Syracuse State School Surgeon's Daybook

Chronological by date of surgery.

This series is a record of operations (surgeries) performed on patients from the Syracuse State School, with manuscript entries apparently made by the surgeon. Entries for typical procedures (e.g., appendectomy, suturing, tonsillectomy) include the date the operation was performed; type of operation; and names of patient, surgeon, surgical assistant, anesthetist (sometimes), and nurse.

The earliest entries (1927-1930) are one-line listings that also note patient's sex, religion, the type of anaesthetic (ether, novocaine, etc.), and time of the operation. Starting in 1930, this format changes to a very brief summary, in manuscript, of the surgery. For more complex cases, specific procedures of the operation are noted, along with surgical findings. Rarely, mention is made of the patient's post-operative condition. Later entries (ca. 1945-1951) document the practice of scheduling several patients for the same type of surgery (typically removal of tonsils and adenoids, called "T & A") on the same day.

Restricted in accordance with Mental Hygiene Law, Section 33.13, relating to confidentiality of clinical records. Access is permitted under certain conditions upon approval by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.