Remembering Norton Folsom, MD, a Civil War Veteran, Compassionate Clinician and Early Mass General Leader

Norton Folsom, MD, a Civil War veteran, early mental health specialist and leader of Massachusetts General Hospital from 1872 to 1877, is remembered as a man of “good temper and invariable kindness.”

Among his notable achievements, Folsom advanced the science of smell and taste; raised awareness of the health risks of scurvy among union troops; provided compassionate care for patients with mental illness and supported the growth of the Mass General training school for nurses. Learn more.