To Work in the Vineyard of Surgery

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Six generations of the Warren family of Boston have made notable contributions to medicine and surgery and to medical education. The life of J. Collins Warren spanned the two great discoveries on which present day surgery has developed: anesthesia, and asepsis. A graduate of Harvard College, Dr. Warren studied surgery in Philadelphia, on the battlefields of the Civil War, and in Europe. Returning to Boston, he became one of the outstanding members of the medical profession in the area, always giving freely of his time to the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital. With Dr. Henry P. Bowditch, Warren was a prime mover in the building of the present Harvard Medical School quadrangle which was dedicated in 1906.

The reminiscences of Dr. Warren are of great interest to everyone concerned with social and medical developments during an important half century of our country’s life. To make the story told by Dr. Warren easily accessible to every reader, Edward Churchill has provided important commentary and notes, as well as supplementary material on a few phases of Dr. Warren’s career not included in the reminiscences. The epilogue by Dr. Churchill connects the Warren story with the present time, particularly in the field of medical education and the endeavor of medical science. Through presentation of original source material, Dr. Churchill is able also to provide new light on trends and on policy formulation in the field of medical education.