The American Pediatric Society
Howard A. Pearson MD, FAAP1
1 Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Pediatrics as a defined area in medicine did not emerge on the American scene until well into the 19th century. With few definitive therapies and little understanding of the pathogenesis of diseases, the "proto-pediatrics" of the first half of the nineteenth century in the United States was largely descriptive and empiric, but the problems of children were monumental. Deadly infectious diseases, including diphtheria, measles, and cholera infantum (infectious diarrhea), killed tens of thousands of American children annually. Deficiency diseases, especially scurvy and rickets, were rampant. Because children were considered chattel, abuse in the home and work place was prevalent. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals founded in 1866 conducted the first organized effort to prevent abuse and protect children.
Submitted on February 23, 1994
Accepted on March 9, 1994
