A classified nomenclature of diseases : designed for use as a diagnosis index in the Central Free Dispensary of Rush Medical College / compiled by Wilber E. Post.

  • Post, Wilbur E.
Date:
[1909], ©1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A classified nomenclature of diseases : designed for use as a diagnosis index in the Central Free Dispensary of Rush Medical College / compiled by Wilber E. Post. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    In such instances the parenthetical reference is made to one place. Thus all cases of amebic abscess of the liver are registered under Animal Para- sites, and all cases of Acute Articular Rheumatism under General Infec- tious Diseases. Again, among the diseases of the Nervous System is found Rib, Cervical (see also Bones, Malformations). This indicates that a case of cervical rib showing involvement of the nerves should be registered under this heading in the nervous system and also under this heading in malformations of bones. When a term has been used in more than two places, all are referred to the same one in order that all cases of that kind shall be registered one card and readily found. All General Diseases whose names may occur in a system or organ are to be registered also under their respective title in the list of General Diseases. Gonorrhea, Syphilis and Tuberculosis are thought to be of sufficient special interest to warrant a separate registration in groups according to the organs in which the disease occurs and should always be registered not only under the systems and organs but also in this special outline. Malformations and malpositions are listed under the various organs involved, under the diseases of the New-Born Infant, and under Constitu- tional Diseases. The following details do not apply to hospital work, but illustrate the mode of procedure in the dispensary. Upon entering the Dispensary for the first time a patient receives a ticket which he is always to bring with him on later visits. Upon this ticket is a number, there being but a single series of numbers for the whole Dispensary. Upon this ticket are also the patient's name, address and the name of the department to which he is first referred. From the record clerk he receives a large card upon which is written his number, name, age, address, occupation, and department and upon which his record is to be written and signed by the physician. Upon a small card is written his name, number and address, and the date, this card to be kept in alphabetical order in a separate name index. When the patient returns, after examination, to the record clerk, the latter files the history in the order of its number, and the number of the case is written upon the card from the diagnosis index which repre- sents the disease named on the history card. This results in establishing three files: First, the file of the history cards themselves in the order of their numbers, forming a chronological index; second, the diag- nosis index consists of one card for each disease named in the nomenclature and arranged in the exact order of the nomenclature, and upon each card is the number of all cases of that disease; third, the alphabetical name index, each card representing a patient with his name, address and number, and the date of his admission. For the successful application of this scheme for record keeping, it is found essential that a diagnosis be made as soon as possible; that the