VOL. 8, NO. 4
OCTOBER, 19(il
DURHAM, N. C.
Pediatrics on the Move
Tlie opeuiiifj this week of Duke
Medical Center’s symposium on “The
Common wen 1th of Children” climaxes
a 30-year period of proud rrowth and
develoi)ment of the Department of
Pediatrics under the leadership of
the beloved ])ediatrician, retired Dean
Wilburt C. Davison. This symposium
and the recent completion of the
beautiful, modern Howland Ward for
children belie the modest bef^innin^s
of this department in 1929.
As Dr. Jerome S. Harris, chairman
of the department of pediatrics, tells
the story, “In the be^inniu" there was
a dean. And the dean said ‘ Let there
be a department of pediatrics. ’ ’ ’ And
so bepjan this important service whose
reputation fjoes hand and hand with
the rewardinfx career of Dr. Davison,
in whose honor this symj)osium is be-
infi: ■'iven.
Back in the early days the depart
ment consisted of Dr. Davison, part
time assistance from Dr. Arthur
Loudon, one resident and one intern.
These doctors of necessity and orienta
tion conducted a fjeneral ty])c of serv
ice for acutely sick children. Out-
])atient clinics were held only three
afternoons a week and were never
overcrowded. Today a fjreatly en-
larj»ed staff operates a service f^eared
largrely to the referrals of children
with special problems from a wide
surroundiuj' area. The Pediatric
Service last year had 1400 admissions
to their ward, g;ave 1200 newborn
babies a healthy start in life and had
17,000 out-])atient visits.
.Such f'rowth was by no means an
overnifjht affair. The department
}rrew slowly and steadily as the poi)u-
lation of children increased and as
more knowledfje of disease {>rocesses
becanu' available and pediatricians
with interests in these new fields
joined the staff.
Fn 19:52 Dr. An^us McBryde joiiu>d
the staff, followed three years later
by Dr. Jay Arena. In 1937 Dr.
Harris came to the dej)artment as the
first full-time teachinj? member of the
team, with s])ecial interest in the
metabolic asj)ects of pediatrics. Two
years later Dr. Susan Dees, whose in
terests are in allergic diseases, ar
rived. These doctors formed the
nucleus of the department, with a
jrradually increasing? number of house
staff' )f^icers, until after the second
world war.
By that time the advancing knowl-
edfip in the pediatric subsi)ccialties
nece.ssitated more additions to the
staff. In 1951 Dr. William DeMaria
became the kidney disease specialist.
Dr. Doris Howell came in 1955 as the
hematoloffist. In 1957 and 1958 Drs.
Madison Spach and Robert Stempfel
joined the staff with respective inter
ests in pediatric cardiolofjy and endo
crinology. This year Dr. James B.
Sidbury, »Jr. joined the staff as as
sociate j)rofessor (and director of
Duke’s new Clinical Research Unit)
with interests in the biochemistry of
diseases of children.
As the staff increased, specialty
clinics were added. By 1949 these in
cluded clinics in cliild guidance, con
vulsive disorders, allergy, heart dis
ease and kidney disease. At about
tins same time Dr. McBryde super
vised the establishment of Duke’s pre
mature center which was one of the
first in the area with teaching facili
ties. This center served as a model for
teaching premature nurseries foi-
many years and is still a very impor
tant part of the ]>ediatric j)rogram at
Duke Hospital.
Another big stej) for the department
was the establishment, through the
dedicated interest of Dr. Arena, of
th(‘ Poi.son Control Center in 1954.
((/Ontiinied on page (i)
Dr. Wilburt (’. Davison, retired
Deau of Duke Medical School and
Professor of Pediatrics.
V
Miss Mildred M. Sherwood, R. N.,
retired supervisor of nurses for the
pediatric service.
Dr. Jerome S. Harris, cluiirmau of
the departnu'nt of |)ediatrics.