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Jeghers Medical Index
Dr. Jeghers
Dr. Caccamo

JMI Staff

Harold Joseph Jeghers, M.D. continued

Dr. Jeghers' identification of the Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome

In 1939, while on the Fifth Medical Service of the Boston City Hospital, Dr. Jeghers observed a 14 year old school girl with an unusual medical problem.

"A distinctive type of melanin pigmentation of the oral mucosa, lips and digits with intestinal polyposis. Twice in 1933 she had been operated upon at another hospital for intussusception and intestinal obstruction. On the second occasion a portion of the ileum was resected. Polyps of the stomach, ileum and sigmoid were found at that time."[1]

The recognition of a second patient with the same clinical pattern led to the suspicion that this was a specific syndrome and not a chance occurrence. A preliminary report of these two cases prompted efforts to identify others and suggested a genetic explanation. In 1949, Drs. Jeghers, McKusick and Katz published these findings in the New England Journal of Medicine in December.

The paper cited a 1921 publication [2] in the Dutch literature by Dr. Johannes Peutz, a pediatrician from Westeinde Hospital in the Hague, described a family with similar intestinal polyposis and oral-cutaneous pigmentation. Through correspondence with Dr. Peutz the American authors obtained followup on this Dutch family. The New England Journal of Medicine article described this disease complex as a gene-linked disorder. It is now called Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome.

Georgetown University School of Medicine

In the spring of 1946, Dr. Jeghers accepted the appointment as Professor of Medicine and Director of the Department of Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. The decision to recruit Dr. Jeghers was supported by an influential and respected member of Georgetown University, Father David V. McCauley. Dr. Jeghers became the first full-time salaried member of the academic faculty.

The administration and clinical faculty were very willing to explore with Dr. Jeghers the development of a Department of Internal Medicine that utilized many teaching innovations, including subspecialty divisions. Few medical schools at that time had recognized subspecialties. In the decade that followed, Georgetown University School of Medicine, significantly enhanced its reputation as a medical center with exceptional teaching and research. Dr. Jeghers' contributions to medical education led to his appointment as a consultant at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. and at the National Naval Medical Center, Betheseda, Maryland.

In furthering improvements in medical education Dr. Jeghers proposed a plan through which medical educators could be installed as Directors of Medical Education at community hospitals. Several surrounding Catholic community hospitals lacking affiliation with university centers became interested in his plan in order to attrack hightly qualified medical interns and residents.

Georgetown medical faculty participated in medical lectures, ward rounds and other teaching activities which made this educational approach quite attrative to the community hospital. The "Georgetown Plan" of medical education was adopted by Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, New York; St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, New York; and St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry

The development of a new medical school in Jersey City in association with Seton Hall University offered a unique and challenging opportunity for Dr. Jeghers. In August 1956, he left Georgetown University School of Medicine and accepted the position as Professor of Medicine and Director of the Department of Medicine at Seton Hall College. In accepting this position he returned to the city of his birth. He held the position for ten years. While at Seton Hall, Dr. Jeghers was awarded the Laetare Medal, an honor given to American Catholics for outstanding professionalism exhibiting Christian virtues.

St. Vincent Hospital

In 1966 Dr. Jeghers accepted the position of Medical Director at St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester, Massachusetts which he held until 1978. Here he continued to make important contributions to medical education and quality patient care. He was instrumental in recruiting full-time medical subspecialists. Dr. Stanley Olson, the first provost and dean of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM), Rootstown, Ohio, considered St. Vincent Hospital to be an academic model for postgraduate education. NEOUCOM's clinical and basic science instructors from Akron, Canton, and Youngstown, Ohio visited St. Vincent Hospital and were impressed with Dr. Jeghers' leadership and approach to medical training. These visitors saw Dr. Jeghers' medical index as key to his approach.

The Jeghers Medical Index

In 1976 Dr. Jeghers became a consultant for the Cleveland Health Sciences Library, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, Subsequent to this appointment he accepted a position at the Office of Medical Education, Research and Curriculum Development at NEOUCOM with the rank of professor. In 1980, a consortium consisting of the Cleveland Health Sciences Library, St. Elizabeth Health Center, and NEOUCOM was formed to bring Dr. Jeghers collection of medical journal articles to St. Elizabeth Health Center. The consortium was formed by Mr. Cheshier, Dr. E.J. Wheeler, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at NEOUCOM, Dr. Leonard P. Caccamo, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at NEOUCOM, and Sister Consolata Kline, of St. Elizabeth Health Center. In September 1980, the collection of medical journal articles arrived at St. Elizabeth Health Center and was formerly named the Harold Jeghers Medical Index.

Throughout his latter years, Dr. Jeghers visited and participated in medical teaching at the Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio campus of NEOUCOM. He visited the Youngstown area three or four times yearly, for periods as long as four to six weeks. His efforts were focused on maintaining the Jeghers Medical Index. He treasured his collection of medical articles which he had gathered over many years as a medical educator.

Dr. Jeghers' curriculum vitae is available for viewing.

Dr. Jeghers with the staff of the Jeghers Medical Index, Youngstown, Ohio in 1986

1. Jeghers H, McKusick VA,; Katz, KH : Generalized intestinal polyposis and melanin spots of the oral mucosa, lips and digits. N Engl J Med. 1949 Dec 22;241(25):993, illust; passim. Large file (4 MB)

2. Peutz, J. L. A. : Very remarkable case of familial polyposis of mucous membrane of intestinal tract and nasopharynx accompanied by peculiar pigmentations of skin and mucous membrane. (Dutch). Nederl. Maandschr. Geneesk. 1921 10: 134-146.