Thomas Stoltz Harvey (October 10, 1912 – April 5, 2007) was an American pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Albert Einstein in 1955. Harvey afterwards kept Einstein's brain without permission for decades.
Harvey studied at Yale University as an undergraduate and later as a medical student under Dr. Harry Zimmerman. In his third year of medical school he contracted tuberculosis and was bedridden for the next year in a sanatorium, claiming it to be one of the biggest disappointments of his life.[1]
Autopsy of Albert EinsteinEdit
The autopsy was conducted at Princeton Hospital on April 18, 1955, at 8:00 am. Einstein's brain weighed 1,230 grams - well within the normal human range. Dr. Harvey sectioned the preserved brain into 170 pieces[2] in a lab at the University of Pennsylvania, a process that took three full months to complete. Those 170 sections were then sliced in microscopic slivers and mounted onto slides and stained. There were 12 sets of slides created with hundreds of slides in each set. Harvey retained two complete sets for his own research and distributed the rest to handpicked leading pathologists of the time. No permission for the removal and preservation had been given by Einstein or his family, but when the family learned about the study, permission to proceed with the study was granted as long as the results were only published in scientific journals and not sensationalised.[3]
Theft of Einstein's brainEdit
In August, 1978, New Jersey Monthlyreporter Steven Levy published an article, "I Found Einstein's Brain", based on his interview with Harvey when Harvey was working in Wichita, Kansas. In 1988, Harvey retired and moved to Lawrence, Kansas. In 1996, Harvey moved from Weston, Missouri to Titusville in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.[4] In the 1994 documentary Relics: Einstein's Brain, Kinki University Professor Sugimoto Kenji asks Harvey for a piece of the brain, to which Harvey consents and slices a portion of the brain-stem. Footage shows Harvey segmenting and handing over to Sugimoto a portion.[5] In 1998, Harvey delivered the remaining uncut portion of Einstein's brain to Dr. Elliot Krauss, a pathologist at University Medical Center at Princeton. As Marian Diamond and associates discovered, certain parts of Einstein's brain were found to have a higher proportion of glial cells than the average male brain.[6]
In 2005, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Einstein's death, the 92-year-old Harvey gave interviews regarding the history of the brain from his home in New Jersey.[7]
Harvey died at the University Medical Center at Princeton on April 5, 2007, of complications of a stroke.[8]
The story of Harvey's theft of Einstein's brain, and its subsequent study, was explained in an episode of the Science Channel show Dark Matters: Twisted But True, a series which explores the darker side of scientific discovery and experimentation, which premiered on September 7, 2011. The program segment "The Secrets of Einstein's Brain" re-aired on the History Channel on June 4, 2016.[11]
ReferencesEdit
^Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America with Einstein's Brain, Dial Press, 2001
^Andrews, Lori B.; Nelkin, Dorothy (2001). Body bazaar: the market for human tissue in the biotechnology age. Crown Publishers. p. 9. ISBN978-0-609-60540-0.
^Sperlin, Daniel (2008). Posthumous interests: legal and ethical perspectives. Cambridge University Press. p. 144. ISBN978-0-521-87784-8., Chapter 4, p. 144
^Staff. "Doctor Kept Genius's Brain in a Jar 43 Years", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 17, 2005. Accessed December 3, 2012. "He's 93, living in a small New Jersey town called Titusville."
^"Relics: Einstein's Brain (1994)". 2006-08-03. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
^Diamond MC, Scheibel AB, Murphy GM Jr, Harvey T,"On the Brain of a Scientist: Albert Einstein","Experimental Neurology 1985;198-204", Retrieved February 18, 2017
^The Long, Strange Journey of Einstein's Brain. NPR Morning Edition, April 18, 2005, audio w/ transcript, excerpting Postcards from the Brain Museum by Brian Burrell, Broadway Books, 2005; retrieved August 30, 2020
^Falk, Dean, Frederick E. Lepore, and Adrianne Noe (2012), "The cerebral cortex of Albert Einstein: a description and preliminary analysis of unpublished photographs", Brain; 135: 11.
^Balter, Michael, "Rare photos show that Einstein's brain has unusual features", The Washington Post, Tuesday, 27 November 2012; E6.
^"I Have Einstein's Brain, Unidentified Flying Nazis, Killer Thoughts". Dark Matters: Twisted But True. September 7, 2011. Science Channel.
Carolyn Abraham, Possessing Genius: The Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein's Brain (St Martins Press, March, 2002) (ISBN0-312-28117-X)
External linksEdit
Doctor kept Einstein's brain in jar 43 years
The Whereabouts of Dr. Einstein's Brain
Neuroscience for Kids - Einstein's Brain
NY Times
October 16, 2023
thomas, stoltz, harvey, october, 1912, april, 2007, american, pathologist, conducted, autopsy, albert, einstein, 1955, harvey, afterwards, kept, einstein, brain, without, permission, decades, bornoctober, 1912louisville, kentucky, diedapril, 2007, aged, titusv. Thomas Stoltz Harvey October 10 1912 April 5 2007 was an American pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Albert Einstein in 1955 Harvey afterwards kept Einstein s brain without permission for decades Thomas Stoltz HarveyBornOctober 10 1912Louisville Kentucky U S DiedApril 5 2007 aged 94 Titusville New Jersey U S Known forConducting the autopsy of Albert Einstein s brain stealing and storing itScientific careerFieldsPathology Contents 1 Early career 2 Autopsy of Albert Einstein 3 Theft of Einstein s brain 4 Legacy 5 Cultural references 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly career EditHarvey studied at Yale University as an undergraduate and later as a medical student under Dr Harry Zimmerman In his third year of medical school he contracted tuberculosis and was bedridden for the next year in a sanatorium claiming it to be one of the biggest disappointments of his life 1 Autopsy of Albert Einstein EditThe autopsy was conducted at Princeton Hospital on April 18 1955 at 8 00 am Einstein s brain weighed 1 230 grams well within the normal human range Dr Harvey sectioned the preserved brain into 170 pieces 2 in a lab at the University of Pennsylvania a process that took three full months to complete Those 170 sections were then sliced in microscopic slivers and mounted onto slides and stained There were 12 sets of slides created with hundreds of slides in each set Harvey retained two complete sets for his own research and distributed the rest to handpicked leading pathologists of the time No permission for the removal and preservation had been given by Einstein or his family but when the family learned about the study permission to proceed with the study was granted as long as the results were only published in scientific journals and not sensationalised 3 Theft of Einstein s brain EditIn August 1978 New Jersey Monthly reporter Steven Levy published an article I Found Einstein s Brain based on his interview with Harvey when Harvey was working in Wichita Kansas In 1988 Harvey retired and moved to Lawrence Kansas In 1996 Harvey moved from Weston Missouri to Titusville in Hopewell Township Mercer County New Jersey 4 In the 1994 documentary Relics Einstein s Brain Kinki University Professor Sugimoto Kenji asks Harvey for a piece of the brain to which Harvey consents and slices a portion of the brain stem Footage shows Harvey segmenting and handing over to Sugimoto a portion 5 In 1998 Harvey delivered the remaining uncut portion of Einstein s brain to Dr Elliot Krauss a pathologist at University Medical Center at Princeton As Marian Diamond and associates discovered certain parts of Einstein s brain were found to have a higher proportion of glial cells than the average male brain 6 In 2005 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Einstein s death the 92 year old Harvey gave interviews regarding the history of the brain from his home in New Jersey 7 Harvey died at the University Medical Center at Princeton on April 5 2007 of complications of a stroke 8 Legacy EditIn 2010 Harvey s heirs transferred all of his holdings constituting the remains of Albert Einstein s brain to the National Museum of Health and Medicine including 14 photographs of the whole brain which is now in fragments never before revealed to the public 9 10 Cultural references EditThe story of Harvey s theft of Einstein s brain and its subsequent study was explained in an episode of the Science Channel show Dark Matters Twisted But True a series which explores the darker side of scientific discovery and experimentation which premiered on September 7 2011 The program segment The Secrets of Einstein s Brain re aired on the History Channel on June 4 2016 11 References Edit Driving Mr Albert A Trip Across America with Einstein s Brain Dial Press 2001 Andrews Lori B Nelkin Dorothy 2001 Body bazaar the market for human tissue in the biotechnology age Crown Publishers p 9 ISBN 978 0 609 60540 0 Sperlin Daniel 2008 Posthumous interests legal and ethical perspectives Cambridge University Press p 144 ISBN 978 0 521 87784 8 Chapter 4 p 144 Staff Doctor Kept Genius s Brain in a Jar 43 Years Pittsburgh Post Gazette April 17 2005 Accessed December 3 2012 He s 93 living in a small New Jersey town called Titusville Relics Einstein s Brain 1994 2006 08 03 Archived from the original on 2021 12 21 Retrieved 2010 06 16 Diamond MC Scheibel AB Murphy GM Jr Harvey T On the Brain of a Scientist Albert Einstein Experimental Neurology 1985 198 204 Retrieved February 18 2017 The Long Strange Journey of Einstein s Brain NPR Morning Edition April 18 2005 audio w transcript excerpting Postcards from the Brain Museum by Brian Burrell Broadway Books 2005 retrieved August 30 2020 Thomas Harvey Obituary 2007 Trenton NJ The Times Trenton obits nj com Retrieved 2021 03 22 Falk Dean Frederick E Lepore and Adrianne Noe 2012 The cerebral cortex of Albert Einstein a description and preliminary analysis of unpublished photographs Brain 135 11 Balter Michael Rare photos show that Einstein s brain has unusual features The Washington Post Tuesday 27 November 2012 E6 I Have Einstein s Brain Unidentified Flying Nazis Killer Thoughts Dark Matters Twisted But True September 7 2011 Science Channel Further reading EditMichael Paterniti Driving Mr Albert A Trip Across America With Einstein s Brain G K Hall amp Co December 2000 ISBN 0 7838 9298 5 Carolyn Abraham Possessing Genius The Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein s Brain St Martins Press March 2002 ISBN 0 312 28117 X External links EditNewspaper Obituary for Dr Thomas Stoltz Harvey Died April 5 2007 Doctor kept Einstein s brain in jar 43 years The Whereabouts of Dr Einstein s Brain Neuroscience for Kids Einstein s Brain NY Times Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas Stoltz Harvey amp oldid 1162602359, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
