UMarmot » Medical

Bishop, Sam

rscox — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:09:42 +0000

A new medical waste incinerator for New York city hospitals became the focal point of drawn-out controversy in the 1990s. After proposals to place the facility in Rockland County and downtown Manhattan were scotched, a site in the South Bronx was selected. Even before it opened in 1991, the Bronx-Lebanon incinerator touched off fierce opposition. Built to dispose of up to 48 tons per day of medical waste gathered from fifteen regional hospitals, the incinerator was located in a poor and densely populated area, and worse, raising charges of environmental racism. Making matters worse, during its years of operation, it was cited for hundreds of violations of state pollution standards. A coalition of grassroots organizations led an effective campaign to close the facility, and in June 1997 the plant’s owner, Browning Ferris Industries agreed. In an agreement with the state two years later, BFI agreed to disable the plant and remove the emission stacks.

Gathered by an environmental activist and consultant from New York city, Sam Bishop, this collection documents the turbulent history of public opposition to the Bronx-Lebanon medical waste incinerator. In addition to informational materials on medical waste incineration, the collection includes reports and legal filings relative to the facility, some materials on the campaign to close it, and a small quantity of correspondence and notes from activists.

Grinspoon, Lester, 1928-

rscox — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:26:05 +0000

Lester Grinspoon, the Harvard psychiatrist who became a celebrated advocate for reforming marijuana laws, was born June 24, 1928, in Newton, Massachusetts. A veteran of the Merchant Marines and a graduate of Tufts University and Harvard Medical School, he trained at the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute but later turned away from psychoanalysis. Senior psychiatrist for 40 years at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Grinspoon is associate professor emeritus of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In the mid-1960s, struck by the rising popularity of marijuana and its reputed dangers, Grinspoon began to examine the medical and scientific literature about marijuana usage. To his surprise, he found no evidence to support claims of marijuana’s harmful effects, and his resulting 1969 Scientific American article drew wide attention. His research ultimately convinced him of marijuana’s benefits, including enhanced creativity and medicinal uses. His own young son, undergoing chemotherapy for the leukemia that eventually took his life, found his severe nausea greatly eased by marijuana. By his 40s, Grinspoon had gained renown as an outspoken proponent of responsible adult use and legalization.

The Lester Grinspoon Papers comprehensively document Grinspoon’s advocacy and activism, including his role as a board member of NORML; his research and writing of the books Marihuana Reconsidered and Marihuana: The Forbidden Medicine, numerous articles, two web sites, and more; his position as an expert witness in criminal trials; and his relationships with friends, colleagues, and many others, such as Carl Sagan, John Lennon, Keith Stroup, and Melanie Dreher. The collection comprises correspondence, research material, drafts and publications, clinical accounts, clippings, ephemera, scrapbooks, and audiovisual materials: photographs, as well as videotapes and DVDs of Grinspoon’s appearances on television and in documentary films.

McVeigh, Kevin

rscox — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 20:29:36 +0000

A lifelong activist for social and environmental justice, Kevin McVeigh was among the founders of two prominent antinuclear and environmental organizations in Northern California, the Pelican Alliance (1978) and Interhelp (1981). After relocating to Massachusetts, he continued in environmental activism, founding the Green River Center in Greenfield in 1987, but in response to the intense public health crisis, he gradually shifted his focus to become an advocate for persons with HIV/AIDS. As a founder of the AIDS Community Group of Franklin County (Mass.), he has coordinated AIDS services for Tapestry Health, a not-for-profit organization providing affordable health care to in Western Massachusetts.

The McVeigh Papers document a career as a committed antinuclear activist and advocate for persons with HIV/AIDS. The collection includes organizational materials from each of the groups McVeigh helped found: The Pelican Alliance, Interhelp, the Green River Center, the AIDS Community Group of Franklin County, and Tapestry Health, as well as correspondence, newspaper clippings, journals and magazines related to the issues concerning, notes from HIV/AIDS caregivers’ conferences, materials relating to men’s support groups, and other material related to environmental protection and anti-war activism. Finally, the collection includes audio files of an oral history (approximately two hours) conducted with McVeigh in July 2010, and a small collection of antinuclear books from small publishing houses.

Davenport, Janina Smiertka

rscox — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:51:14 +0000

Raised in a Polish American family from Greenfield, Mass., Janina Smiertka Davenport was the epitome of a life-long learner. After graduating from Greenfield High School in 1933, Davenport received degrees from the Pratt Institute in Food Management and from the Franklin County Public School for Nurses (1937). In 1938, she began work as a nurse in the U.S. Navy, receiving two special commendations for meritorious service during the Second World War. She continued her formal and informal education later in life, receiving degrees from Arizona State University in 1958 and UMass Amherst in Russian and Eastern European Studies (1982). Davenport died in Greenfield in March 2002.

The Davenport Papers contain a thick sheaf of letters and documents pertaining to her Navy service before and during World War II, along with assorted biographical and genealogical data, materials collected during educational trips to Poland and elsewhere, and approximately one linear foot of family photographs and photo albums.

Jansen, Isabel

rscox — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:18:00 +0000

A Registered Nurse and surgical assistant at Marquette University Medical and Dental Schools, Isabel Jansen was a long-time opponent of fluoridation of drinking water. In 1949, her hometown of Antigo, Wisconsin, became one of the first in the state to put fluorides in its water supply. Jansen emerged as a prominent voice in opposition, arguing that fluorides had a cumulative toxic effect when ingested over a long period, and using public health data, she concluded that fluoridation was strongly correlated with an increase in mortality from heart disease and with a variety of other deleterious health effects. In 1960, she succeeded in ending fluoridation, however after a follow up survey showed a dramatic rise in tooth decay, Antigo residents voted five years later to reintroduce fluoride. Jansen has continued a vigorous resistance, publishing a series of articles on the public health impact and Fluoridation : A Modern Procrustean Practice (1990) and .

The Jansen Papers include a range of correspondence, newsclippings, articles, and notes regarding Isabel Jansen’s long struggle against the fluoridation of drinking water.

Waldbott, George L., 1898-

rscox — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:44:04 +0000

After receiving his medical degree from the University of Heidelberg in 1921, George L. Waldbott accepted a residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and embarked on a pioneering career in the study and treatment of allergic diseases. He is noted for his fundamental research on human anaphylaxis and penicillin shock, allergy-induced respiratory problems, and later in his career, the health impact of air pollutants. In 1955, Waldbott began conducting research in fluoride toxicity, becoming one of the first physicians to warn of the health effects of mass fluoridation. A founder of the International Society for Fluoride Research, he was considered one of the key figures in the antifluoridation movement for over two decades, contributing dozens of books and articles, including the influential The American Fluoridation Experiment (1957) and Fluoridation : The Great Dilemma (1978). He died in Detroit on July 17, 1982, from complications following open heart surgery.

The Waldbott Papers document one physician’s long struggle against the fluoridation of the American water supply. In addition to a considerable quantity of correspondence with other leading antifluoridation activists, the collection includes an array of subject files relating to fluoridation, air pollution, and allergens, as well as drafts of articles and offprints, newsclippings, and notes.

UMass Amherst. School of Health Science

rscox — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 03:26:50 +0000

In response to an epidemic of scarlet fever at Massachusetts Agricultural College in 1912 and the death of four students, the Massachusetts Legislature finally appropriated funds to construct an infirmary. Staffed initially by a nurse, and later (1930) by a physician, the infirmary had grown sufficiently by the 1940s to require the creation of a separate department of Student Health. Formal instruction in public health began in 1939 and the first public health department, Bacteriology, was created one year later, followed by Nursing and other departments. In 1973, the School of Health Sciences was formed, comprised of the Division of Nursing, the Division of Public Health, and (after 1975), the Department of Communication Disorders. The School of Health Sciences split into the School of Public Health and the School of Nursing in 1989. In 1993, the School was renamed the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, which provides education for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as health professionals.

Record group consists of annual reports; department histories; accreditation reports; correspondence and memoranda; proposals; technical reports; faculty lists; course descriptions, course of study guides and syllabi; training handbooks and laboratory exercises; brochures and fliers; newsclippings, newsletters and articles; surveys; conference materials; and related materials.

Historical Note

In 1912, the Massachusetts Agricultural College experienced a fatal epidemic of scarlet fever. In response to this disaster, the Massachusetts Legislature appropriated sufficient funds to construct an infirmary. When the infirmary opened in 1915, a resident nurse was placed in charge of the new facility; and in 1930, Dr. Ernest J. Radcliffe served as college physician. In the 1940s Curry Hicks, while serving as director of the Athletic Program, was also made responsible for student health services and Dr. Radcliffe provided the leadership for a newly created department of Student Health.

In 1939, MAC, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, approved a cooperative program in public health instruction. To support the program, a new Department of Bacteriology was established in 1940. The Board of Trustees approved additional public health courses in 1941 and voted to continue public health courses in 1944. The public health curricula included courses in General Bacteriology and Community Sanitation within the Department of Bacteriology and Public Health. In 1947 the program of undergraduate instruction was expanded to include a Master of Science degree, and in 1948, it graduated its first students.

A graduate program was established in environmental health in 1948. In 1951, the Trustees approved the establishment of a nursing program curriculum and in 1953, Mary A. Maher was appointed Director of a newly formed Division of Nursing. The first class was organized in September 1954. Agreements were reached with a nearby Springfield Hospital for the use of clinical facilities during the following summer session. In 1960, on recommendation of the President and vote of the Trustees, the Division was officially redesignated the School of Nursing.

In 1961, public health courses were moved from the Bacteriology Department, which then became the Department Of Microbiology. Robert W. Gage was appointed as head of the newly-created Department of Public Health while also serving as director of University Health Services. At that time the unit comprised two faculty members, experts in both health department administration and environmental sanitation. The academic offerings consisted of a master’s level program and courses for undergraduate students. The primary purpose of the program was to educate graduates in conventional hygiene and sanitation and prepare them for management of local health departments. By 1964, the department had grown, and Dr. Howard A. Peters was given a joint appointment as director of Environmental Health in the University Health Services and as assistant professor in the Department of Public Health. The appointment of William A. Darity in 1965 introduced community health education as an essential component of the academic public health program.

In 1973, the School of Health Sciences was formed, comprised of the Division of Nursing and a separate Division of Public Health. The Department of Communication Disorders was added in 1975. The School of Health Sciences split into the School of Public Health and the School of Nursing in 1989. In 1993, the School of Health Sciences was renamed the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. In addition to educating graduate and undergraduate students and providing continuing education for health professionals, the school emphasized pursuit of basic and applied research as well as outreach through technical assistance and consultation to health and other human service agencies, to communities in the private sector, and to innovative demonstration programs. The School also began strong participation in scientific, professional, and policy-making bodies at the state, national, and international levels. The Center for Research and Education of Women’s Health (CREWH) was established in 1997 to provide for the exchange of knowledge from current research; education on disease prevention, exercise and fitness; and nutrition information for women in the University and local community.

Scope and Content

Record group consists of annual reports; department histories; accreditation reports; correspondence and memoranda; proposals; technical reports; faculty lists; course descriptions, course of study guides and syllabi; training handbooks and laboratory exercises; brochures and flyers; newsclippings, newsletters and articles; surveys; conference materials; and related materials.

1. Division of Public Health
School of Public Health (created July 1989) School of Public Health and Health Sciences (created August 1993)
1. Northeast Regional Environmental Public Health Center
2. Center for Research and Education in Women’s Health (CREWH)	1997-2007
3. Nursing
The School of Nursing was created July 1, 1989.

Belchertown State School Friends Association

scua — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:00:39 +0000

The Belchertown State School Friends Association was established in 1954 to promote improved conditions at Belchertown State School and better treatment of “retarded” or “mentally challenged” citizens in Massachusetts.

The bulk of the collection includes copies of records of court appearances, briefs, the consent decree and related materials, as well as reports and correspondence relating to Mass. vs. Russell W. Daniels, Ricci vs. Greenblatt (now Ricci vs. Okin), and other cases. Also clippings and photocopied newspaper articles; speeches; newsletters; draft of agreement; and scrapbooks. Collection documents the efforts of the Association and Benjamin Ricci, President of the Association, 1970-1977, Chairman of the Board, 1977- , to improve the lot of retarded citizens of Massachusetts, initially those living at Belchertown State School.

Boston AIDS Consortium

rscox — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:00:10 +0000

In the fall 1987, a working group was formed in Boston to help coordinate planning for HIV-related services, prevention, and education. The Boston AIDS Consortium began operations the following January with the goal of ensuring effective services for people affected by HIV/AIDS and enabling them to live healthy and productive lives. In its eighteen year existence, the Consortium worked with over seventy public and private agencies and two hundred individuals.

The Records of the Boston AIDS Consortium provide valuable insight into community-based mobilization in response to the AIDS epidemic.

Bucklin, Thomas, 1771-1843

scua — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 05:40:17 +0000

Daybook of physician Thomas Bucklin who, for twenty-three years, practiced medicine in and around Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Accounts are listed chronologically and by surname; patients included women and local Irish laborers. Entries are brief and in medical shorthand. The book contains prescriptions, some for specific patients and some borrowed from other doctors; a list of deaths in Hopkinton for 1841-43, with the age of the deceased and cause of death; and personal notations in the margins of the book, noting holidays, weather conditions and trips.

Biographical Note

Thomas Bucklin practiced medicine in and around Hopkinton, Massachusetts, for twenty-three years. Born in 1771, he married Sarah Claflin in 1799. The couple had one surviving child, Mary (b. 1799). By 1820 Bucklin had established a practice in Hopkinton. He stopped working only a month before his death of consumption in 1843, aged 71.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

This single-volume daybook covers the years 1841-1843. The accounts are chronological, listed under a date heading. The pages are unnumbered.

Bucklin had a busy family practice in Hopkinton, and in nearby towns such as Milford, Unionville, and Holliston. The entries in the volume are brief and in a medical shorthand. Most simply noted “visit and medicine.” Frequent cases involved childbirth, broken bones, extraction of teeth, venesection (bleeding), and insertion of catheters. Some of the accounts were marked paid, which may indicate that they were settled at the time of the visit. However, Bucklin did not note what means were used in payment. On the whole, there are almost no credit entries in this volume. They were probably recorded in a final ledger. Besides his medical services, Bucklin also lent money to patients and sold hay, potatoes, apples, and pork.

Frequent patients included members of the Bowker, Bullard, McFarland and Phipps families, as well as the prominent Claflin and Rockwood families. A few, presumably independent women appeared under their own names, but most were listed as wives or widows. Several patients were specifically labeled “Irish,” probably farm laborers or workers in the town’s developing shoe industry. Besides his regular patients, on occasion Bucklin also treated animals.

There are several interesting items scattered through the volume. The first pages contain prescriptions, some for specific patients and some Bucklin borrowed from other doctors. He also kept a record of deaths in Hopkinton for 1841-1843, with the age of the deceased and cause of death. In the last pages there is a list of children inoculated for kine or cow pox, an early form of vaccination for smallpox. Bucklin also made brief personal notations in the margins of the book, noting holidays, weather conditions, and trips (including one to Albany and Saratoga Springs, New York).

Information on Use

Terms of Access and Use

Restrictions on access:

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Cite as: Thomas Bucklin Daybook (MS 260). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

History of the Collection

Acquired from: Charles Apfelbaum.

Processing Information

Processed by Lisa May, August 1989.

Additional Information

Sponsor

Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Language

English.