George Edward Burch Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Burch, George Edward, Dr., 1910-1986 (physician)
label: Former owner
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Science, Technology, and Culture
label: Names
content: Tulane University
topic: label: Topic
content: Medicine -- Research
label: Topic
content: Physicians
label: Topic
content: Cardiovascular system
label: Topic
content: Heart pump
label: Topic
content: Cardiology
label: Topic
content: Medical sciences
label: Topic
content: Heart, Artificial
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by George Edward Burch and Vivian Burch, 1988.
creator: label: Creator
content: Burch, George Edward, Dr., 1910-1986 (physician)
setName: label: See more items in
content: George Edward Burch Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: Papers of Dr. George Edward Burch (1910-1986) researcher in cardiovascular issues and illnesses.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Dr. George Edward Burch (1910 1986), a native of Louisiana, was the oldest of 8 children born to a general practioner in a small farming community.  He took his university training and medical degree at Tulane, graduating in 1933.  Following post graduate work at Charity Hospital in New Orleans and at Rockefeller Institute, in 1947 he became Henderson Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Tulane.  He held this position until 1975 when he retired and became Emeritus Henderson Professor of Medicine.  An authority in clinical cardiology, Dr. Burch was a prolific writer in his field authoring or co authoring 12 books and more than 800 published articles over a 50 year period.  He did important and innovative research on many aspects of the cardiovascular system, devising his own apparatus for clinical studies when necessary.  He had the first AEC license to use radioisotopes on people and worked closely with the National Bureau of Standards to establish safe levels for their use.  He did ground breaking experimental work on the role of viruses in causing cardiovascular diseases.  At Tulane, the medical department flourished under his leadership and he served as editor in chief of the American Heart Journal, 1959 1980.

Dr. Burch died at home one day after experiencing a myocardial infarction and refusing to be hospitalized, thus fulfilling his own earlier stated preference to "die fast and die at home."
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.6 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1984-1986
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Transferred from the Division of Science, Technology, and Culture to the Archives Center on october 4, 1988.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0316
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographic prints
label: Type
content: Medical notes
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Don Darroch, 1988.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographic prints
label: Genre/Form
content: Medical notes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: These papers mainly comprise technical notes, diagrams and correspondence relating to and records of laboratory performance of the "two pump heart model".  The notes cover the period 1984 1986 and seem to at least in part reflect work of J. Ralph Millet, presumably a technician in Dr. Burch's laboratory.  Mr Millet signed the correspondence sent from the lab.  Also included are photographs (prints and negatives) of the artificial heart apparatus.  A file of reprints of articles from professional journals relating to heart function includes both U.S. and foreign sources.