Scope and Contents
Daybook of Boston apothecary Redford Webster (1761-1833), recording charges for medicines and instruments from 1784 to 1787. Drugs commonly sold included ipecac, calomel, cantharides, camphor, aloe, and opium. He also provided objects like bolus knives and vials. His customers were primarily physicians from New England, including Harvard Medical School founder John Warren (1753-1815; Harvard AB 1771) and faculty member Aaron Dexter (1750-1829; Harvard AB 1776), Dr. Samuel Danforth (1740-1827) and David Townsend (1753-1829) of Boston, and physician and medical writer James Thacher (1754-1844) of Plymouth, as well as Dr. Timothy Swan of Washington, North Carolina. Webster also had accounts with a turpentine works, and customers who were not listed as physicians, among them Mary Mountfort, Dummer Jewett, Samuel Tufts, Judith Scott, and Timothy Foster of Andover.
Dates
- Creation: 1784-1787
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Materials stored onsite. Please contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu for more information.
Extent
.25 linear feet (1 volume)Biographical / Historical
Redford Webster (1761-1833) was an apothecary in Boston, Massachusetts, whose clientele included Harvard Medical School founder John Warren and medical writer James Thacher. He was a founding member of the American Antiquarian Society and an incorporator of the Massachusetts Historical Society. From 1831 to 1832, he served in the state legislature.
Physical Location
MANU
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Charles H. Taylor.
Digitization Funding
Collections and items have been digitized with the generous support of The Polonsky Foundation.
Processing Information
Processed: January 2019 By: Brooke McManus
- Title
- Webster, Redford, 1761-1833. Redford Webster Daybook, 1784-1787 (inclusive): A Finding Aid
- Author
- Baker Library
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- bak00727
Repository Details
Part of the Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School Repository
Baker Library Special Collections and Archives holds unique resources that focus on the evolution of business and industry, as well as the records of the Harvard Business School, documenting the institution's development over the last century. These rich and varied collections support research in a diverse range of fields such as business, economic, social and cultural history as well as the history of science and technology.
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