CUSHING, HARVEY. 1869-1939.


BRANCH, JOSEPH R.B. "Experimental and clinical notes on chronic valvular lesions in the dogs and their possible relation to a future surgery of the cardiac valves." [Offprint from] The Journal of Medical Research, Vol XVII, No 4, pp 471-486, February 1908. 4to (245 x 149 mm). Publisher's printed wrappers, minor toning along edges.EXTREMELY RARE OFFPRINT OF CUSHING AND BRANCH'S LANDMARK WORK IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIAC SURGERY, offering "the first real proof that operative creation of valvular defects could be carried out with a high degree of certainty, that each attempt would be successful and with a sufficiently low mortality (they reported 11 recoveries in 25 attempts) to hope that, with improvements in technique, the risk could be almost negligible" (Cutler, et al, The surgical treatment of mitral stenosis, 1924, Garrison-Morton 10592). "Cushing and Branch's work was a key step in the early development of surgery of the mitral valve, later realized by Cushing's students Elliott Carr Cutler and Claude Beck in 1924" (Garrison-Morton 10591).