Call Number:

Ms. Codex 2133

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

.1 linear_foot (1 volume)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Nathan Smith library catalogs and lecture drafts, circa 1796-1829, Ms. Codex 2133, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

circa 1796-1829 (inclusive)

Form:

Drafts (documents) and Library catalogs

Abstract:

Nathan Smith (1762-1829) was a prominent physician who spent much of his career in Hanover, New Hampshire, and in New Haven, Connecticut, and was known for his skills as a surgeon, a teacher, a practitioner, and a politician. He founded the medical school at Dartmouth College and was involved in the foundation of the Medical School of Maine and the medical schools at Yale University and the University of Vermont. This volume contains "Catalog of the Medical Library" (pages 1-11), "Catalogue of Books in Nathan Smith's Library" (pages 13-19), several drafts of the "Introductory Lecture on the Progress of Medical Science" (pages 22-65), and "Catalogue of Nathan Smith's Library" (pages 67-89). There are no dates listed in the volume, but this volume probably dates from around 1796 until his death on January 26, 1829.

Nathan Smith was born in Rohoboth, Massachusetts, on September 30, 1762. His family relocated to Chester, Vermont, where he received no formal education. As a young man, he served in the American Revolutiony War with the State of Vermont Militia; and upon his return, began a career as a teacher. Not long after his work as a teacher commenced, he witnessed an operation by surgeon Josiah Goldhue, with whom he served as an apprentice for three years, after studying under Reverend Samuel Whiting.

At age 25, Smith opened his own practice in Cornish, New Hampshire; but after only a few years, sought additional education at Harvard University. After his graduation, he returned to Cornish and continued his practice and provided apprenticeships to new physicians. In 1796, he applied to work at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and traveled to England and Scotland to further his studies in medicine. While in Great Britain, according to Gordon A. Donaldson, "to nail down the position [at Dartmouth], he bought and sent back to the College a library of medical books to the value of 30 pounds sterling," (Donaldson, page 473). Upon his return in 1797, Smith began his position at Dartmouth teaching "anatomy, surgery, chemistry, and the theory and practice of medicine;" (p. 474) remaining until 1813. He began working at Yale University's medical school, which he is crediting with helping to found. His initial lecture to the medical students was entitled, "An Introductory Lecture on the Progress of Medical Science." He authored papers on many topics, including, most famously, typhoid fever and necrosis.

He is also credited with helping to found the Medical School of Maine (Bowdoin College) and the Medical School of the University of Vermont. According to Donaldson, "in the years from 1822 to 1824, Nathan Smith … served on the faculty of three widely dispersed medical schools (Yale from November to February; Bowdoin from March to May; and Vermont in August and September), and he had been the major stimulus and attraction in four of the nearly twenty schools founded in the country during his lifetime," (page 478).

Smith was married to Sarah Chase and together they had nine children. He died in 1828. Many of his descendents followed him in the field of medicine, including four sons, nine grandsons, six great-grandsons, and at least one great-great-grandson.

Works cited and consulted:

Donaldson, Gordon A. "The First All-New England Surgeon," American Journal of Surgery, April 1978, Volume 135, pp. 471-479.

"Nathan Smith of Dartmouth (1762-1829)," JAMA, 1967: 199 (2): 122-123.

This volume contains "Catalog of the Medical Library" (pages 1-11), "Catalogue of Books in Nathan Smith's Library" (pages 13-19), several drafts of the "Introductory Lecture on the Progress of Medical Science" (pages 22-65), and "Catalogue of Nathan Smith's Library" (pages 67-89). There are no dates listed in the volume, but this volume probably dates from around 1796 until his death in 1829.

The "Catalog of the Medical Library" includes books listed under broad topics such as anatomy, chemistry, surgery, physiology, midwifery, theory and practice of physic, and material medica. Approximately 100 titles are present in this list and it is possible that this group of texts was purchased while Smith was studying in London and Edinburgh. Gordon A. Donaldson states that Smith "bought and sent back to [Dartmouth College] a library of medical books to the value of 30 pounds sterling."

Next in the volume is the "Catalogue of Books in Nathan Smith's Library." These volumes are not listed by broad topics and while there is some overlap with the Catalog of the Medical College, there are 235 volumes listed in what may be presumed to be Smith's personal library. The vast majority of these volumes relate to medicine, but there are several volumes by and about Darwin and a few books of poetry and literature. Formal titles are not used; instead, titles such as "Boyer on Bones," "Brown on Darwin," "Hays Surgery," etc. are used in this and all the catalogs in the volume.

Following, there are several drafts of "Introductory Lecture on the Progress of Medical Science." According to Gordon A. Donaldson, this is the title of the initial lecture Smith gave to the students of the Yale Medical School in 1813. On page 22, there is a brief start of the lecture, and on page 23, the same first sentence is largely repeated and the lecture draft continues until page 58. Smith appears to have flipped the book writing upside down, and began again, with the same title but two additional drafts, starting on page 65 and ending on page 62. None of these drafts appear to be complete.

Smith turned the book rightside up and began a new "Catalogue of Nathan Smith's Library," which seems to contain the original list of books in his personal library, as well as additional volumes acquired over the years. This catalog lists 517 volumes, again largely about the study and practice of medicine.