Miscellaneous letters collection

Collection

Call Number: Ms Coll 49

Scope and Contents

This collection contains individual letters or small groups of letters from the correspondence of scientists, physicians, and other health practitioners. Provenences vary greatly. Some were donated by collectors or descendents of the recipient, others purchased, and others removed from books in the Historical Library in which collectors had placed them. Most letters were acquired in the period before 1960. Members of the Beaumont Medical Club collected and donated letters related to Connecticut medicine. John F. Fulton, in particular, purchased individual letters from book stores and book sellers for the collection. A number of the letters in the collection are to and from Yale School of Medicine faculty members. There are also some letters by Yale medical students and alumni. Of particular note in this collection are letters on inoculation and vaccination for smallpox, and on anesthesia.

Dates

1649-1961

Language of Materials

Most items are in English, but some are in French, German, and other European languages. Letters that are not in English have been coded for language.

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Yale does not own copyright to letters in this collection.

Arrangement

Letters, with a few exceptions, are arranged alphabetically by author.

Extent

2 Linear Feet (4 boxes)

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/med.ms.0049

Additional Description

Abstract

Miscellaneous Letters Collection is a collection of hundreds of individual letters or small groups of letters, mostly by physicians and scientists, either donated to the Historical Library or purchased.

Processing Information

This collection was initially organized by Madeline Stanton, Librarian of the Historical Collections from 1939 to 1968. Her annotations have been transcribed to the new folders.