ligament, the smaller component, found between the first portion of the duodenum (superior portion, duodenal ampulla) and the liver. The common bile duct is found between the layers of the omentum.
The image shows the lesser curvature with an animated dashed line. The blue arrow points to the incisura angularis.
Sources:
1 "Tratado de Anatomia Humana" Testut et Latarjet 8 Ed. 1931 Salvat Editores, Spain
2. "Anatomy of the Human Body" Henry Gray 1918. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger
Original pastel image by Dr. E. Miranda
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Anterior view of the stomach
The term "incisura" is Latin, derived from the verb [incidere]* meaning "to cut" or [incisura]” meaning a "notch" or indentation in a structure, suggesting a distinctive incision, or cut. The second component, "angularis," is also Latin, derived from "angulus," which translates to "angle." The term "incisura angularis" can be translated as the "angular notch", a term that is also use for this gastric anatomical landmark.
The incisura angularis is a notch located along the lesser curvature of the stomach. Externally, it marks the transition between the body (corpus) and antrum of the stomach, an abdominal viscus. It is related to the gastrohepatic portion of the lesser omentum superolaterally. It should be mentioned that the lesser curvature vascular arcade runs within the lesser omentum, closely related to the gastric lesser curvature.
Found approximately midway between the esophagogastric junction and the pylorus, this external anatomical feature is easily identifiable internally during gastric endoscopy.
Structurally, the incisura angularis is formed by a fold of mucous membrane on the inner surface of the stomach, creating a small recess along the lesser curvature.
The stomach, although it has the same layers as the rest of the GI tract, presents an extra muscular layer in the area of the lesser curvature, which renders this area less distensible forming a muscular channel called the magenstrasse.
The mucosa layer is the deepest of the stomach layer. Within it, three areas of gastric mucosa are usually described: pyloric, transitional, and fundic. The incisura angularis corresponds mostly to the transitional zone. When there are mucosal changes that shown an invasion of another type of mucosa, it can mean preneoplastic changes. For this reason, the incisura angularis is an area that, when biopsied, can show early cancerous changes, as well as muscular atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia.
Preservation of the anatomy of the incisura angularis is critical during a sleeve gastrectomy, the most common bariatric procedure worldwide. The objective of a sleeve gastrectomy is to reduce the size of the stomach by placing a curved staple line along the left border of the magenstrasse, a lesser known gastric anatomy term.
Because of the location of the incisura angularis, improper placement of a straight gastric stapler could cause stenosis or stricture at this level. Another potential postoperative problem in this procedure is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) where some authors have proposed an omentopexy as a way to modify the angle of the incisura angularis.
Sources:
1. "The Origin of Medical Terms" Skinner, HA 1970 Hafner Publishing Co.
2. "Medical Meanings - A Glossary of Word Origins" Haubrich, WD. ACP Philadelphia
3 "Tratado de Anatomia Humana" Testut et Latarjet 8 Ed. 1931 Salvat Editores, Spain
4. “The Rarely Sampled Incisura Angularis Is Useful for the Detection of Gastric Preneoplastic Lesions” Singhal, A. , Saboorian, H. , Turner, K. , Rugge, M. & Genta, R. (2023). The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 118 (10S), S1407-S1407.
5. “Incisura angularis belongs to fundic or transitional gland regions in Helicobacter pylori-naive normal stomach: Sub-analysis of the prospective multi-center study” Nakajima, S at al Digestive Endoscopy 2021; 33: 125–132
6. “Increasing the angle at the incisura angularis using omentopexy reduces/prevents GERD symptoms five years after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy?” Presidential Grand Rounds. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, Volume 18, Issue 8, Supplement, 2022
7. “Gastric POEM to treat incisura angularis torsion after sleeve gastrectomy” Baptista, A; Davila, M; Guzman, M. Endoscopy 2019; 51(04)
8. “Obstruction after Sleeve Gastrectomy, Prevalence, and Interventions: a Cohort Study of 9,726 Patients with Data from the SOReg” Sillen, L; Andersson, E, Edholm, D. OBES SURG 31, 4701–4707 (2021)
Note: Google Translate includes the symbol (?). Clicking on it will allow you to hear the pronunciation of the word.
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[UPDATED] This is a medical term derived from the Latin [incisus] or [incisura], meaning "to cut". The Greek word [Τομή] (tomí) from which the suffixes [-otome], or [-otomy] derive, have a similar meaning.
The root term is [-cis-] and uses of this term include:
- Incision : "To cut in" • Incisive: Something that "cuts in"
- Incisor: Refers to a type of tooth that has a "cutting in" action
- Excision: The prefix [ex-] means "out" or "outside". To cut out, or to extirpate. See the meaning of the suffix [-ectomy] here
- Circumcision: The prefix [circum-] means "around", or "in a circle". To cut around (in a circle)
Note: Google Translate includes an icon that will allow you to hear the pronunciation of the word
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- Written by: Efrain A. Miranda, Ph.D.
Lateral view - Human embryo about
eight and a half weeks old
(UPDATED) The term [ventral] arises from the Latin word [venter] and the root term [ventr-] meaning "belly" or "sac". The adjective [ventral] means "towards the front" , or "towards the belly side of the body". The term ventral therefore means "abdomen".
Many use the term [ventral] synonymously with "anterior"; although this is technically correct, the proper term to use when referring to the patient in the anatomical position should be "anterior". In embryology, since the embryo is curved, most of the anterior aspect of the embryo looks towards the abdomen, ergo ventral.
A ventral hernia is any herniation that occurs in the anterior aspect of the abdomen, including Spigelian hernias, omphaloceles, etc.
Other terms that arise from the same root term are [ventricle], meaning "little belly", or "little sac", and [ventricular], meaning "pertaining to a ventricle".
Note: A comment from my friend Dr. Elizabeth Murray:
"My understanding of "anterior" means "in the direction of movement" for any given organism (and "posterior" means opposite the direction of movement for an organism). Thus, ventral does not ever change for any creature (vertebrate or even invertebrate), as it refers to a body part/surface. But when considering two-legged and four-legged (or finned) creatures, you see the differences: Ventral = anterior in us, but in a dog or fish ventral = inferior.
Ventral/dorsal refer to belly/back in any organism, and cranial/caudal refer to head-end and tail-end in any organism -- those four terms refer to body parts. However, anterior/posterior refer to the way an organism moves in space, and superior/inferior refer to an organism's relationship to the earth/pull of gravity."
An interesting side note: The word [ventriloquist] arises from the root term [-ventri-] from the Latin [venter] and the suffix [-loquist], from the Latin [loquos] and [locutus], meaning "to speak", or "someone who speaks". The term [ventriloquist] means then "someone who speaks from the abdomen (or stomach)". We now know that this is not so, but that is what most people think a ventriloquist does!
Sources:
1 "Tratado de Anatomia Humana" Testut et Latarjet 8 Ed. 1931 Salvat Editores, Spain
2. "Anatomy of the Human Body" Henry Gray 1918. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger
Image modified by CAA, Inc. Original image by Henry Vandyke Carter, MD., courtesy of bartleby.com