Roberts, Thomas S., typed letter signed, Minneapolis, Minnesota, to G.E. Pfahler, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1939 December 12

File — Container: 2, Item: 25

Scope and Contents note

From the Collection: This collection consists of items, dating from 1730 to 1960, from the museum collection of the Osler Memorial and Blockley Historical Museum of the Philadelphia General Hospital. Present are letters, invitations, programs, reprints, photographs, a diary, and miscellaneous material relating to the history of the Philadelphia General Hospital. Also included are the papers of individuals who were important to the history of the hospital, including Daniel J. McCarthy, Arthur A. Stevens, and Sir William Osler. Most of the material was collected by Robert J. Hunter, Chairman of the Osler Memorial and Blockley Historical Museum Committee.

The collection, which is arranged alphabetically, includes Robert J. Hunter's correspondence as chairman of the Osler Memorial and Blockley Historical Museum Committee; these letters deal with the opening of the museum, the dedication program, the solicitation of museum items, and the general administration of the Osler Memorial and Blockley Historical Museum.

Also present in the collection are the papers of Daniel J. McCarthy (1874-1958), an intern and visiting neurosurgeon at Philadelphia General Hospital. This material, ranging in date from 1917 to 1919, documents McCarthy's participation in the Red Cross Mission to Russia. Included is McCarthy's correspondence with Lieutenant Colonel Frank Billings (1854-1932), who was chairman of the project. Also present are special orders, McCarthy's diary, and a notebook containing his sketches and notes.

The collection also contains papers of Sir William Osler (1849-1919). Present are photographs of Osler's case notes, some of which were taken when he discovered the parasite which causes malaria. The collection also includes eight Osler letters. Several of these letters were written to David Riesman (1867-1940), including Osler's letter of 13 April 1905 in which he recommends the creation of a new medical society. Another letter in the collection, written to John Welsh Croskey (26 December 1918), includes Osler's reminiscences about his experiences at Philadelphia General Hospital. Included among the Osler material is a photograph, circa 1886, of Osler with several physicians in the autopsy room at Philadelphia General Hospital.

The papers of Arthur A. Stevens (1865-1944) are also present in the collection. Included is his medical degree certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, a program for a dinner held in his honor, letters congratulating him on the publication of his book, The Practice of Medicine, 1922, and a letter appointing him honorary consulting physician at Philadelphia General Hospital.

Other individuals represented in the collection include John L. Bower (1865-1955), W. A. Newman Dorland (1864-1956), William H. H. Githens (1840-1923), and Thomas S. Roberts (1858-1946), all of whom were former residents of the Philadelphia General Hospital.

In addition to the papers of individuals, the collection contains some interesting miscellaneous material, including the program, script, and song lyrics to "Osler Slept Here", a musical comedy performed by the Blockley Medical Society in 1950. Also present is a photograph album, circa 1896 to 1898, containing scenes of the Philadelphia General Hospital.