Additional Sources of Information

Robert Gillespie, MD, MPH

Modern Articles

Aldrich, Mark.  Train wrecks to typhoid fever:  the development of railroad medicine organizations, 1850 to World War I.  Bulletin of the History of  Medicine 2001;75:254-289.

Cox, Mike.  Dr. Sofie:  frontier surgeon blazed a trail for other women to follow.  Texas Medicine 1999; 95(9):41-3.

Kepner, Raymond B.  A brief history.  Industrial Medicine and Surgery 1963;32(9):349-50.

Lockwood, Vernon A.  The Florida East Coast Railway Hospital:  A study of early corporate medicine, 1906-1963.  Journal of the Florida Medical Association 1987;74(7):499-503.

Rutkow, Ira.  Railway surgery:  traumatology and managed health care in 19th-century United States.  Archives of  Surgery 1993;128(4):458-63.

Grant, H. Roger.  Railroad Rx.  Railroad History #192 Spring-Summer 2005: 8-15. (published by Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Urbana, IL)

Historical Journals

The Railway Surgeon.  The original professional journal of railway surgery, founded in 1894.  Some volumes are available on Google Books.

Books

All titles are out of print.  Libraries may be able to obtain them through interlibrary loan, and the titles occasionally appear at online used book sellers.  Some titles are available on Google Books.

Short, Henry J.  Railroad doctors, hospitals and associations:  pioneers in comprehensive low cost medical care.  Lakeport, Cal.:  Shearer/Graphic Arts, 1986.  A delightfully quirky reminiscence and history of railroad hospitals by a retired administrator for the Southern Pacific’s hospital system.

Stemen, Christian B.  Railway Surgery:  A Practical Work on the Special Department of Railway Surgery, for Railway Surgeons and Practitioners in the General Practice of Surgery.  St. Louis, Mo.:  J.H. Chambers & Co., 1890.  The first textbook of railway surgery.  Available on Google Books.

Herrick, Clinton B.  Railway Surgery:  A Handbook on the Management of Injuries.  New York:  William Wood and Co., 1899.  Another early and well-known textbook of railway surgery.  Available on Google Books.

Wardlow, Chester.  The Transportation Corps:  Movements, Training, and Supply. (Series:  United States Army in World War II.  Subseries:  The Technical Services.)  Washington DC:  Department of the Army, 1956.  Very detailed book from a series produced by the U.S. Army documenting WWII.

Wiltse, Charles M.  The Medical Department:  Medical Service in the Mediterranean and Minor Theaters.  (Series:  United States Army in World War II.  Subseries:  The Technical Services.)  Washington DC:  Department of the Army, 1965.  Very detailed book from a series produced by the U.S. Army documenting WWII.

Museums

  • The Army Medical Museum, San Antonio, Texas has Army hospital car #89531 on display, along with many other exhibits related to all forms of military medicine.  The museum also houses archives which may contain additional materials. 
  • The Gold Coast Railway Museum in Miami, Florida has Army hospital car #89436 in its collection.
  • The Historic Railpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky has Army hospital car #89456 in its collection.
  • The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin houses the Joseph Lister, a Chicago & North Western Railroad Pullman car that was adapted to accomodate stretchers and transport patients from Chicago in comfort to the Mayo Clinic.
  • The Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, Washington has Army kitchen car #89601 in its collection.  The interior is fully intact, including dual coal-burning stoves.  This may be the only remaining example of this car type.

Websites

The WWII US Medical Research Centre website has nice articles about hospital trains during WWII in the European Theatre and the history of the 11th Hospital Train Unit.

Libraries