Nathan Smith library catalogs and lecture drafts : manuscript.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Smith, Nathan, 1762-1829, creator.

Contributor:

Albert, Daniel M.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Medicine--Study and teaching.

Medicine.

Physicians--United States--Books and reading.

Physicians.

Medical libraries--United States--Catalogs.

Medical libraries.

Private libraries--United States--Catalogs.

Private libraries.

Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)

drafts (documents)

Library catalogs.

Manuscripts, American -- 18th century.

Manuscripts, American -- 19th century.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Webb Dordick Books (Somerville, Massachusetts), 2006.

Gift of Dr. Daniel M. Albert, 2006.

Physical Description:

1 volume (164 pages) ; 21 x 17 cm

Production:

Hanover, New Hampshire, circa 1796-1829.

Other Title:

Spine title: Nathan Smith library catalog.

Biography/History:

Nathan Smith 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 in 1797 and was involved in the foundation of the Medical School of Maine in 1820 and the medical schools at Yale University in 1810 and the University of Vermont in 1822.

Summary:

This volume contains “Catalog of the medical library” (p. 1-11), “Catalogue of books in Nathan Smith’s library” (p. 13-19), several drafts of the “Introductory lecture on the progress of medical science” (p. 22-65), and “Catalogue of Nathan Smith’s library” (p. 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. 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 list and in all the catalogs in the volume. Following, there are several drafts of “Introductory lecture on the progress of medical science” in a much less formal script. According to 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 right side 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 relating to the study and practice of medicine. The manuscript is bound in 1/4 leather with marbled paper boards and with Nathan Smith Library Catalog stamped in gold letters on the spine. There is a small printed bookplate pasted into the front cover of the volume identifying it as the property of Nathan Smith, Hanover, along with a manuscript number 18. Smith signed his name twice (p. i); once with the location of Hanover, New Hampshire, the second identifying him as a London dissector. On p. iii, Smith wrote his name again and there is also the name Seth Andrews [illegible] and travel directions. On p. 160, Smith signed his name again twice; and on the back inside cover, the names William Carpenter, of Freetown, Bristol County Massachusetts, and Dr. Brewer (probably John Brewer) are written. There are blank pages between p. 20-21,59-61, and 91-160, with the exception of a pencil sketch, probably of a building or a room, on p. 103.

Notes:

Title supplied by cataloger

Cited as:

Nathan Smith Library Catalogs and Lecture Drafts (Ms. Codex 2133). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

OCLC:

1393345444