Cullen's Last Class

Old Gynecologist Thomas Stephen Cullen has taught every student who ever graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School. Nearly as famous for his practical jokes as for his surgical exploits, Dr. Cullen has been known to list his occupation as "interior decorator," has upon occasion posed for anatomical illustrations in medical texts. Several years ago at ceremonies to install Dr. Roland Hill as president of the St. Louis Medical Society, a large box was presented to the guest of honor, after a long speech celebrating his accomplishments. Urged by his distinguished colleagues to open the box, Dr. Hill removed the lid, took out a pair of carpet slippers. For a moment he was shocked, then he threw back his head and laughed: "Only Tom Cullen would have done this!"

Last week after 45 years of teaching, 70-year-old Tom Cullen gave his last lecture at the Hopkins. To celebrate his retirement, his students presented him with a large box. When he opened the box he was startled to find a 15-lb. abdominal tumor. In bewilderment he picked at the tumor, discovered, while the class roared with laughter, that it was no tumor but a cake, covered with reddish-brown icing, and surrounded with "areas of degeneration" made of jelly. Gravely and skillfully Dr. Cullen picked up a scalpel, performed an operation, gave every student a slice.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.