Wedderburn, George C. Prescription for Asiatic Cholera, c. 1850

This manuscript collection is an outstanding resource for the history of medicine in Maryland. It was previously located at the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland, which is now called MedChi: The Maryland State Medical Society. This organization was incorporated by an act of the Legislature in 1799, in response to a petition from the academically-trained members of the medical establishment. Its purpose was to “prevent the citizens from risking their lives in the hands of ignorant practitioners or pretenders to the healing art.”

The collection ranges in date from the early 18th to the mid-20th century. It consists of correspondence, case histories, and a large number of lecture notes, taken from medical instructors at universities not only in Maryland but also Philadelphia, Britain, and Germany. The bulk of the papers are those of individual physicians, but some are from prominent medical families such as Archer, Wiesenthal, and Chatard. In addition there are records from medical organizations, most notably the Baltimore General Dispensary. Other outstanding items include a requisition for medicines at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812; the extensive writings on care of the mentally ill by Richard Gundry; and an unpublished biography of William Osler.