ABSTRACT
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr (1809–1894) was an American polymath. He was a renowned physician, educator and author. He coined the term ‘Boston Brahmin’ to describe those of the upper castes of Boston society – from which he himself had originated. A dedicated reformer, he sometimes became frustrated by the slow pace of change in medicine – once famously saying ‘it is so hard to get anything out of the dead hand of medical tradition!’ ( 2 ). However, Holmes undoubtedly tried. He attempted to admit female students to Harvard Medical School – but both students and faculty resisted. He tried to admit black students to the school but this initiative also foundered. He caused controversy by claiming that doctors were carrying puerperal fever from patient to patient by failing to ensure that they and their instruments were clean.
