The General : a history of the Montreal General Hospital, 1819-1997

A retrospective that offers an inside look at two centuries of an important North American hospital. Cover The General Title Copyright Dedication Contents Abbreviations Preface Acknowledgments Foreword SECTION 1 THE BEGINNINGS 1 The Molson Story 2 Early History, 1819–85 SECTION 2 DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE AND ITS DIVISIONS 3 Part One: General Medicine 3 Part Two: Department of Medicine, 1980–95 4 Allergy and Clinical Immunology 5 Cardiology: The Road to the First Subspecialty of Internal Medicine 6 Dermatology 7 Endocrinology, Metabolism, Toxicology, and Clinical Chemistry 8 Gastroenterology 9 Geriatrics 10 Haematology 11 Infectious Disease 12 Medical Genetics 13 Nephrology 14 Neurology and Neuroscience Research 15 Medical Oncology 16 Respirology 17 Rheumatology 18 Tropical Medicine SECTION 3 DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY AND ITS DIVISIONS 19 General Surgery 20 Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery 21 Neurosurgery 22 Plastic Surgery SECTION 4 OTHER DEPARTMENTS 23 Anaesthesiology 24 The Auxiliary 25 Dentistry 26 Emergency Department 27 Obstetrics and Gynaecology 28 Ophthalmology 29 Orthopaedic Surgery 30 Otolaryngology 31 Pathology 32 Pharmacy 33 Physical Medicine 34 Psychiatry 35 Radiology and Nuclear Medicine 36 Radiation Oncology 37 Research Institute 38 Social Services 39 Urology SECTION 5 NURSING DEPARTMENT 40 Mind over Matter: Early Struggles and the Livingston Era 41 Building for the Future under Young, Holt, and Mathewson 42 Nursing Comes of Age: The MacLeod Years 43 Delineating the Parameters of Professional Practice: The Taylor Years 44 The Shannon Years: The Evolution of the Discipline of Nursing in a University Teaching Hospital 45 The Alumnae Association of the Montreal General Hospital School of Nursing SECTION 6 ADDITIONAL MGH ITEMS 46 The MGH Foundation 47 MGH and Les Canadiens 48 Governance Contributors Figures Index "Officially founded in 1821, The Montreal General Hospital is recognized as a pioneering institution in North America for the many developments in medical research discovered there and is also known for its early association with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University--the first medical school in Canada. Covering nearly 200 years of history, The General relates the story of the hospital from its early development and founding to the transition and aftermath of its incorporation into the McGill University Health Centre in 1997. With contributions that show the perspectives of clinicians, nurses, surgeons, professors, and administrators, chapters chronicle particular departments and specializations of the hospital, including cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, obstetrics, emergency medicine, pathology, and radiology, with several more chapters focused on nursing, administration, and governance. Among the major turning points in the history of the hospital were the introduction of autopsy pathology by Sir William Osler, the debut of the electrocardiograph by Thomas Cotton in 1914, the discovery of a malignant tumour marker by Phil Gold and Samuel Freedman in 1965, its transformation from a community hospital serving anglophone Montreal to an internationally recognized academic centre during the 1950s and '60s, and changes in governance due to the 1970 Quebec Medicare Act. Both a collective reminiscence and an extensive institutional history, The General is an engaging account of one prominent hospital's origins and transformations throughout the years."-- Provided by publisher Officially founded in 1819, the Montreal General Hospital is recognized as a pioneering institution in North America for the many discoveries in medical research made there and for its early association with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University - the first medical school in Canada. Covering nearly 200 years of history, The General relates the story of the hospital from its origins and founding to the transition and aftermath of its incorporation into the McGill University Health Centre in 1997. With contributions that show the perspectives of clinicians, nurses, surgeons, professors, and administrators, chapters chronicle the history of particular departments and specializations of the hospital, including cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, obstetrics, emergency medicine, pathology, and radiology, as well as nursing, administration, and governance. Among the major turning points in the history of the hospital were the introduction of autopsy pathology by Sir William Osler, the debut of the electrocardiograph by Thomas Cotton in 1914, the discovery of a malignant tumour marker by Phil Gold and Samuel Freedman in 1965, its transformation from a community hospital serving anglophone Montreal to an internationally recognized academic centre during the 1950s and ’60s, and changes in governance due to the 1970 Quebec Medicare Act. Both a collective reminiscence and an extensive institutional history, The General is an engaging account of one prominent hospital’s development over nearly 200 years.