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George Green papers

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Held at: Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia [Contact Us]19 S. 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

According to information provided in the commonplace book, George Green, Sr., was born in Philadelphia circa 1789. In later life, he resided in Delphi, Carroll County, Indiana, had one son, Tenesson, and lived at least until 1860. Nothing further can be determined about his life.

Although the commonplace book contains notes of an unnamed student from the University of Pennsylvania, 1817-1820, and a student named George Green (1799-1859) did attend the University of Pennsylvania's Medical Department from 1816 to 1821, receiving an M.D. in 1820, the facts known about his life are inconsistent with those determined about George Green, Sr., from internal evidence in the volume. The unnamed student was possibly some member of George Green's family. The student was also probably an apothecary, and, in 1824, considered establishing his family and practice in Caracas, Venezuela. Before the voyage to Caracas, the student was living in Philadelphia and working as apothecary to an "Institution" under a Dr. Griffitts. This may be a reference to the Southern Dispensary where Samuel Powel Griffiths was president of the Board of Managers at the time.

The contents of this commonplace book of George Green, Sr., divide naturally into three series: medical lecture notes and examination questions, many from the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, 1817-1820; copies or drafts of personal correspondence, 1824 and undated; and poetry, literary sentences, and miscellaneous writings, 1858-1860 and undated.

Medical items in the volume include a copy of notes on Philip Syng Physick's lecture on inflammation, [1819?] and an undated copy of Benjamin Rush's opening lecture on the practice of medicine in which he outlines his objections to nosology. At the end of the volume are two sets of examination questions and answers used by the student for review of material. The questions on midwifery, obstetrics, and gynecology, [1817?], are probably derived from the lectures of Thomas C. James. The final medical section of the volume contains questions and answers, June 1817, based on the lectures of John Syng Dorsey on materia medica. The commonplace book also contains an extensive section of notesjfrom the lectures of Joseph Parrish on diseases of the eye, 1819, and a copy, dated December, 1820, of Parrish's 1819 lectures on diseases of the nose and throat. Another item of interest, possibly written by the unnamed medical student, is an unsigned draft of a letter from Caracas, Venezuela, dated February 1824. The letter describes the writer's good health and the possibility of making a living in Caracas as either an apothecary or a physician, then instructs the recipient to sell most of their stock and possessions, convey his resignation as apothecary to Dr. Griffitts, and request a testimonial.

The remainder of material in the volume consists of essays, poetry, literary sentences, and drafts and copies of personal letters, 1858-1860 and undated. There is also one folder of undated letters, fragments, and printed material. All of the later material in the volume appears to have been written, copied, or compiled by George Green, Sr., of Delphi, Indiana.

The George Green commonplace book was purchased by the Historical Collections of the College of Physicians from Lawrence Feinberg Rare Books and Manuscripts, Brooklyn, New York, in 1982. Before this, the volume was in the possession of Paul Brooks (otherwise unknown) who conveyed it to a Dr. Miles.

The volume was catalogued in 1989.

Publisher
Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Collection Inventory

Notes on the lectures of Philip Syng Physick on inflammation [copy] [right-hand pages only], circa 1819.
Volume 1 Pages 1-42
Essay, "Love's last lesson" [left©hand pages only], undated.
Volume 1 Pages 14-18
Essay addressed to "my dear Mary" [left-hand pages only], undated.
Volume 1 Pages 36-38
Notes on the lectures of Benjamin Rush on the practice of medicine [copy], circa 1819.
Volume 1 Pages 44-49
Poem, "Song", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 49
Notes on the lectures of Joseph Parrish on surgery, ophthalmia, and diseases of the eye, nose, and throat [copy, 1820], 1819.
Volume 1 Pages 52-156
Poem, "Thou steal'st upon my heart", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 157
Poem, "He is not lost but gone before to dwell", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 157
Poem, "It is enough to see", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 158
[pages missing], undated.
Volume 1 Pages 159-196
Poem, "Let others sing thy praise in song", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 208
Essay, "Thoughts on the death of Daniel Lichthorn Senior at Lewistown, Penna.", 1858.
Volume 1 Pages 209-214
Poem, "How charming are your looks", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 219-221
M. [Mary?], letter [copy], to G. [George Green?], Delphi, Ind., 13 May 1859.
Volume 1 Pages 235-238
Poem, "Since I have gone", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 241-242
Obituary of Jane A. Merritt of Delphi, Ind., circa 22 February 1860.
Volume 1 Pages 242-244
[pages blank], undated.
Volume 1 Pages 260-274
Poem, "The prostitute's curse", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 274-283
Poem, "Sentiments", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 284
Poem, "On Shakespeare", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 284
Miscellaneous poems, sentences, and sentiments, undated.
Volume 1 Pages 285-291
Poem, "Acrostic on Miss Adelaide Dilse", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 292-293
Poem, "There's an infinite mind", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 294
Poem, "Ups and downs", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 294-295
Poem, "Pope's universal prayer", undated.
Volume 1 Pages 296
Miscellaneous sentences, undated.
Volume 1 Pages 297
Certificate for George Green, Sr., undated.
Volume 1 Pages 296-301
Examination questions on the lectures of Thomas C. James on midwifery, circa 1817.
Volume 1 Pages 302-337
Green, George, Sr., ALS, to Lizzie W. Preston Wheeler, undated.
Volume 1 Pages 338-342
Green, George, Sr., ALS, to Tenesson [Green?], undated.
Volume 1 Pages 342-343
[pages blank], undated.
Volume 1 Pages 344-345
[pages missing], undated.
Volume 1 Pages 346-349
[page blank], undated.
Volume 1 Pages 350
Examination questions on the lectures of John Syng Dorsey on materia medica, 19 June 1817.
Volume 1 Pages 351-436

AL, to unidentified correspondent with notice of watch found by H. Eversole, undated.
Folder 1
AL, to unidentified correspondent, undated.
Folder 1
AL, Delphi, Ind., to Mary, undated.
Folder 1
Poem, "They do not hesitate like men", undated.
Folder 1
Brooks, Paul, ALS to Dr. Miles, undated.
Folder 1
Blanchard, Nean, autograph, undated.
Folder 1
Miscellaneous printed material (11 items), undated.
Folder 1

Print, Suggest