I \i . I«1 ir
Dr. Ilalstecl promoted the use of rub
ber gloves in surgery.
ins’ aseptic fields in sui-ijery, so
he adoi)ted them personally and
insisted on their nse by all as
sistants. Their use soon became
preneral.
Envied by Others
“Halsted was a thonfjhtfiil,
deliberate man, verj' slow in o])-
erations. There was nothing
speetacnlar about his surgrery ex
cept his results. Ilis patients
survived and recovered. Ilis
surgical mortality was unbeliev
ably low—the envy of surgeons
throughout the world.
“In his early days, even Ilal-
sted’s assistants were wont to
criticize his deliberate ways, his
unusual precautions and the end
less tinu^ consumed at opera
tions. But, as time progressed,
they one and all followed suit
aiul came to a))])reciate his .iudg-
ment ...”
Halsted was a snuUl man,
slightly built, and described by
those who knew him as “diffi
dent” and “shy.” Welch
‘laimed that there were two Hal-
steds: one who was affable and
jovial with intimate friends and
one who was diffident with all
others, “lie was courteous and
kindly, but rarely friendly,” re
called another colleague.
In light of these descri])tions
of Halsted, it ])crhaps should be
noted that there was also a third
Halsted; oiu' who cared deej)ly
about the nuiintenance of all life,
and who was very understaiul-
ing.
A good examj)le of this “third
man” was revealed by one of
Halsted’s residents who wrote
of a trij) to the mountains of
western North Carolina, where
he encountered Halsted at the
surgeon’s summer home. High
Hampton. The resident told of
an incident when the doctor was
called uj^on to cure a horse of
muscular rheumatism, and re
called :
Also an ‘Animal Doctor’
“For years the natives had
been accustomed to call on Dr.
and ]\Irs. Halsted when their
cow, their horse or any member
of their family was sick. The
Halsteds never refused because
the doctors were few and far be
tween in those mountains 50
years ago. Dr. Halsted had al
ways been a stiulent of ajiatomy
and the number of sick and in
jured animals he was asked to
see during his vacation periods
in the mountains had stimulated
his interest in veterinary medi
cine. He had accpiired textbooks
and the necessary instruments
and each year had become more
and more interested in the treat
ment of sick and injured horses
and dogs.”
Found Joy in Gardening
And in a description of High
Hampton, the resident revealed
Halsted's interest in yet another
form of life—floral:
“. . . High Hampton . . . con
sisted of about 3,000 acres of
woodland, two small houses, a
beautifully kept lawn, row upon
row of gorgeous dahlias, and a
large barn. He [Dr. Halsted]
had been collecting rare and
beautiful varieties of dahlias for
many years. This garden was his
chief delight.”
It is a tribute to Dr. Halsted
that the nmjority of the men who
trained under his direction went
on to achieve outstanding sur
gical laurels of their own. One
of Halsted’s colleagues even ven-
ttired to write; “Some of his
[Halsted’s] stiulents equaled
and, in some ways, even s ir-
pas.sed him.”
ilany of the coinitry's surgical
clinics have been staffed by sur
geons known as “Halsted men."
One of them. Dr. G. P. Powers,
emeritus ])rofessor of pediatrics
at Yale, ])crhaps voiced the o])in-
ions of not only the other “ lla'-
sted men” but also countless
other surgeons when he wrote i:i
1!)53:
“Halsted was truly a great
doctor and teacher; a humani
tarian in dealing with his ))a-
tients; a scientist in his (uest for
truth; a scholar in depth and
scoi>e of his learning; a physi
cian I would fain emulate.”
I aa
Shown above under oonstructiou is tlie new temporary enclosure—located
ill the courtyard behind the main lotiby of the hospital—that will accommodate
the telephone facilities associated with the computer data transmission to and
from the research triangle facilities and Duke (as a part of the Triangle Uni
versities Computer Center pro,ject). This structure will be torn down in two
or three years when all telephone facilities will be moved to a new telephone
building that will be built on West Campus.
In Memoriam
Mr. Ollie Mims
ilr. Ollie Mims, who came to Duke in l!)o7 as a stock man in
the Hospital Storeroom, died -July 5 after an extended illness.
He was a patient at Duke at the time of his death.
It is with regret that the medical center announces ilr. ilims’
death, for his services, his loyalty, and his ])resence will be great
ly missed.
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s the best employee that any
body could have,” said Mr. Warren Wagner, nuiiuiger of the
storeroom. “Mr. Mims never refused to help anybody,” con
tinued ilr. Wagner, “and he was a very faithful employee . . .
he was always here by 7:30 every morning, although he didn’t
have to be here until 8:00.”
Jlr. Mims had worked at the Durham Hosiery Mills for thirty
years before coming to Duke.
A native of Durham, Mr. Mims is survived by his wife, a
daughter, and his father, all of the home.
INTERCOM - 9
VOL. 13 NO. 6/1966