Archives and Rare Books

Remembering V-E Day: May 8, 1945

Victory in Europe Day, more commonly known as V-E Day, is celebrated each year to commemorate Germany’s unconditional surrender to the Allies near the end of World War II on May 8, 1945. Several hundred members of Washington University Medical Center community were serving in the U.S. armed forces on V-E Day, many of them attached to  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

An Army Nurse Sounds Off on Basic Training and the OR, 1944

Lola Mae Baird Mathews was an operating room supervisor at Barnes Hospital from 1939-1943. In 1943, her last summer at Barnes Hospital, she worked hard at a course in chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis, because she wanted to earn a degree. Still, it seems her considerable knowledge failed to earn her the respect  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

It’s Preservation Week – Pass it on!

Nothing lasts forever, but archivists and librarians are dedicated to making sure some things last a very long time. Preservation Week is the perfect opportunity to learn more about what you can do to preserve your own favorite photos and important documents. Following a few simple guidelines can add decades to the life of a  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Keeping the Spleen at Bay

April is National Poetry Month and, as in past years, we’re celebrating by showing off an example of poetry that has a medical flavor. Matthew Green’s long poem “The Spleen” is perfect for the occasion. Although Green (1696-1737) was not a literary scholar, he had a keen wit and a certain natural flair for poetry.  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Diary from Base Hospital 21

When World War I began in 1914, American public opinion was divided about whether the U.S. should get involved. But by 1917, it was clear that U.S. involvement was inescapable. In early April 1917, the United States declared war on Germany. With a great show of public enthusiasm, support for the troops became a rallying  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Hair of the Dog

There are a number of home remedies that claim to cure hangovers. Greasy breakfasts, black coffee, and attempting to sleep it off all come to mind.

Archives and Rare Books

The Clover Ball: A 30-Year Tradition

A fairyland with hundreds of pale pink blossoms and twinkling lights,” raved the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in January 1962, describing the transformation of the Hotel Chase’s Khorassan Room for the first Jewish Hospital Auxiliary Clover Ball.

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