THE PERIPATETIC PROFESSOR

A Chair in a medical school is considered to be a relatively stable professional position. A few notable exceptions come to mind. Hans Zinsser migrated from the Department of Bacteriology at Stanford to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in New York, and later to Harvard Medical School. William H. Welch remained on the eastern seaboard, moving from Bellevue Hospital Medical College to Johns Hopkins University. One of the most notable examples of a roving professor was Austin Flint, a warm friend of Welch's, who held positions in six medical schools. Flint was one of the outstanding professors of medicine in the mid-portion of the 19th century. He holds particular interest for me for several reasons. Following graduation from Harvard Medical School at the age of 21, he practiced medicine in Boston and Northampton, Mass, for three years. He then moved to Buffalo, established a new practice,