The museum’s newest exhibit installed at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine is all about Dr. Newsom Jones Pittman. Pittman graduated from medical school at the University of Pennsylvania in 1839. Like hundreds of other American doctors in the early 19th century, he traveled to Paris to learn about the latest medical discoveries. At the time, Paris was the center of medical study with access to practical training in the hospital clinics and a plentiful supply of cadavers for dissection. Pittman kept daily journals of his travels in Europe which are now maintained in the museum’s archive. With stories gleaned from his journals, the exhibit “Where in the World is Dr. Pittman?” chronicles his European experiences.
With the help of ECU’s Creative Services, Dr. Pittman is featured in the backdrop of each case and viewers are encouraged to try to find him.
Dr. Pittman studied in Paris during 1851-1853. One of his professors was Monsieur Ricord, known for demonstrating surgery outside under a grove of Mulberry trees.
Dr. Pittman traveled to Germany and although he was not as impressed with German medicine, Germany would later replace Paris as the center of medical discoveries in Europe.