Louis B. Wilson
Encyclopedia
Louis B. Wilson, M.D. was the chief of pathology
at Mayo Clinic
from 1905 to 1937. Wilson is most famous for initiating the routine use of the frozen section procedure
for rapid intraoperative diagnosis.
Wilson received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota
in 1896. After this, Wilson was the assistant director of the bacteriology laboratory at the Minnesota State Board of Health and an assistant professor of pathology and bacteriology at the University of Minnesota and lived in Minneapolis. Dr. Henry Plummer
urged the Mayo brothers
to hire a well-trained pathologist to develop the laboratories at Mayo Clinic and Dr. Wilson reluctantly agreed to move to Rochester, Minnesota for this position. On January 1, 1905, Wilson began working at Mayo Clinic as the chief of pathology and he initiated a new scientific way of doing things at St. Marys Hospital
. He systematized the processing of surgical and autopsy specimens and increased the number of autopsies performed at the hospital. Wilson began using a frozen section technique he created in 1905 and published a paper on his method in JAMA
at the end of that year. His technique proved lasting and has had a major impact in modern medicine. He also initiated animal experimentation during those early years. In 1918, Wilson went overseas as the assistant director of the AEF division of laboratories and infectious diseases. Wilson and his chief, Col. Joseph F. Siler, greatly increased the number of laboratories in use. This exposed thousands of doctors to the use of laboratories in medicine and they returned home to demand laboratories in their hospitals. In the 1920s, Wilson married Maud Mellish and together they wrote the Sketch of the History of the Mayo Clinic and the Mayo Foundation anonymously in 1926. Wilson retired from the Mayo Clinic in 1937.
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
from 1905 to 1937. Wilson is most famous for initiating the routine use of the frozen section procedure
Frozen section procedure
The frozen section procedure is a pathological laboratory procedure to perform rapid microscopic analysis of a specimen. It is used most often in oncological surgery. The technical name for this procedure is cryosection....
for rapid intraoperative diagnosis.
Wilson received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1896. After this, Wilson was the assistant director of the bacteriology laboratory at the Minnesota State Board of Health and an assistant professor of pathology and bacteriology at the University of Minnesota and lived in Minneapolis. Dr. Henry Plummer
Henry Stanley Plummer
Henry Stanley Plummer, M.D. was a prominent internist and endocrinologist who, along with Drs. William Mayo, Charles Mayo, Stinchfield, E. Starr Judd, Christopher Graham, and Donald Balfour founded Mayo Clinic. Dr...
urged the Mayo brothers
Mayo brothers
The Mayo brothers were Charles Horace Mayo and William James Mayo, who with the help of their partners, co-founded the Mayo Clinic. The original partners in the practice were the Mayo brothers, Drs. Stinchfield, Judd, Graham, Plummer, Millet and Balfour...
to hire a well-trained pathologist to develop the laboratories at Mayo Clinic and Dr. Wilson reluctantly agreed to move to Rochester, Minnesota for this position. On January 1, 1905, Wilson began working at Mayo Clinic as the chief of pathology and he initiated a new scientific way of doing things at St. Marys Hospital
Saint Marys Hospital (Rochester)
Saint Marys Hospital is one of two hospitals in Rochester, Minnesota operated by the Mayo Clinic, the other being Rochester Methodist Hospital. St Marys has a 61-bed emergency department but no obstetrics department, while Rochester Methodist lacks an emergency department but contains an obstetrics...
. He systematized the processing of surgical and autopsy specimens and increased the number of autopsies performed at the hospital. Wilson began using a frozen section technique he created in 1905 and published a paper on his method in JAMA
Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
at the end of that year. His technique proved lasting and has had a major impact in modern medicine. He also initiated animal experimentation during those early years. In 1918, Wilson went overseas as the assistant director of the AEF division of laboratories and infectious diseases. Wilson and his chief, Col. Joseph F. Siler, greatly increased the number of laboratories in use. This exposed thousands of doctors to the use of laboratories in medicine and they returned home to demand laboratories in their hospitals. In the 1920s, Wilson married Maud Mellish and together they wrote the Sketch of the History of the Mayo Clinic and the Mayo Foundation anonymously in 1926. Wilson retired from the Mayo Clinic in 1937.