History and future of the MUMPS in medical computing.

MUMPS is an integrated language and operating system. It was originally developed in the mid 60s, primarily for the interactive manipulation of text-like, hierachical data found so pervasively in medicine. This paper traces the growth in use of MUMPS. Some of the many medical application for which MUMPS is used are discussed, as are the achievements and goals of the MUMPS Users' Group, particularly in facilitating application transfer. The influence of federal funding upon the growth and use of MUMPS is noted. Of particular importance is the federal support of the MUMPS Development Committee in the standardization of MUMPS, and the MUMPS User's Group in promoting MUMPS information and application exchange.