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United States National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

Finding Aid to the Sydenham Hospital Records, 1909-1949

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Descriptive Summary

Historical Note

Collection Summary

Index Terms

Administrative Information

Restrictions

Series Descriptions

Series I: Patient Case Histories and Charts, 1909-1949

Series II: Patient Records (sampled), 1924-1949

Series III: Reports and Case Histories from Other Hospitals, 1920-1949

Series IV: Correspondence, Minutes and Reports, 1932-1962

Series V: Negro Health Week, 1941

Series VI: Baltimore Newspaper Public Health Clippings Scrapbooks, 1931-1934

Series VII: Oversize, c.1930s-1947



Archives and Modern Manuscripts Program, History of Medicine Division

Processed by HMD Staff; Jim Labosier; Additional Processing Completed 2007; Encoded by Dan Jenkins, Electronic Scriptorium; Jim Labosier



Descriptive Summary

Collection Number:MS C 243
Creator:Sydenham Hospital, Baltimore
Title:Sydenham Hospital Records
Dates:1909-1962
Quantity:63.85 linear feet (150 boxes)
Abstract:The patient records of Sydenham Hospital offer an invaluable insight into the nature and treatment of communicable diseases in the pre-antibiotic era.

Historical Note

From 1909 to its closing in 1949, Sydenham Hospital was maintained by the Baltimore City Health Department for the isolation and treatment of communicable diseases. When its first building opened on the grounds of the Baltimore City Hospitals, the hospital accepted patients suffering from diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, smallpox, and chicken pox. A new and larger hospital was built at Lake Montebello in 1924. Because of its unique position as the only specialized communicable disease hospital in Maryland, Sydenham Hospital was always involved in medical research and teaching. Efforts in these areas were formalized in 1935 with the construction of new laboratories and, in the following year, with the establishment of a Division of Medical Research.

The discovery and widespread use of antibiotics in the post-war period reduced the need for a separate hospital for the treatment of infectious diseases. As a result, Sydenham Hospital was closed in 1949, and its services transferred to the Baltimore City Hospitals.

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Collection Summary

The patient records of Sydenham Hospital offer an invaluable insight into the nature and treatment of communicable diseases in the pre-antibiotic era. The bulk of the collection consists of patient medical case histories. Records are complete for the years 1909 to 1924, but because of the size of the collection, only a sample of every tenth record for the years 1924 to 1949 were retained; the hospital registers for the entire period have been preserved, however.

The collection also contains reports from other doctors and hospitals on cases of typhoid (1920-45), poliomyelitis (1937-49), meningitis (1938-47), and diphtheria, rabies, spotted fever, smallpox, measles, and other communicable diseases. There are two boxes of correspondence and reports relating to hospital administration, three scrapbooks of clippings from the Baltimore papers on public health (1931-1934), and a box of material on Negro Health Week Activities (1941).

Boxes 85-141 consist of patient medical histories for April 1909-February 1924. Case histories for January 1924-December 1949, are in containers 1-55. Case reports on typhoid (1920-45), poliomyelitis (1937-49), meningitis (1938-47), and diphtheria,rabies, spotted fever, smallpox, measles and other communicable diseases are in containers 56-80. Correspondence and reports relating to hospital administration, in boxes 80-82. Includes patient registers for 1911-49 (8 boxes), scrapboooks with public health clippings, 1931-34 (3 boxes), and a Negro Health Week activities scrapbook, 1941.

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Restrictions

Restrictions

Portions of the collection are restricted according to HMD's Access to Personal Health Information policy. Contact the Reference Staff for information regarding access. For access to the policy and application form, please visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/manuscripts/phi.pdf.

Copyright

Copyright was transferred to the public domain. Contact the Reference Staff for details regarding rights.

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Index Terms

These terms are indexed in the National Library of Medicine's online catalog LocatorPlus. Researchers wishing to find related materials should search the catalog using these terms.
MeSH Subjects
Communicable Diseases epidemiology
Hospitals
Poliomyelitis
Rabies
Geographic Names
Baltimore (MD)
Genre Terms
Case Reports

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Sydenham Hospital, Baltimore. Sydenham Hospital records. 1909-1962. Located in: Modern Manuscripts Collection, History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD; MS C 243.

Provenance

The Sydenham Hospital records were released by the Baltimore City Board of Estimates to the National Library of Medicine in April, 1968.

Processing Information

To obtain a systematic sampling of available case histories, every tenth record was selected from boxes 1-55, dated 1909-1924.

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Series Descriptions

 

Series I: Patient Case Histories and Charts, 1909-1949

[RESTRICTED PHI POLICY]
BoxFolder
Medical Histories, 1909-1923
85v.1 No. 1-100, 1909-1910
86v.1 No. 101-150, 1910
87v.1 No. 151-200, 1910
88v.1 No. 201-250, 1910
89v.1-2 No. 251-351, 1910-1911
90v.1-2 No. 352-443, 1911-1912
91v.1-2 No. 444-544, 1912
92v.1 No. 545-620, 1912
93v.1 No. 621-749, 1913
94v.1 No. 750-859, 1913
95v.1 No. 860-966, 1914
96v.1 No. 967-1072, 1914
97v.1 No. 1073-1212, 1915
98v.1 No. 1213-1322, 1915
99v.1 No. 1323-1400, 1915
100v.1 No. 1401-1450, 1915
101v.1 No. 1501-1599, 1915-1916
102v.1 No. 1600-1699, 1916
103v.1 No. 1700-1799, 1916
104v.1 No. 1800-1899, 1916-1917
105v.1 No. 1900-1999, 1917
106v.1 No. 2000-2049, 1917
107v.1 No. 2050-2099, 1917
108v.1 No. 2100-2149, 1917-1918
109v.1-2 No. 2150-2249, 1918
110v.1 No. 2250-2299, 1918
111v.1 No. 2300-2349, 1918
112v.1 No. 2350-2399, 1918-1919
113v.1-2 No. 2400-2499, 1919
114v.1-2 No. 2500-2599, 1919
115v.1-2 No. 2600-2699, 1919
116v.1-2 No. 2700-2799, 1919
117v.1-2 No. 2800-2899, 1919
118v.1-2 No. 2900-2999, 1919-1920
119v.1-2 No. 3000-3099, 1920
120v.1 No. 3100-3179, 1920
121v.1 No. 3180-3250, 1920
122v.1 No. 3251-3299, 1920
123v.1 No. 3300-3364, 1920
124v.1-2 No. 3365-3458, 1921
125v.1-2 No. 3459-3549, 1921
126v.1-2 No. 3550-3619, 1921
127v.1-2 No. 3620-3693, 1921
128v.1-2 No. 3694-3777, 1921
129v.1-2 No. 3778-3878, 1921
130v.1-2 No. 3879-3999, 1922
131v.1-2 No. 4000-4106, 1922
132v.1-2 No. 4107-4237, 1922
133v.1 No. 4238-4338, 1922
134v.1-2 No. 4339-4449, 1922-1923
135v.1-2 No. 4450-4549, 1923
136v.1-2 No. 4550-4649, 1923
137v.1-2 No. 4650-4749, 1923
138v.1-2 No. 4750-4849, 1923
139v.1-2 No. 4850-4949, 1923
140v.1-2 No. 4950-5030, 1923
141v.1 Medical histories (misplaced)
Patient Registers, 1911-1949
145v.1-2 Adm. #258-3757, 1911-1921
146v.1-2 Adm. #3758-8706, 1921-1927
147v.1 Adm. #8707-14298, 1927-1931
148v.1 Adm. #258-3757, 1935-1940
149v.1 Adm. #27926-35903, 1940-1948
150v.1 Adm. #35904-37221, 1948-1949

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Series II: Patient Records (sampled), 1924-1949

[RESTRICTED PHI POLICY]
BoxFolder
1 1924-1925
2 1925-1926
3 1926-1927
4 1927-1928
5 1927
6 1928-1929
7 1929
8 1929-1930
9 1930-1931
10 1930-1931
11 1931
12 1931-1932
13 1932
14 1932-1933
15 1933
16 1933-1934
17 1934-1935
18 1934-1935
19 1935-1936
20 1936
21 1936
22 1936-1937
23 1937
24 1937-1938
25 1937-1938
26 1938
27 1938-1939
28 1939
29 1939
30 1939-1940
31 1940
32 1940
33 1940-1941
34 1941
35 1941
36 1941-1942
37 1942
38 1942-1943
39 1943
40 1943
41 1943-1944
42 1944
43 1944
44 1944-1945
45 1945
46 1945
47 1945
48 1945-1946
49 1946
50 1946-1947
51 1946-1947
52 1947
53 1947-1948
54 1948-1949
55 1949

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Series III: Reports and Case Histories from Other Hospitals, 1920-1949

[RESTRICTED PHI POLICY]
BoxFolder
561 Paratyphoid histories - 1-8, 1920
562-6 Typhoid histories - 1-283, 1920
567 Paratyphoid histories - 1-12, 1921
568-13 Typhoid histories - 1-315, 1921
5614 Typhoid histories - 1-50, 1922
571 Paratyphoid histories - 1-39, 1922
572-6 Typhoid histories - 51-260, 1922
577 Paratyphoid histories - 1-30, 1923
578-11 Typhoid histories - 1-200, 1923
581-2 typhoid histories - 201-266, 1923
583 Paratyphoid histories - B-W, 1924
584-9 Typhoid histories - 1-174, 1924
5810 Paratyphoid histories - 1-51, 1925
5811 Typhoid histories - 1-50, n.d.
591-8 Typhoid histories - 51-252, n.d.
599 Paratyphoid investigations - 1-55, 1926
5910 Typhoid investigations - 1-25, 1926
609 Paratyphoid investigations - 1-29, 1927
611 Paratyphoid histories - 1-23, 1928
612-5 Typhoid histories - 1-125, 1928
616 Typhoid histories - 1-25, 1929
617 Paratyphoid histories - 1-26, 1929
618 Typhoid histories - 76-99, 1929
619 Typhoid histories - 53-75, 1929
6110 Typhoid histories - 26-50, 1929
6111-12 Typhoid and paratyphoid fever, 1930
621 Paratyphoid histories - 1-29, 1930
622-7 Typhoid histories - 1-162, 1930
628 Paratyphoid histories - 1-28, 1931
629-10 Typhoid histories - 1-50, 1931
631-3 Typhoid histories - 51-127, 1931
634 Paratyphoid histories, 1932
635-8 Typhoid histories 1-102, 1932
639 Typhoid weekly reports, 1933
6310 Typhoid and paratyphoid fever, 1933
641-2 Typhoid histories - 1-56, 1933
643 Paratyphoid histories, 1934
644 Typhoid outbreak, 1934
645-9 Typhoid histories - 1-83, 1934
6410-11 Typhoid histories - 11-62, 1934
651 Paratyphoid histories - 2-10, 1935
652 Typhoid and paratyphoid histories, outside cases, 1935
653-8 Typhoid histories - 1-69, 1935
661 Typhoid histories - 70-75, 1935
662 Typhoid histories - 53, 55, 62, 66, 76, 77 (statistics 51-77), 1935
663-7 Typhoid histories - 1-49, 1936
668 Typhoid and paratyphoid histories, outside cases, 1936
669 Typhoid investigations, 1936
671-2 Typhoid investigations, 1936
673 Paratyphoid histories, 1937
674-5 Typhoid and paratyphoid investigations, 1937
676-7 Typhoid and paratyphoid investigations, outside cases, 1937
678-9 Typhoid histories - 1-25, 1937
681-4 Typhoid histories - 26-69, 1937
685-6 Typhoid and paratyphoid investigations, 1938
687 Typhoid and paratyphoid investigations, outside cases, 1938
688-9 Typhoid histories - 1-17, 1938
691-4 Typhoid histories - 18-51, 1938
695 Typhoid cases (Federalsburg, MD), 1938
696 Typhoid cases (Dundalk church supper), 1938
697-8 Typhoid and paratyphoid investigations, no cases, 1939
699 Typhoid and paratyphoid investigations, outside cases, 1939
6910-11 Typhoid histories - 1-18, 1939
701 Typhoid histories - 19-24, 1939
702 Typhoid histories - 1-11, 1940
703 Typhoid histories - 2-23, 1940
704 Typhoid on S.S. Holisement, 1940
705-7 Typhoid investigations, outside cases, 1940
708-9 Typhoid histories - 1-24, 1941
711 Typhoid histories - 25-35, 1941
712 Typhoid investigations, no cases, 1941
713-4 Typhoid investigations, outside cases, 1941
715 Typhoid fever carriers, n.d.
716 Typhoid fever, n.d.
717 Typhoid, n.d.
721 Poliomyelitis - statistics, 1913-1949
722 Poliomyelitis, 1944
723-4 Poliomyelitis, special investigations, 1937-1939
725-6 Poliomyelitis, 1937
727-9 Poliomyelitis, 1938
7210-11 Poliomyelitis, 1939
7212 Poliomyelitis, 1940
7213-14 Poliomyelitis, 1941
7215-19 Poliomyelitis - paralytic case histories - 1-101, 1941
731 Poliomyelitis, 1942
732-3 Poliomyelitis, 1943
734-10 Poliomyelitis - case histories - 1-167, 1944
7311-17 Poliomyelitis - case histories - 1-160, 1944
741 Poliomyelitis - paralytic, 1944
742 Poliomyelitis - case histories, 1945
743-4 Poliomyelitis - case histories - 1-34, 1946
745 Poliomyelitis, 1947
746-7 Poliomyelitis - case histories - 1-29+, 1947
748 Poliomyelitis - case histories, 1947
749 Poliomyelitis, 1947
7410-11 Poliomyelitis, 1948
7412 Poliomyelitis - paralytic, 1948
7413 Poliomyelitis - non-paralytic, 1948
7414 Poliomyelitis, 1948-1949
7415 Poliomyelitis - non-paralytic, 1948
7416 Poliomyelitis - paralytic, 1949
7417-19 Poliomyelitis - paralytic - case histories - 1-60+, 1949
751-3 Poliomyelitis - case histories - 1-60, 1949
754 "A guide for nurses in the infantile paralysis", 1946
755 "Facts about infantile paralysis", 1946
756 "The nursing care of patients with infantile paralysis", 1940
757 "Annual report from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis", 1940
758 "A new principle in the treatment of poliomyelitis", 1944
759 "Care during the recovery period in paralytic polio", 1939
7510 "Epidemiological studies of poliomyelitis in Kentucky", 1936
7511 "Zinc sulfate prophylaxis in poliomyelitis", 1937
7512 "Care during the recovery period of poliomyelitis", 1937
7513 "Data compiled for conference on poliomyelitis" - R. H. Riley, M.D.; P. H. Halliday, M.D., 1935
7514 National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis "News", 1942-1946
7515 "Poliomyelitis in Detroit 1939" - Henry F. Vaughan, Ph.D., Franklin H. Top, M.D., 1940
7516-21 Poliomyelitis, n.d.
7522 Poliomyelitis - follow up, charts, incidence, 1944
761 Meningococcus meningitis, 1938
762-3 Meningitis deaths, 1939-1940
764-7 Meningitis deaths, 1943
771 Meningitis deaths, 1944
772 Meningitis deaths, 1945
773 Meningitis deaths, 1946-1947
774-6 Diphtheria (prevention campaign), 1945
777 "Localized outbreak of diphtheria in Baltimore" - Carlos de Vasconcellos, 1944
778-10 Diphtheria, n.d.
781 Rabies, n.d.
782 Rabies - SPCA reports, n.d.
783 Rabies - statistics, n.d.
784-6 Rabies, n.d.
787 Rabies - clippings, n.d.
788-9 Rabies, n.d.
7810 Rabies, 1944-1946
7811 Rabid dogs in Baltimore - charts on rabies infestations, 1944
7812 Rabies - reports, 1945
7813 Rabies, 1945
7814 Rabies - reports, 1946
7815 Rabies, 1946
7816 Rabies - reports, 1946
7817 Rabies, n.d.
7818 Rabies control, n.d.
MC Rabies quarantine posters, 1944-1947
MC Charts on rabies infestations, 1944-1945
791-6 Psittacosis, n.d.
797-8 Measles, n.d.
799-10 Whooping cough, n.d.
7911 Leprosy, n.d.
7912-14 Spotted fever, n.d.
7915 Tetanus, n.d.
7916 Tularemia, n.d.
7917-18 Undulant fever, n.d.
7919 Food poisoning, n.d.
801-2 Typhus, n.d.
803-7 Smallpox, n.d.
808 Smallpox vaccination, n.d.
809 "Requirements for communicable diseases" - Baltimore Health Department, 1944
8010 "Rules and regulations of the State Board of Health of Maryland relating to communicable diseases", 1944
8011 "Provisions of the Sanitary Code of the City of New York and regulations relative to reportable diseases and conditions and control of communicable diseases", 1940
8012 "The Sanitary Code of the City of New York", 1944
8013 The Sanitary Code" - Public Health Council of the State of New York, 1946
8014 "Ordinance and regulations governing maternity hospitals" - Huntington Williams, M.D., commission of The Baltimore City Health Department, 1946
8015 "Public Health Law" - supplement, 1939
8016 "Rules and regulations for the government of the Department of Health of the City of Baltimore", 1939
8017 "The Public Health Law" - New York State Department of Health, 1937
8018 "The Sanitary Code" - Public Health Council of the State of New York, 1938
8019 "City Housing Code" - Public Health Council of the State of New York, 1947
8020 "Ordinance and regulations governing day nurseries" - Baltimore City Health Department, Bureau of Child Hygiene, 1934

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Series IV: Correspondence, Minutes and Reports, 1932-1962

BoxFolder
811-3 Correspondence and reports (chiefly re typhoid fever), 1932
814-6 Correspondence, 1933-1935
817 Minutes of staff meetings, 1935-1937
818-9 Correspondence, 1936
8110 Correspondence (chiefly re typhoid fever), 1936-1937
8111-14 Correspondence, 1937-1939
8115 Minutes of staff meetings, 1938-1939
8116-20 Correspondence, 1940-1941
8120 Minutes of staff meetings, 1940-1941
8121 Sydenham hospital, 1941-1948
821-4 Correspondence, 1942-1946
825 Sydenham-Baltimore hospitals, 1947
826-7 Correspondence, 1947-1948
828 Mayors Advisory Committee on the Budget - report, 1950
829 Sydenham hospital - report on, 1948
8210 Baltimore hospitals - E + E report, 1949
8211 Sydenham hospital, 1949
8212 Correspondence, 1949
8213-14 Sydenham hospital, 1949
8215 Correspondence, 1949
8216-17 Sydenham hospital, 1949
8218-22 Correspondence, 1950-1962
8223 Sydenham hospital - certificate and photograph, n.d.

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Series V: Negro Health Week, 1941

BoxFolder
831 National Negro Health Week, 1941
832 National Negro Health Week - committees, 1941
833 National Negro Health Week - parade, 1941
834 Baltimore Negro Health Week - parade photographs, 1941
835 Radio program associated with National Negro Health Week, 1941
836 Healthy baby contest meeting, 1941
837 School committee and clippings, 1941
838 Finance committee, 1941

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Series VI: Baltimore Newspaper Public Health Clippings Scrapbooks, 1931-1934

BoxFolder
841 Clippings scrapbook - 1931-1932 [photocopies], n.d.
842 Clippings scrapbook - 1932-1933 [photocopies], n.d.
843 Clippings scrapbook - 1933-1934 [photocopies], n.d.
1421 Clippings scrapbook, 1931-1932
1431 Clippings scrapbook, 1932-1933
1441 Clippings scrapbook, 1933-1934

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Series VII: Oversize, c.1930s-1947

BoxFolder
845 Rabies quarantine posters, 1944-1947
MC Sydenham Hospital - land plats, 1931
MC Medical Director's residence - blueprints, 1940
MC Leonhardt Wagon Manufacturing Co - ambulance blueprint, ca.1930s
MC Baltimore City Health Department - organization chart, n.d.
MC Poliomyelitis occurrences in Baltimore, 1944

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Last reviewed: 30 October 2007
Last updated: 30 October 2007
First published: 29 June 2004
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanent: Dynamic Content