The Development of Angiocardiography and Aortography

Abstract

This year, 1950, marks the 75th anniversary of the birth of Russell Daniel Carman—his diamond anniversary. Previous biographers have given us little about the fifteen formative years of Carman's professional life spent in St. Louis; yet it was there that the shining facets of his character were cut. It was there that the qualities which gave him outstanding brilliance in the radiological world took shape—a searching mind that was never satisfied until the diagnosis was verified, a keen power to observe what he studied, a smooth functioning capacity and application for work, and a natural “knack” for the mechanics of radiography—all encompassed by the charm of a warm friendliness which those who knew him well called “lovable.” The story of how Carman came to St. Louis is told in a letter from Dr. Thomas C. Witherspoon (1), his friend, associate, and brother-in-law, in answer to my inquiry. Dr. Witherspoon was a well known St. Louis surgeon who later retired to Los Angeles, and from there, at the age of eightytwo he writes: “As for Russell, I met him first in Butte, Montana, where his mother, Mrs. Oliver, lived. I practiced in Butte from December, 1889, to November, 1893. In 1893 I returned to St. Louis due to death in the family. About the last of the nineties, Mrs. Oliver wrote me concerning the study of medicine by Russell, asking if I would more or less take him in tow if she [brought] him to St. Louis. This I gladly promised to do… [At about the time of his graduation from the Marion Sims College of Medicine in 1901], I became interested in the Roentgen ray and obtained a machine for my office. While I had a smattering of facts about the new ray, I thought it wise to have someone with me who could devote much time to the acquiring of all the known facts. Carman had been a good student and showed aptitude for this. Accordingly, I asked him to help me, and advised a course at Johns Hopkins (under Dr. F. H. Baetger, who was then Professor of Orthopedic Surgery) to more fully equip him in the understanding of the new ray. This period of training (1901–1902) he took and for further advancement, at their advice, went to Dr. Leonard at Philadelphia. On his return to St. Louis he joined me and we worked together until November, 1906, when I returned to Butte. Mrs. Oliver bought my home and office at 4318 Olive Street and he moved into it. There he practiced medicine and roentgenology.” Figure 1 is a recent photograph of Carman's home in St. Louis. That Carman had “what it takes” is recorded by his appointment in 1903 as Instructor in Surgery at St. Louis University Medical School, which had just been created through a merger with his alma rnater. His proficiency in the use of the roentgen ray in diagnosis was rewarded in 1908 by an appointment as Instructor in Roentgenology, and a year later as Assistant Professor. During this period he met and began a life-long friendship and association with Dr. Albert Miller (2) who became his collaborator in the preparation of many of his scientific contributions.