Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T00:50:13.611Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Clifton Briggs Leech: First Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

William N. Evans*
Affiliation:
Children’s Heart Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America
*
Correspondence to: William N. Evans, MD, FACC. Children’s Heart Center, 3006 S. Maryland Pkwy, Ste. 690, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA. Tel: (702) 732-1290; Fax: (702) 732-1385; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The history of Helen Taussig is well known. Contrary to popular belief, however, she was not the first director of the pediatric cardiology clinic at the Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children. She was second director, succeeding Clifton B. Leech. Edwards A. Park, Chief of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins, appointed Leech the first director of the pediatric cardiac clinic in the fall of 1928. In this vignette, I summarize the contributions of Clifton Leech to the development of paediatric cardiology.

Type
Historical Vignette
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Medical breakthroughs at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center http://www.hopkinshospital.org/health_info/Childrens_Health/medical_breakthroughsGoogle Scholar
2. Leech, CB. Congenital complete heart block: Report of case with an associated patent ductus arteriosus. Amer J Dis Child 1940; 39: 131140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Leech, CB. The value of salicylates in prevention of rheumatic fever manifestations. J Amer Med Assoc 1930; 95: 932934.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Leech, CB. Streptococcus viridans endocarditis. Am J Med Sci 1930; 180: 621.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Leech, CB. Symptoms in congenital heart disease that permit venous shunting. Amer J Dis Child May 1932; 43: 1086.Google Scholar
6. Leech, CB. Congenital heart disease. Clinical analysis of 75 cases from the Johns Hopkins Hospital. J Pediatr 1935; 7: 802839.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. Leech CB. Letter to Mrs. Paul Dudley White, January, 3, 1974. Leech personal family archival material.Google Scholar
8. Personal communication from family members and Leech personal family archival material.Google Scholar
9. Fye WB. American Cardiology The History of a Specialty and Its College. Chapter 1, Defining a discipline, p 13–50. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996.Google Scholar
10. White PD. My Life and Medicine an Autobiographical Memoir. Chapter II, Early years in medicine, p 11–21; Chapter IV, The decade of the 1920s, p 38–58. Boston, Gambit, 1971.Google Scholar
11. Holman, A. Thomas Lewis: physiologist, cardiologist, and clinical scientist. In: Hurst, JW, Conti, CR, Fye, WB (eds). Profiles in Cardiology. Mahwah, The Foundation for the Advances in Medicine and Science, 2003, p 221225.Google Scholar
12. Dorothy N. Leech death certificate, State of Massachusetts, 1927. Leech personal family archival material.Google Scholar
13. Edward N. Leech (Teddy) death certificate, State of Massachusetts, 1928: Vol. 21; p 51.Google Scholar
14. Park E. Letter to Lewis Weed, May 28, 1928. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
15. Childs, B, Edwards A. Park. J Pediatr 1994; 125: 10091013.Google ScholarPubMed
16. Howard, JE. Edwards Albert Park, 1877–1969. Trans Assoc Am Physicians 1970; 83: 2829.Google Scholar
17. Weed L. Letter to Edwards Park, April 26, 1927. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
18. St. Lawrence, W. Potential cardiac disease and prevention of organic heart disease in children. J Amer Med Assoc 1922; 78: 947952.Google Scholar
19. Wilson, M. Rheumatic Fever. New York City, Commonwealth Fund, 1949.Google Scholar
20. Smith, CH. Heart Disease in Infancy and Childhood. New York City, D. Appleton, 1930.Google Scholar
21. Rashkind, WJ. Memoir of Rachel Ash (1893–1976). Trans Stud Coll Physicians Phila 1977; 45: 116117.Google ScholarPubMed
22. Bigler, JA. A tribute to Stanley Gibson; April 9, 1883-October 24, 1956. Q Bull Northwest Univ Med Sch 1957; 31: 63.Google ScholarPubMed
23. Powers, GF. Hugh McCulloch. Pediatrics 1955; 15: 508.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24. Seham, M, Shapiro, MJ, Hilbert, EH. The early diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease in children. Am J Dis Child 1931; 42: 503.Google Scholar
25. Rubin, MI, Bruck, E, Rapoport, M, Snively, M, McKay, H, Baumler, A. Maturation of renal function in childhood: clearance studies. J Clin Invest 1949; 28: 11441162.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26. McIntosh, R. On growth and development. I. Anatomical considerations. Arch Dis Child 1957; 32: 261270.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27. Park EA. Note to W.W. Swanson, April 9, 1929. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
28. Park, EA, Guild, H, Jackson, D, Bond, M. The recognition of scurvy with especial reference to the early X-ray changes. Arch Dis Child 1935; 10: 265294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29. Bridge, EM. Epilepsy and Convulsive Disorders in Children. New York City, McGraw-Hill Book Co, 1949.Google Scholar
30. Shelling, DH. The Parathyroids in Health and in Disease. London, Henry Kimpton, 1935.Google Scholar
31. Hamilton, B, Dasef, L, Highman, WJ Jr, Schwartz, C. Parathyroid hormone in the blood of pregnant women. J Clin Invest 1936; 15: 323326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32. Holt, LE Jr. Nutrition in a changing world. Am J Clin Nutr 1962; 11: 543548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33. Leech CB. Letter to Miss Barber S. Quinn, June, 11, 1929. Series 18: Grants, folder 1550, box 167, Rockefeller Foundation Archives, RAC.Google Scholar
34. Taussig, HB. Neuhauser Lecture: tetralogy of Fallot: Early history and late results. AJR 1979; 133: 423431.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35. Park EA. Letter to Dr. Benedict R. Harris, December 1, 1927. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
36. McNamara, DG, Manning, JA, Engle, MA, Whittemore, R, Neill, CA, Ferencz, C. Helen Brooke Taussig: 1898 to 1986. J Am Coll Cardiol 1987; 10: 662671.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37. Tucker, BL, Lindesmith, GG, Takahashi, M. First Clinical Conference on Congenital Heart Disease. New York City, Grune & Strantton Inc, 1979, p 331.Google Scholar
38. Park EA. Letter to Alfred E Cohn, June 11, 1928. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
39. Newspaper article citing Benedict R. Harris, December 19, 1988. query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2DB1130F93AA25751C1A96E948260Google Scholar
40. Berhneim, BM. The Story of The Johns Hopkins: Four Great Doctors and the Medical School they Created. New York City, Wittlesey House, 1948, p 109.Google Scholar
41. Park EA. Letter to Mr. Smith, November, 22, 1928. Series 18: Grants, folder 1551, box 167, Rockefeller Foundation Archives, RAC.Google Scholar
43. White PD. Letter to Clifton Leech, June 9, 1928. Leech personal family archival material.Google Scholar
44. Park EA. Note to Clifton Leech, July 11, 1928. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
45. Cohn, AE, Swift, HF. Electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial involvement in rheumatic fever. J Exp Med 1924; 39: 135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
46. Park EA. Letter to Helen Taussig, February 11, 1929. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD. .Google Scholar
47. Park EA. Letter to Clifton Leech, March 22, 1929. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
48. Park EA. Letter to Clifton Leech, September 3, 1929. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
49. Leech CB. Letter to Edwards Park, September 7, 1929. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
50. Park EA. Letter to Kenneth Blackfan, September 9, 1929. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
51. Abbott ME. Letter to Clifton Leech, April 15, 1931. Leech personal family archival material.Google Scholar
52. Leech CB. Letter to Edwards Park, January 23, 1930. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
53. Fifteenth Census of the United States:1930 Population Schedule, Baltimore, Maryland, ward 27, block no 427 tract 13, enumeration district no 4-665, sheet 9A.Google Scholar
54. Leech CB. Letter to Edwards Park, May 11, 1931. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
55. Leech CB. Letter Edwards Park, November 24, 1930. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
56. New York Academy of Medicine-Section of Pediatrics program, April 9, 1931. Leech personal family archival material.Google Scholar
57. Letters between Maude Abbott and Clifton Leech and between Edwards Park and Maude Abbott, various dates, November 1931 through March 1935. P111 Maude Abbott Fonds. Maude Abbott Letters-L. Osler Library, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Osler Library.Google Scholar
58. Letters between Edwards Park and Clifton Leech and between Maude Abbott and Clifton Leech, various dates, November 1931 through February 1935. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
59. Letters between Maude Abbott and Clifton Leech and between Edwards Park and Clifton Leech, various dates, November 1931 through December 1934. Leech personal family archival material.Google Scholar
60. Park EA. Letter to Clifton Leech, July 29, 1930. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
61. Abbott ME. Letter to Clifton Leech, November 19, 1932. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
62. Abbott ME. Diary entry, January 3, 1935. McGill University Archives, Maude Abbott Trust, M.G. 1070. Maude Abbott diaries 1930–1940.Google Scholar
63. Hoffman, JI, Christianson, R. Congenital heart disease in a cohort of 19,502 births with long-term follow-up. Am J Cardiol 1978; 42: 641647.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
64. Leech CB. Letter to Miss Richards, October 15, 1930. Edwards A. Park Collection, Box – 433591674, The Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
65. Leech, CB. Quinidine sulfate therapy. R I Med J 1934; 17: 205.Google Scholar
66. Leech, CB. The Austin-Flint murmur. N Engl J Med 1934; 211: 10071008.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
67. Leech, CB. An improvement of Southey’s tubes. J Amer Med Assoc 1936; 106: 18951896.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
68. Leech, CB. Acute Heart failure. N Engl J Med 1937; 217: 335342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
69. Leech, CB. Painful shoulder in association with coronary artery disease. R I Med J 1938; 21: 99112.Google Scholar
70. Abbott ME. Letter to Clifton Leech, March 4, 1935. Leech personal family archival material.Google Scholar
71. Leech, CB. Statistics of seventy-five cases of congenital heart disease at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. J Tech Meth 1936; 15: 101102.Google Scholar
72. Blalock, A, Taussig, HB. The surgical treatment of malformations of the heart in which there is pulmonary stenosis or pulmonary atresia. J Amer Med Assoc 1945; 128: 189202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
73. Winnipeg newspaper article, February 21, 1946; NewspaperARCHIVE.com http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Google Scholar
74. Park EA. Letter to Clifton Leech, July 30, 1946. Leech personal family archival material. .Google Scholar
75. Leech, CB. Cardiovascular syphilis. R I Med J 1950; 33: 186188.Google ScholarPubMed
76. Merlino, F, Cutts, FB, Leech, CB. Mitral valvuloplasty: a brief review and report of thirty-one patients studied at the Rhode Island Hospital. R I Med J 1954; 37: 670674.Google ScholarPubMed
77. Leech, CB. The treatment of cardiac arrhythmias by drugs. J Fla Med Assoc 1957; 44: 367371.Google ScholarPubMed
78. Leech, CB, Cooper, HR. Choice of digitalis preparations for adults, children and infants. J Fla Med Assoc 1964; 51: 524532.Google ScholarPubMed
79. United States Patent. Electrocardiographic Electrode. Patent # 2,621,657.Google Scholar
80. Lippi D, Fornaciari G, Gensini GF. Evidence based history of medicine: the experience of Florence medical school. In: International Society for the History of Medicine; August 26–30, 2006; Budapest, Hungary. Available from: htp://www.ishm2006.hu/scientific/abstract.php?ID=215Google Scholar