Samuel Head notes on medical lectures delivered by John Clarke : manuscript.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Head, Samuel, approximately 1773-1837, author.

Contributor:

Clarke, John, 1761-1815, speaker.

Jonathan A. Hill Endowed Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Medicine--Great Britain.

Medicine.

Medicine--Study and teaching--19th century.

Obstetrics--Study and teaching.

Obstetrics.

Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)

lecture notes.

Manuscripts, English -- 19th century.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Dean Cooke Rare Books (Bristol, England), 2023.

Physical Description:

1 volume (234 folios) ; 21 x 14 cm

Production:

London, 1802-1803.

Other Title:

Title page: Lectures on Midwifry on Diseases of Women & Children &c. by Doctr Clark at No. 1 New Burlington Street, London, 1802 & 1803 - by Samuel Head.

Biography/History:

Samuel Head was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the son of surgeon, Michael Head. He traveled to England in order to obtain his medical training, and in 1803 became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of London. He attended and took detailed notes on "Lectures on Midwfry on Diseases of Women & Children &c by Doct. Clark at No. 1. New Burlington Street, London 1802 & 1803." Dr. John Clarke was an obstetric physician who lectured on midwifery and the diseases of women and children at St. Bartholomew's Hospital and in his home at No. 1, New Burlington Street, in London.

Summary:

This volume contains a series of lectures following a roughly chronological path from menstruation to conception to childbirth to post-partum topics. Example of lectures include Physiology of menstruation (1, recto of f. 2), Physiology of generation (f. 54), Treatments of disorders during pregnancy (f. 83), Labors (f. 112), Management of women after delivery (f. 200), and Gravid uterus (f. 214). There are also lectures on still born children (f. 72) with a note that "medical men are examined before a court of justice to give evidence of children supposed to be destroyed at birth" (f. 75). Miscarriages (called abortions after six months) are addressed (f. 99), as well as efforts to help women weakened during labor, including the use of forceps (f. 148-150), caesarean operations (f. 152-153) and drugs, including opium and laudanum (f. 84 and f. 124). This is followed by a question: "Can ever both lives be saved?" (f. 158). Established concepts and beliefs of men of the time are found throughout the volume; however, Clarke also recognizes the importance of the patient's faith and confidence in her physician.This volume is bound in full leather with a newspaper clipping "Medical Properties of Turpentine," pasted on inside front cover. Head records his title, "Lectures on Midwifry on Diseases of Women & Children &c. by Doctr Clark at No. 1 New Burlington Street, London, 1802 & 1803 - by Samuel Head" on the recto of f. iii. Folios were numbered by Head and are placed on the upper left verso. Lecture notes were written on the verso with additional notes on the facing recto, however, f. 163-223 contain lecture notes written on both rectos and versos. The lower half of f. 37 was cut off, with loss of text. An index begins on the recto of f. 224 and continues to f. 229.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Jonathan A. Hill Endowed Fund.

Cited as:

Samuel Head notes on Medical Lectures Delivered by John Clarke (Ms. Codex 2154). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

OCLC:

1409741949