1932

In the fall of 1932, while most of us were out in the depressed world looking for jobs, a few were lucky to be in graduate schools, and 13 of these were second-year students at Dartmouth Medical School. Admitted to Mary Hitchcock Hospital one day that fall was a very seriously ill young man with septicemia.

Unfortunately, these were not the best of times for treating sepsis. The sulfas and penicillin were not yet available, and despite the desparate efforts of his doctors the lad died and the second-year class attended his autopsy. The pathologist chose at random one of the students to assist him, and warned him and the class of the hazards of dissecting a body infected with a virulent organism. He proceeded with the autopsy, allowing the student to do little more than close the skin incision. And that's when it happened. The student punctured his left hand with the sewing needle!

The class was stunned, then dismayed. Silence and gloom filled the room. What would happen to this classmate? That needle had been used on body tissue contaminated by a viciously virulent microbe, and the best treatments available had been tried and failed on the deceased. As the pathologist and his wounded assistant left for Dick's House, the students returned to classes, despondently wondering what could be done to save their friend.

Who was this unfortunate classmate? (He was well known.) Did he survive? (Yes, he did.) What medical magic saved him?

Tune in next month.

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