People with Artificial Kidney Machine
Dr. Victor Murdaugh, in the tie, is demonstrating Duke's new Kolff twin coil artificial kidney machine for a physician from eastern North Carolina back in 1957-58. Invented by Willem Kolff, MD, of the Netherlands, this kidney machine was one of only about a dozen in use in the world at the time.
- Subjects and Keywords:
- Technology, People, Education
Identifications and Comments
Victor Murdaugh, MD class of 1950 commented, on March 11, 2008 at 2:56 p.m.:
Dr. Victor Murdaugh, in the tie, is demonstrating Duke's new Kolff twin coil artificial kidney machine for a physician from eastern North Carolina back in 1957-58. Invented by Willem Kolff, MD, of the Netherlands, this kidney machine was one of only about a dozen in use in the world at the time. Dr. Stead told me to get a committee of three and set up a kidney program. So, we ordered a machine. It was only the 13th one they had sold. The committee of three consisted of Ernst Peschel, MD, Henry D. MacIntosh, then a medical resident, and Murdaugh. Kidney dialysis was new and still quite controversial at the time. The machine came unassembled and consisted of 2 coils of plastic tubing and fiberglass filters. It took 10 people in the room to dialyze a patient. The chemicals had to be weighed out by hand and the bath water changed. The pump we used came from the local hardware store and it was always breaking.

Simmons I. Patrick, M.D. class of 1950 commented, on March 11, 2008 at 2:47 p.m.:
The student with the long tie is Victor Murtaugh, class of 1950. The second student I believe to be Ed Hamilton, also 1950, but I am not sure - Ed always wore a bow tie. The picture was most likely taken at a skit taht was given as a take off on professors just before graduation, June 1950, in the ampitheater.