North dePencier presents poster at 2017 AAHM meeting
Meds 2019 student North de Pencier presented her research project, "The Kiss of Life: William Tossach, John Fothergill and Mouth-to-Mouth Rescure Breathing in 18th Century Britain" at the 2017 American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM) meeting, recently held in Nashville from May 4 to 7. In her poster presentation, de Pencier presented both Scottish surgeon William Tossach's case report, published in 1744, in which he saved the life of a coal miner with the use of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and English physician John Fothergill's lecture to the members of the Royal Society of London that highlighted this case towards promoting rescue breathing. She argues that "Innovation or change requires a team effort and the introduction of new techniques into medical practice typically hinges on positive case reporting (Tossach) and professional championing (Fothergill)."
Dr. Mindy Schwartz, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago, was one of many AAHM delegates who visited the poster session and complimented de Pencier on her research project.
The annual AAHM meeting typically draws around 500 delegates, comprising medical historians, physicians, graduate students, residents and medical students. The program offers plenary lectures, concurrent research paper sessions, and poster presentations through a competitive call for papers process.
North de Pencier's poster presentation marks the first time that a Schulich medical student has been invited to participate at this meeting. Well done North!
