John Ecky papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS 2/328

Scope and Contents

Organized into three series: I. Diary, 1845-1849. II. Recipe book, 1851-1866. III. Miscellaneous, 1842-1915.

The collection contains a diary, 1845-1849, recipe book, 1851-1866, and miscellaneous items, 1842-1915, documenting the professional and personal life of Philadelphia (Pa.) apothecary John H. Ecky (b. 1812). Series 1 consists of a diary, 1845-1849. The diary contains periodic, sometimes daily, entries regarding primarily Mr. Ecky’s personal life. Entries of medical interest include the treatment of Mr. Ecky’s wife by physician Charles D. Meigs, 1792-1869, on p.1; reports of smallpox in Philadelphia in December 1845; and a discussion of vaccination found on p.31.

Mr. Ecky’s business affairs are partially documented, including his involvement with the Athenaeum of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. The diary also contains a history of the Ecky family beginning on p.39. The recipe book, 1851-1866, is contained in Series 2. The recipes list the ingrediants and instructions for creating each compound, both medical and not. Most record the cost for each compound and, occasionally, instructions for use. The recipe book contains an index. Miscellaneous items, 1842-1915, comprise the third series. An additional set of recipes is in this series. These recipes contain much the same information as those in Series 2 but often include the names of individuals to whom the compound was sold or given. Also in Series 3 are notes and two letters regarding the genealogy of the Ecky family.