William H. Welch and the Rise of Modern Medicine. Donald Fleming. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1987. 240 pp. $8.95 PB.


This lively, brief biography of William Henry Welch also explores the transition of American medicine from craft-based skill to science-based profession. As a leading scientific "Influential," Welch was largely responsible for bringing Germany's laboratory ideal of "learning by doing" to the United States, introducing scientific methods to American medical schools, and dramatically upgrading the standards of medical education. In the process, he attracted and guided the investment of massive private funding, especially from the Rockefeller philanthropies, into medical research and education.

The republication of Fleming's excellent biography after more than 30 years marks the coming centennial of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, where Welch spent his active career as professor of pathology in the School of Medicine, as director of the School of Hygiene and Public Health,...

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