Prominent Physicians Research Articles

Payment systems in the healthcare industry: An experimental study of physician incentives

Policy makers and the healthcare industry have proposed changes to physician payment structures as a way to improve the quality of health care and reduce costs. Several of these proposals require healthcare providers to employ a value-based purchasing program (also known as pay-for-performance [P4P]). However, the way in which existing payment structures impact physician behavior is unclear and therefore, predicting how well P4P will perform is difficult. To understand the impact physician payment structures have on physician behavior, I approximate the physician–patient relationship in a real-effort laboratory experiment. I study several prominent physician payment structures including fee-for-service, capitation, salary, and P4P. I find that physicians are intrinsically motivated to provide high quality care and relying exclusively on extrinsic incentives to motivate physicians is detrimental to the quality of care and costly for the healthcare industry.

Uriel García Cáceres, maestro y guía de la salud pública en el Perú

Dr. Uriel García Cáceres, prominent physician, researcher and Peruvian historian, was born in the city of Cusco in 1922. He studied medicine at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (1942-1950). He was influenced by Dr. Pedro Weiss and as a result he worked in the field of Pathological Anatomy, where he made substantial discoveries such as the description of kidney nodules associated with the verrucous stage of bartonellosis or Carrion’s disease. His most important contributions are in the paleopathology field, in which he helped create a better understanding of Peruvian ancient pathology. Dr. García Cáceres also participated in the political arena; he was Peru’s Minister of Health, a position in which he served selflessly and always working for the good of the health of all Peruvians. At 91 years old, he is always tenacious and cheerful, and above all, he is a teacher with a readiness to learn.

Artful Copies: The Urrutia Collection and Porfirian Visual Culture

In the early twentieth century Aureliano Urrutia, a prominent Mexican physician and politician, amassed a collection of copies of famous antique, Renaissance, and Mexican paintings and sculptures that he installed in estates in Mexico City and San Antonio, where he immigrated in 1914. Read as a whole, and examined in light of Mexico's historical relationship to copies and unidentified artists and the problem of the copy in art history generally, the Urrutia collection illuminates issues central to modern Mexican visual culture, particularly the flexible relationship between form and content and the manipulation of images and associations to construct meaning.

2013: that was the year that was

In caring for older people, geriatricians have always adopted a multi-domain approach, and this article reflects on the diverse aspects covered by journals in general medicine, geriatric medicine and gerontology in 2013. Topics were selected that represented developing or controversial areas that are important to care of increasingly frail older people. These include the increasing use of single physical performance measures in assessment, optimal body mass index, assessment of frailty and sarcopenia, dementia, diabetes treatment goals, end-of-life care, management of complexity and design of health and social services to meet complexity. The increasingly important role of patient and carer engagement in management of disease and syndromes is highlighted. In particular, two eloquent articles from prominent physicians who have been experiencing the ageing process and demands of being a dementia carer provide a timely reminder of what the reality is in grappling with the inexorable decline that occurs with ageing, and caregiving as the central core to what medicine is all about. Looking towards the future, the potential of robotic technology, modifying the physical and social living environment in improving quality of care and quality of life is described.

El Comité Asesor Internacional en el año 2014

In 2001 an International Advisory Committee was instituted in Revista Medica de Chile, including in it prominent physicians working out of Chile who maintain regular contacts with different Chilean societies in the fields of Internal Medicine and its subspecialties. Members in this Committee are expected to contribute with their advice in the contents of our journal and also as expert reviewers and writers. Regrettably, Richard V. Lee, MD, passed away in May 2013. Vincenza Snow, MD, changed her professional activities and had to leave the Committee. Two new members are incorporated since January 2014: Juan Dapueto, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine from Montevideo, Uruguay, with particular interest in quality of life in patients with chronic diseases, and Diego Gracia, MD, Professor of Psychiatry from Madrid, Spain, a distinguished scholar in the fields of History of Medicine and Bioethics.

Kenneth Wilson footnote: Stories of a great competitor

Theoretical physicist Kenneth Wilson, who received the 1982 Nobel Prize in Physics, died earlier this year. (See his obituary in Physics Today, November 2013, page 65.) I’d like to share with readers my first encounters with Ken, when we were both undergraduates.On a particular Saturday in late fall of 1956, when I was a junior at Cornell University, two events were taking place in Ithaca, New York. One was the Heptagonal Indoor Track and Field meet, in which all Ivy League schools participate. The other was the annual William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, a very challenging national undergraduate contest. Six problems were to be solved in three hours in the morning, and another six in three hours in the afternoon. By “challenging” I mean that the median score is often only about 1 out of 12.As a dual major in math and physics, I had decided to try my hand at the Putnam. Those Cornellians who had signed up arrived at the exam room to find an additional competitor, Ken Wilson, a senior at Harvard University. Not only was Ken taking the Putnam exam in Ithaca by special permission, but he was also running the mile that evening in the Heptagonal Games. The star miler in the Ivy League at the time was a Harvard freshman named William “French” Anderson, who would go on to become a prominent physician. During the lunch break, Ken explained to me that his job was to be a pacer: He would run very fast, too fast for a miler, to lead Anderson but then drop back.When the afternoon Putnam session had ended, I was a bit discouraged. I had picked up an undetermined number of partial credits, but that was all. I asked Ken how he had done. He said he thought he had gotten maybe 11 correct and partial credits on the 12th. It was a humbling experience for me. As it turned out, Ken finished in the top five in the country. (The Putnam folk do not differentiate among the top five.) In the evening, Ken did his running duty as the pacer, and Anderson won the mile.Late the next spring, the outdoor Heptagonal Games were also held in Ithaca. I sought out Ken. He was excited because his coach had told him that since this would be the last race of his career, he could run the mile at his own speed and not pace Anderson. So he did, and he won, beating Anderson and the rest of the field.© 2013 American Institute of Physics.

Boundary-Object Trimming: On the Invisibility of Medical Secretaries’ Care of Records in Healthcare Infrastructures

As health care IT gradually develops from being stand-alone systems towards integrated infrastructures, the work of various groups, occupations and units is likely to become more tightly integrated and dependent upon each other. Hitherto, the focus within health care has been upon the two most prominent professions, physicians and nurses, but most likely other non-clinical occupations will become relevant for the design and implementation of health care IT. In this paper, we describe the cooperative work of medical secretaries at two hospital departments, based on a study evaluating a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) shortly after implementation. The subset of data on medical secretaries includes observation (11 hours), interviews (three individual and one group) and survey data (31 of 250 respondents were medical secretaries). We depict medical secretaries' core task as to take care of patient records by ensuring that information is complete, up to date, and correctly coded, while they also carry out information gatekeeping and articulation work. The importance of these tasks to the departments' work arrangements was highlighted by the EHR implementation, which also coupled the work of medical secretaries more tightly to that of other staff, and led to task drift among professions. Medical secretaries have been relatively invisible to health informatics and CSCW, and we propose the term `boundary-object trimming' to foreground and conceptualize one core characteristic of their work: maintenance and optimization of the EHR as a boundary object. Finally, we reflect upon the hitherto relative invisibility of medical secretaries which may be related to issues of gender and power.

Giovanni Domenico Santorini (1681–1737): A prominent physician and meticulous anatomist

Venetian physician Giovanni Domenico Santorini is revered as one of the most industrious and thorough anatomists of the eighteenth century. After receiving his medical degree in Pisa, Santorini worked as a physician and professor of anatomy and obstetrics in Venice. Of interest, he was a student of Malpighi while in Pisa. He quickly established himself as a dynamic lecturer and meticulous dissector. Santorini's anatomical observations include the prostatic venous plexus, accessory pancreatic duct, corniculate cartilage, parietal emissary veins, the risorius muscle, and many other structures. In addition to the detailed descriptions of these structures, he also produced copper plates and illustrations that are revered as "masterpieces" of that era. Santorini published Observationes anatomicae (Anatomical observations) in 1724, however his primary work, which included the description and anatomical drawings of the accessory pancreatic duct, was not published until thirty-eight years after his death. This posthumous release of Jo. Dominici Santorini anatomici summi septedecim tabulae [Giovanni Domenici Santorini, the excellent anatomist's seventeen drawings] was accomplished by Giambattista Morgagni and his disciple, Michael Girardi in 1775. Giovanni Santorini's assiduous dissections have significantly enhanced our knowledge of human anatomy and his work has been immortalized with several anatomical eponyms.

Thomas Linwood Bennett, MD

Thomas Linwood Bennett (1868-1932) was one of New York City's first prominent physician anesthetists. He was the first dedicated anesthetist at the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled, subsequently renamed Hospital for Special Surgery. He subsequently practiced at multiple institutions throughout New York City as one of the first physicians in the United States to dedicate his entire practice to the emerging field of anesthesia. Bennett was considered the preeminent anesthetist of his time, excelling at research, innovation, education, and clinical care.

Online Medical Professionalism

LettersJuly 16, 2013Online Medical ProfessionalismKaren Devon, MD and Sabha Ganai, MD, PhDKaren Devon, MDFrom University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.Search for more papers by this author and Sabha Ganai, MD, PhDFrom University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-159-2-201307160-00019 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We commend Farnan and colleagues (1) for their thorough and long-overdue position statement about online professionalism. As physicians continue to face new challenges related to online technologies and environments, we would like to highlight some practical challenges.Despite other societal guidelines advocating separation of personal and professional online personas (2), we believe that this is neither feasible nor always desirable. Although it is preferable for physicians and patients to maintain certain boundaries in online and offline venues, the distinction between professional and personal roles is unclear. Many prominent and successful physicians share both types of narrative in ...

Paulus Aegineta

Analysis of chapters related to spinal fractures and dislocations of an important medical book from medieval age. A historical study. To present the sections on spinal fractures and dislocations in the treatise of Paulus Aegineta or Paul of Aegina, and to discuss their relationship with preceding and subsequent literature. Paul of Aegina was influenced by precedent great authors and provided a significant link in the transmission of the surgical knowledge to present day via the prominent physicians of Islamic golden age. The edition on which this study is based was translated from Greek into English by Francis Adams and was published in 1846 by The Sydenham Society in London in 3 volumes. The related sections were examined and compared with the treatises of earlier and subsequent writers. Although Paul of Aegina was influenced by Hippocrates, Celsus, and Galen, he also put forward his own opinions. The most prominent representatives of the Islamic Golden Age, Rhazes, Albucasis, Avicenna, and Haly Abas were influenced by Paul of Aegina. Paul of Aegina, who was the last representative of the Byzantine School, compiled approximately 1000 years of medical knowledge up to his own era. By taking on this task, he provided a significant link in the transmission of ancient knowledge to later generations. He is also considered as a bridge between Western and Eastern medicines as he conveyed medical knowledge of the ancient era to Islamic authors.

Obesity-Related Female Infertility in Medieval Persian Manuscripts

Dear Editor,Obesity and its related disorders are becoming a worldwidepublichealthconcern contributingtoincreased morbidity andmortality rates [1]. Obese women, in addition to their similarcomorbiditiestomen,havefertility-relateddisorders,whichisa less emphasized aspect of obesity [ 2]. Hypotheses on asso-ciation between obesity and female infertility entered themedical literatureintheearly twentieth century [3].However,recognition of this association dates back to the earlier centu-ries.Inarecenthistoricalnote,LevibenGershon(1288–1344CE), a French rabbi, was suggested as the first to have de-scribed the relationbetween obesity and female infertility [4].Based on the historical evidence, we believe that the associa-tion between obesity and female infertility was known to theGreek and Persian physicians much earlier than thought.Hippocrates (ca. 460–370 BCE) seems to be the first tounderstand that obesity might lead to infertility [5]. Althoughobesity and related complications were subjects of interest intheGreekandByzantineeras,theassociationbetweenobesityand female infertility was not clearly described inthe medicalmanuscripts of these periods [6, 7].The Islamic Golden Age (ca. 750–1257 CE), throughwhich European science during the Middle Ages developed,coincided with the appearance of prominent physicians suchas Rhazes (ca. 865–925 CE), Haly Abbas (930–994 CE),Albucasis (936–1013 CE), and Avicenna (981–1037 CE) [8,9].DespitetheArabiclanguagesovereigntyoverthescientificliterature of this era, some renowned scholars of this period,e.g., Akhawayni Bukhari (?–983 CE) and Hakim Jorjani(1042–1137 CE), compiled their medical treatises in Persian.Likewise, more well-known medical books of the medievalPersia such as Rhazes’ Liber Continens, Avicenna’s TheCanon of Medicine, andHalyAbbas’TheRoyalBook,whichwere all written in Persian language, were not neglected insubsequent centuries. Particular emphasis of their descendantstomakenumerouscopies of their extant manuscripts as wellastreasuring the medical curricula of the medieval Persian andEuropean schools with these masterpieces might highlighttremendous influence of the Persian medical compilationson the medicine of their times [ 9–11].Akhawayni Bukhari (Fig. 1)lived andpracticed medicinein Bukhara (now in Uzbekistan). Being the student of astudent of Rhazes, Akhawayni collected his 20-year medicalexperiences in the Hidayat al-Mutaallemin fi al-Tibb(Learner’s Guide to Medicine)[11]. Written in new Persianbefore 983–984 CE, the Hidayat was compiled in a “lightand simple” style for Akhawayni’s son and other students ofmedicine at the Samanid period (819–999 CE) [12]. Thesecond part of the book on different medical issues roughlya pedibus usque ad caput contains a chapter on the “uteruspains” in which Akhawayni describes female obesity as apredisposing factor to infertility: “…each organ in the body

Early descriptions of Grisel's syndrome

Dear Editor: We read with great interest the comprehensive review paper of Osiro et al. presenting Grisel's syndrome [1]. Apart from the introduction of this rare syndrome, the authors discussed recent developments on the pathogenesis of the syndrome along with treatment options. In the introduction, Sir Charles Bell (1774–1842 CE) was introduced as the first to explain nontraumatic atlantoaxial subluxation due to pharyngitis which ultimately led to death of the patient from spinal cord compression [1, 2]. Grisel's syndrome was named after Pierre Grisel (1869–1959 CE), a French surgeon who described the syndrome characterized by dislocation of the C1–C2 joint mostly in patients with pharyngitis and torticollis [1, 3]. Based on the historical evidence, we believe that the syndrome was known to the Greek and Persian physicians much earlier than thought. Among the ancient Greek scholars, Aetius of Amida (fifth–sixth century of the Common Era) seems to be the first to indicate the association between inflammation of the vertebrae caused by retropharyngeal abscess and vertebral luxation in his section on diphtheria [4]. The syndrome was later described by Rhazes (865–925 CE) in his Kitab al-Hawi (Liber Continens) quoting from Hippocrates' Of The Epidemics [5]. In the tenth century of the Common Era, Akhawayni Bukhari (Fig. 1), a prominent Persian physician, compiled the oldest extant treatise on medicine in new Persian, Hidayat al-Muta`allemin fi al-Tibb (The Students' Handbook of Medicine) [6, 7]. Being relatively short and simplified, the Hidayat was dedicated to the author's son and other students of medicine [8]. The second part of the book contains a chapter on the diphtheria describing different etiologies of suffocation, with a particular emphasis on a complication associated with neck pain and anterior subluxation of the cervical vertebrae. In addition to his description of this clinical entity, Akhawayni recommends novel life-saving approaches to the disease. Briefly, he advised application of either tongs or especially designed reins for applying pressure to reduce the subluxated vertebra [9]. The disease appears in the medical writings of the following centuries such as Avicenna's The Canon of Medicine and Jorjani's The Treasure of Khwarazm Shah, none of which have discussed the disease as detailed and instructive as that of Akhawayni's [10–12]. Altogether, descriptions of Grisel's syndrome and its associated symptoms are not limited to the recent centuries and date back to the earlier periods. S. E. J. Golzari Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Galen und Asklepios

AbstractThis paper examines the ties between temple healing and the scientific practice of medicine and healing in Antiquity as exemplified in the writings of Galen of Pergamon. This prominent physician, while representing a medical science based on rational principles, seeking precise knowledge of all the workings of the human body and aiming to establish a well-founded and comprehensive therapeutic method, nevertheless considers himself a disciple of Asklepios. Galen’s reference to “our fatherly god Asklepios,” invoking their common Pergamene home, attests to his respect for and close link to the deity. In the face of rare or particularly challenging illnesses or impending vital decisions, Galen the scientist recurs to divine counsel, received from Asklepios by way of dreams. In closing, this paper contrasts the relationship of the scientific practitioner of medicine to his art’s god with the enthused, all-encompassing and directing devotion to Asklepios as extolled in the works of the orator Aelius Aristides, particularly in his

Unique and Varied Contributions of Traditional CVD Risk Factors: A Systematic Literature Review of CAD Risk Factors in China

This study is the first systematic review of risk factors for stroke in China and supports the importance of current public health initiatives to manage the risk factors appropriately to reduce risk of stroke in high risk patients. Additionally, this study has been co-authored by prominent Chinese and US physicians and researchers with expertise in cardiovascular disease, neurologic disorders, epidemiology, and real world data. While there have been several systematic reviews of real world associations of risk factors for coronary artery disease, none focus specifically on the population of China, where there is growing evidence that such risk factors are poorly treated or uncontrolled, especially in rural areas.BackgroundTo better understand the impact of traditional cardiovascular risk factors on risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in China, a systematic review of all Chinese observational studies published in either English or Chinese in MEDLINE and EMBASE over the last 5 years was performed and the association between any of 5 traditional risk factors (ie, hypertension, diabetes, elevated lipid levels, obesity, and smoking) and the risk of CAD was studied.Methods and resultsThe study found a consistent relationship between lipid levels and CAD. Higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol values were associated with greater risk of CAD, with an odds ratio as high as 3.31. Other factors found to be significant contributors to the risk of CAD included hypertension (crude odds ratio range of 1.40–5.11), diabetes (1.50–5.97), and smoking (1.37–5.19). An association between obesity and CAD in China was observed, but the evidence supporting this was considered weak due to the paucity of studies found as part of this review.ConclusionsThis review provides a systematic summary of CAD risk factors in China and demonstrates the important differences that exist in CAD risk factors between countries and regions. Approaches to reduce CAD globally must take into account the unique risk factors that drive CAD in each country and region as is demonstrated by these findings.

Cyrillic Cycles:

Cyrillic Cycles:

Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī: The Proofs of Prophecy: A Parallel English-Arabic Text (review)

Reviewed by: Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī: The Proofs of Prophecy: A Parallel English-Arabic Text Majid Daneshgar Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī: The Proofs of Prophecy: A Parallel English-Arabic Text by Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī, translated, introduced, and annotated by Tarif Khalidi, 2011. (Islamic Translation Series.) Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, xxiii + 266 pp., $39.95. ISBN: 978-0842-52787-3 (hbk). Once again the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative of Brigham Young University has added another important work to its Islamic Translation Series. The Proofs of Prophecy, or A'lam al-Nubuwwah, has been translated from Arabic to English by the well-qualified scholar Tarif Khalidi, who previously translated the glorious Qur'an into English. In preparing this translation, Khalidi used Salah al-Sawi's Arabic edition published by the Imperial Iranian Academy of Philosophy with a detailed English introduction by S. H. Nasr in 1977. The translation is briefly annotated, and many of those notes display the careful attention that Khalidi paid to establishing the best reading of the text according to the evidence available to him. This book tells the story of a debate between the great Persian theologians Abu Hatim al-Razi (d. circa 933,) who was the chief lieutenant and later successor to the Isma'ili da'i; and the prominent alchemist, philosopher, and physician Abu Bakr al-Razi or Rhazes (d. 925). It seems that this debate was more complex than other famous debates, such as the one on logic and grammar between Abu Bishr Matta ibn Yunus, a Christian philosopher; and Abu Sa'id al-Sirafi, a philologist who wrote commentaries on Sibawayhi's grammar. Previously, Margoliouth discussed the debate between Abu Hatim al-Razi and Abu Bakr al-Razi in a 1905 article. The debate covers a number of Islamic philosophical-theological issues, ranging from the 'five eternals', prophetic traditions, and the prophets' features to the evolution of the natural sciences. Such debates are owed to their era, for the 'Abbasid caliphate (in the second half of the ninth century) opened up the environment for such scholarly disputations. This intellectual freedom led many Sunni and Shi'a scholars to spend considerable time explaining Islamic principles and thoughts to the masses. Likewise, groups of Shi'a scholars - including Imamis, Isma'ilis, and Zaydis - devoted [End Page 498] their lives to educating unaware or deviated people, although Isma'ili scholars like Abu Hatim were the pioneers. Abu Hatim covers the debate in seven parts, with 33 chapters in total. It is obvious that Abu Hatim wishes to protect his faith from the hands of his enemies, who were attacking his faith using his own school of thought. Regarding his school of thought, Khalidi states, 'Abu Hatim al-Razi was an Isma'ili missionary and debater of great skill, as witnessed by this work, which portrays him as a brilliant defender of Islamic orthodoxy as well as subtle expounder of Isma'ili ideology' (xvii). Some of Abu Bakr's views attacked revelation and Islamic principles, such as nubuwwah; thus, Abu Hatim and some Sunnis and Shi'as refer to Abu Bakr as a heretic or mulhid, which is obvious throughout the book. As a sample of Abu Hatim's approach, the debate's opening, 'An account of what transpired between me and the heretic', can be mentioned. It begins with a question about prophecy from Abu Bakr concerning why God selected only some people for prophecy and allocated specific virtues to them. As indicated by the translator and some Muslim scholars, Abu Hatim's answers in this section present an epistemological aspect of Isma'ilism regarding the need for instruction (ta'lim) for human beings. Abu Hatim continues by telling Abu Bakr about the five eternals: the Creator, the soul, substance, space, and time, as well as the issue of imitation versus independent investigation. Then, Abu Bakr intensifies his critical statements by saying that the miracles of Muhammad were narrated by a few people (that is, not more than a hand's fingers) and are not popularly known among the community; therefore, stories of the Prophet's miracles would be the result of collusion. Abu Bakr also mentions extraordinary feats by ordinary...

The journey of discovering skull base anatomy in ancient Egypt and the special influence of Alexandria

The field of anatomy, one of the most ancient sciences, first evolved in Egypt. From the Early Dynastic Period (3100 BC) until the time of Galen at the end of the 2nd century ad, Egypt was the center of anatomical knowledge, including neuroanatomy. Knowledge of neuroanatomy first became important so that sacred rituals could be performed by ancient Egyptian embalmers during mummification procedures. Later, neuroanatomy became a science to be studied by wise men at the ancient temple of Memphis. As religious conflicts developed, the study of the human body became restricted. Myths started to replace scientific research, squelching further exploration of the human body until Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria. This period witnessed a revolution in the study of anatomy and functional anatomy. Herophilus of Chalcedon, Erasistratus of Chios, Rufus of Ephesus, and Galen of Pergamon were prominent physicians who studied at the medical school of Alexandria and contributed greatly to knowledge about the anatomy of the skull base. After the Royal Library of Alexandria was burned and laws were passed prohibiting human dissections based on religious and cultural factors, knowledge of human skull base anatomy plateaued for almost 1500 years. In this article the authors consider the beginning of this journey, from the earliest descriptions of skull base anatomy to the establishment of basic skull base anatomy in ancient Egypt.

Bidloo’s and De Lairesse’s early illustrations of the anatomy of the arm (1690): a successful collaboration between a prominent physician and a talented artist

Govard Bidloo (1649-1713) was trained as a surgeon at the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons, and later in his career, he became a professor of anatomy in The Hague and Leiden. At the end of the 17th century, he performed dissections on the corpses of executed criminals to teach and study anatomy. Based on his findings, he published a magnificent anatomical atlas in 1690, entitled Ontleding des Menschelijken Lichaams (Dissection of the Human Body). The talented painter Gerard De Lairesse, a pupil of Rembrandt, made the drawings of the anatomical dissections for the atlas in close collaboration with the dissector. The drawings of Bidloo and De Lairesse represent, in a unique and artistic way, an early series of anatomical preparations of the arm and hand from more than 300 years ago.

1043 EUGENIC STERILIZATION IN THE USA THE DARK AGES OF VASECTOMY

You have accessJournal of UrologyMale Voiding Dysfunction (BPH & Incontinence) & Infection1 Apr 20121043 EUGENIC STERILIZATION IN THE USA THE DARK AGES OF VASECTOMY Johathan Melquist, Heather McCaffrey, David Schulsinger, and Yefim Sheynkin Johathan MelquistJohathan Melquist Stony Brook, NY More articles by this author , Heather McCaffreyHeather McCaffrey Stony Brook, NY More articles by this author , David SchulsingerDavid Schulsinger Stony Brook, NY More articles by this author , and Yefim SheynkinYefim Sheynkin Stony Brook, NY More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2012.02.1148AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Vasectomy was introduced as an alternative to castration to reduce obstructive symptoms of prostatic hypertrophy in 1880s. This simple sterilization procedure soon has been sought to promote Malthusian ideas of population control. We reviewed the contribution of vasectomy to the eugenic sterilization in USA. METHODS Review of historical papers on vasectomy. RESULTS Eugenic sterilization flourished in the USA out of concern over the cost of caring for unfit persons. In 1897, Van Meter suggested vasectomy for sterilization of criminals: “furthermore we can easily have enacted a law that will provide for the sterilization and thus will crime be wiped out”. At the same time A.J Ochsner, future president of American College of Surgeons, concluded that vasectomy can substitute castration to sterilize habitual criminals, “chronic inebriates, imbeciles, perverts and paupers” in order to protect the community without harming the criminals. On October 12, 1899, the first eugenic sterilization was performed by Dr. Harry Sharp in the Indiana State Reformatory on inmate named Clawson. Sharp introduced less invasive English method of scrotal vasectomy. His data were presented at the Mississippi Valley Medical Association meeting in 1901. 42 vasectomies were performed by 1902 and 176 by 1907.The nation's first sterilization law to initiate the involuntary sterilization of habitual criminal, rapist, idiot, imbecile was signed by the Governor of Indiana in 1907. By 1909, Sharp performed 280 vasectomies and became the national authority on eugenic sterilization. The sterilization programs have been supported by the American Medical Association. It became widespread through the advocacy a few zealous supporters as John Rockefeller, John Kellogg and Theodore Roosevelt. Many prominent physicians praised vasectomy as the solution to the problem of limiting birth of defective persons. In 1910, Sharp demonstrated vasectomy at the international conference under the auspices of the American Prison association. By 1917, 15 states passed laws authorizing vasectomy for a variety conditions and crimes. By 1937, it was implemented in 32 states. The constitutionality of the programs was confirmed through the Supreme Court decision Buck v. Bell in 1927 when Justice Holmes remarked “three generations of imbeciles are enough.” CONCLUSIONS The practice of involuntary sterilization gradually ceased and virtually stopped only in 1960s. By this time 60 000 persons were sterilized. However, Iowa, North Carolina and Oregon still operated sterilization programs well into 1970s. © 2012 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 187Issue 4SApril 2012Page: e423 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2012 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Johathan Melquist Stony Brook, NY More articles by this author Heather McCaffrey Stony Brook, NY More articles by this author David Schulsinger Stony Brook, NY More articles by this author Yefim Sheynkin Stony Brook, NY More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...