Myrtelle Canavan
Encyclopedia
Myrtelle May Moore Canavan (June 24, 1879–1953) was an American
physician
and medical researcher. She was one of the first female pathologists and is best known for publishing a description of Canavan Disease
in 1931.
, Canavan studied at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University
, the University of Michigan Medical School
, and Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, from which she received her M.D. in 1905.
In 1905 she married Dr. James F. Canavan.
In 1907 she was appointed assistant bacteriologist at Danvers State Hospital
in Massachusetts, where she met Elmer Ernest Southard, Bullard Professor of Neuropathology
at Harvard Medical School, who encouraged her interest in neuropathology. In 1910 she became resident pathologist at Boston State Hospital and in 1914 was appointed pathologist to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Diseases. She was also an instructor of neuropathology at the University of Vermont
.
After Southard's death in 1920, Canavan became acting director of the laboratories of the Boston Psychopathic Hospital
, which would later become the Massachusetts Mental Health Center
. From 1920 until her retirement in 1945, she was an associate professor of neuropathology at Boston University
and curator of the Warren Anatomical Museum
at Harvard Medical School
, where she added more than 1,500 specimens and also improved record-keeping and discarded damaged specimens. However, her official title was "assistant curator" because of objections to a woman heading the museum, and she was never appointed to the Harvard faculty.
Canavan died of Parkinson's disease
in 1953.
; the first of the 79 articles she published was on bacillary dysentery
and the first article she co-authored with Southard concerned bacterial invasions of blood and cerebrospinal fluid. She studied the pathology of diseases affecting the optic nerve, spleen, brain, and spinal cord, and examined cases of sudden death, multiple sclerosis, and of microscopic hemorrhage. For example, by prior agreement, she performed the autopsy on Frank Bunker Gilbreth
, identifying the arteriosclerosis
that had caused his death. And in 1925 she published Elmer Ernest Southard and His Parents: A Brain Study, a report on her examination of the brains of her mentor and his parents. She also trained neuropathologist Louise Eisenhardt, who became a renowned expert in diagnosing brain tumors and in 1959 was credited with training 70% of the neurosurgeons then certified. She had a particular interest in the neuropathology of mental illness. With Southard and others, she contributed to a monograph series called Waverley Researches in the Pathology of the Feeble-Minded.
She is most famous for a paper she co-wrote in 1931 discussing the case of a child who had died at sixteen months and whose brain had a spongy white section. Canavan was the first to identify this degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, which was later named "Canavan's Disease."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and medical researcher. She was one of the first female pathologists and is best known for publishing a description of Canavan Disease
Canavan disease
Canavan disease, also called Canavan-Van Bogaert-Bertrand disease, aspartoacylase deficiency or aminoacylase 2 deficiency, is an autosomal recessive degenerative disorder that causes progressive damage to nerve cells in the brain. Canavan disease is also one of the most common degenerative...
in 1931.
Life and career
Born in Greenbush Township, near St. Johns, MichiganSt. Johns, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,485 people, 2,994 households, and 1,999 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,909.1 per square mile . There were 3,148 housing units at an average density of 802.9 per square mile...
, Canavan studied at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, the University of Michigan Medical School
University of Michigan Health System
The University of Michigan Health System is the wholly owned academic medical center of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. UMHS includes the U-M Medical School, with its Faculty Group Practice and many research laboratories; the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers, which includes University...
, and Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, from which she received her M.D. in 1905.
In 1905 she married Dr. James F. Canavan.
In 1907 she was appointed assistant bacteriologist at Danvers State Hospital
Danvers State Hospital
Danvers State Hospital, also known as the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum, was a psychiatric hospital located in Danvers, Massachusetts....
in Massachusetts, where she met Elmer Ernest Southard, Bullard Professor of Neuropathology
Neuropathology
Neuropathology is the study of disease of nervous system tissue, usually in the form of either small surgical biopsies or whole autopsy brains. Neuropathology is a subspecialty of anatomic pathology, neurology, and neurosurgery...
at Harvard Medical School, who encouraged her interest in neuropathology. In 1910 she became resident pathologist at Boston State Hospital and in 1914 was appointed pathologist to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Diseases. She was also an instructor of neuropathology at the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
.
After Southard's death in 1920, Canavan became acting director of the laboratories of the Boston Psychopathic Hospital
Boston Psychopathic Hospital
The Boston Psychopathic Hospital was the first mental health hospital in Massachusetts, USA.-History of the establishment:In November 1909 the site for the hospital was purchased on Fenwood Road, 5 minutes' walk from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Elmer E. Southard was appointed director of the...
, which would later become the Massachusetts Mental Health Center
Massachusetts Mental Health Center
Massachusetts Mental Health Center is a historic building at 74 Fenwood Road in Boston, Massachusetts.The center was built in 1912 as Boston Psychopathic Hospital by Taylor Kendall and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994....
. From 1920 until her retirement in 1945, she was an associate professor of neuropathology at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and curator of the Warren Anatomical Museum
Warren Anatomical Museum
The Warren Anatomical Museum, housed within Harvard Medical School's Countway Library of Medicine,was founded in 1847 by Harvard professor Dr. John Collins Warren,...
at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, where she added more than 1,500 specimens and also improved record-keeping and discarded damaged specimens. However, her official title was "assistant curator" because of objections to a woman heading the museum, and she was never appointed to the Harvard faculty.
Canavan died of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in 1953.
Research
Canavan's research focused on the effects of damage to the brain and nervous system on the mind and body. She was also very interested in bacteriologyBacteriology
Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classification, and characterization of bacterial species...
; the first of the 79 articles she published was on bacillary dysentery
Bacillary dysentery
Bacillary dysentery is a type of dysentery, and is a severe form of shigellosis.Bacillary dysentery is associated with species of bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family. The term is usually restricted to Shigella infections....
and the first article she co-authored with Southard concerned bacterial invasions of blood and cerebrospinal fluid. She studied the pathology of diseases affecting the optic nerve, spleen, brain, and spinal cord, and examined cases of sudden death, multiple sclerosis, and of microscopic hemorrhage. For example, by prior agreement, she performed the autopsy on Frank Bunker Gilbreth
Frank Bunker Gilbreth
Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr. was an early advocate of scientific management and a pioneer of motion study, but is perhaps best known as the father and central figure of Cheaper by the Dozen.- Biography :...
, identifying the arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries.Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening of medium or large arteries It should not be confused with "arteriolosclerosis" or "atherosclerosis".Also known by the name "myoconditis" which is...
that had caused his death. And in 1925 she published Elmer Ernest Southard and His Parents: A Brain Study, a report on her examination of the brains of her mentor and his parents. She also trained neuropathologist Louise Eisenhardt, who became a renowned expert in diagnosing brain tumors and in 1959 was credited with training 70% of the neurosurgeons then certified. She had a particular interest in the neuropathology of mental illness. With Southard and others, she contributed to a monograph series called Waverley Researches in the Pathology of the Feeble-Minded.
She is most famous for a paper she co-wrote in 1931 discussing the case of a child who had died at sixteen months and whose brain had a spongy white section. Canavan was the first to identify this degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, which was later named "Canavan's Disease."