Dr. John Lovett Morse (1865-1940), Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, published a popular texthook in 1913 entitled Case Histories in Pediatrics. The method of case teaching which had been used in the Harvard Law School from about 1890 on, was introduced into the Harvard Medical School in 1900 at the suggestion of Dr. Walter B. Cannon, then a student in the school. Dr. Morse was an enthusiastic supporter of case history teaching because he believed that "this method of teaching is far superior to recitations, quizzes, and conferences."1 The case history below of a child with diabetes mellitus, taken from the second edition of Morse's book (1916), points out the grim prognosis of this disease in the pre-insulin days.
Charles W., eleven years old, was the child of healthy parents. One brother was living and well. There had been no deaths or miscarriages. His maternal grandfather had had diabetes, but had died of tuberculosis.
He was born at full term, was normal at birth and weighed six pounds. He had whooping-cough when one year old, mumps and chicken-pox when small, and measles at four years, but had otherwise been well. He had always eaten much candy and had craved sweet foods. He had passed much more urine during the last month than formerly, and had drunk large quantities of water. He had to get up several times at night to urinate and to allay his thirst. His appetite was large. He had had no itching of the skin and no eruption.
