Brief History of
Major CU Contributions to Medicine

There is a rich History of Medicine at the University of Colorado.

• Founded in 1883
• Originally a tuberculosis sanatorium
• Gordon Meiklejohn, Chair of Medicine from 1950-1975 was a key player in eradication of world smallpox
• First description of:
• T-cells
• ARDS

• Use of home oxygen to prevent secondary pulmonary hypertension and improve survival
• “pink puffers” and “blue bloaters”
• Septic shock syndrome
• Central pontine myelinolysis
• Fractional excretion of sodium and anion gap
• Progesterone receptor and its role in cancer
• Fetal cell transplants for diabetes and Parkinson’s disease
• First in human liver transplant
• Directly Observed Therapy (DOTS), now the method of choice for control of TB worldwide