Summary

Creator: Pathology Department, MSH
Title: Autopsy Record Books
Dates: 1883-1910, 1912, 1916-1974
Volume: 201 volumes, 3 boxes (527 inches)

Preface

These volumes were received in several accessions.  In July 2000, Patrick Lento, MD, from the Department of Pathology donated 129 volumes dating from 1912 to 1964.  In July of 2010, Daniel Perl, MD of Pathology donated the five earliest volumes.  He had been given these by Paul Anderson, MD when Perl came to Mount Sinai in 1986 as Anderson was leaving.  The first five volumes are in poor condition.  They were initially bound in red leather.  Volume 1 has the words Post Mortem Record Book on the spine.  The leather bindings broke down over time and at some point were covered in blue cloth.  Later, large yellow postage envelopes were taped onto the spines to provide more support as the blue bindings deteriorated.  All of the early volumes have been wrapped in acid-free paper. In March 2011 the Archives was given the volumes dating from 1965-1974 as well as the Pediatric files.

History

These autopsies were not the first done at Mount Sinai, but they seem to be the first time the physicians created and gathered together a structured record of the autopsies.   The early autopsy reports were signed, usually by a member of the house staff, so names such as Drs. Burrill B. Crohn, Eli Moschcowitz, Israel Strauss (later chief neurologist) and others appear.  In 1893 a formal Pathology Laboratory was created by Henry Heineman, MD.  In 1895 he turned the operation of this over to Frederick Mandlebaum, MD, who served until 1926.  Dr. Mandlebaum developed an allergy to formalin and delegated the autopsy work to assistants.  In 1896 Charles Elsberg, MD, later a noted neurosurgeon, was appointed Assistant Pathologist and he created entries in these volumes. In 1904, Leo Buerger, MD was appointed the first Pathological Interne and so he created some of the entries. Dr. Emanuel Libman signed more autopsies than any other person in the early volumes.  He served as the Assistant and then Associate Pathologist for many years.  George Baehr, MD was in charge of the morbid anatomy and autopsy service from 1919-1926.  

Scope and Content Note

These volumes document primarily autopsies on adult patients, with the exception of three boxes of pediatric autopsy protocol records. The first five volumes of this series record all autopsies and wound explorations that were done at The Mount Sinai Hospital from February 1883-December 31, 1910, over 2,025 cases in all. The early volumes are indexed by name and also diagnosis. By volume 3, there is only a list of patient names in the front and no index of diagnoses. By the end of August 1908, there is no longer even a list of patient names. The early volumes have a few drawings in them and there is one photograph pasted in volume 1. There are sometimes un-numbered cases written in the last pages of the log books. They have the letters IND (?) penciled in at the top. These may be autopsies done by individual physicians not part of the autopsy service. Abraham Jacobi is listed as a physician on one of these cases. The entries are initially all hand written, but typed pages are pasted in as time goes on. Note that someone wrote Volume 4 in the front pages of volume 3. The 1912 volume says “no. VIII” on the spine. It is not clear how many volumes are missing between 1910 and 1912.

The volumes were initially used until the pages were filled, and so they end at random dates. Volume 5 ends with December 31, 1910. This may mark the beginning of the practice of volumes being devoted to set time periods, with new years beginning in new volumes.

There are some gaps in the data. There are no records for 1911, 1913-15, 6-12/1929, 7-12/1933, 1-3/1935, and the last third of 1951. The pediatric entries only cover from 1954-1972 and the information seems duplicative of what is in the main volumes.

All of these volumes list the diagnosis, patient information that varied over time (name, age, nationality, date/time of death), and autopsy findings. Initially there are no microscopic findings recorded, but these appear before the 20th century.

Related Material: See also the series of Fetal Autopsy Protocols, dating from 11/1952-1972, which include the research notes of Dr. Lotte Strauss.

Restrictions: The autopsy log books contain Personal Health Information (PHI).  With the 2013 changes in HIPAA rules, the records of decedents from 50 or more years ago may be open to research. Potential researchers must contact the Archives to discuss access to these records.

Subjects

• Autopsy
• Medical Records
• Mount Sinai Hospital. Dept. of Pathology

Container List

Bound Volumes

Boxes

BN 2010, 7/6/2018