Seth Hastings and Seth Hastings, Jr. commonplace books, medical records, and papers
Commonplace book, 1772 August 2, and undated., 1772 August 2 Digital
The cover page is inscribed 1772 August 2, Hatsfield. Page three is titled "Hippocrates Prognostic" under which are descriptions of "good symptoms" and "bad symptoms." The remaining pages in the book contain an account of the American Revolution, including a list of officers killed in action, a chronological timeline of events and outcomes of battles, and a chart listing names of soldiers and where they died. One page is missing.
Commonplace book, 1775 April-1778 December 9., 1775 April-1778 December 9. Digital
Commonplace book, 1776., 1776. Digital
Commonplace book, circa 1779., 1779. Digital
Patient case histories, 1781 April 15-1783 September 10., 1781 April 15-1783 September 10. Digital
Commonplace book, 1782., 1782. Digital
Contains notes on elements and ingredients -- including wine, bark, iron, copper, lead, and opium -- and their medicinal properties. There are also several pages of notes on biblical figures. One section is entitled "Signs of disease taken from Boerhaave," and there are also notes on the treatment of nerves taken from a work by Robert Whytt. Additional content includes notes on ways urine can indicate disease.
Commonplace book, 1783 February 27-1783 October 3., 1783 February 27-1783 October 3. Digital
Patient case histories, 1784-1786., 1784-1786. Digital
Commonplace book, 1789., 1789. Digital
Woodbury Medical Society charter, 1791-1792., 1791-1792. Digital
Patient case history and letter to New York state legislature, circa 1794., 1794. Digital
Commonplace book, 1808-1814 January 18., 1808-1814 January 18. Digital
Commonplace book, 1810., 1810. Digital
Allen's Synopsis Extracts, undated. Digital
Transcribed excerpts from Synopsis universæ Medicinæ practicæ, a medical textbook by John Allen that was published in 1719. Contains entries on apoplexy, asthma, consumption, cancer, epilepsy, leprosy, and vertigo, among other conditions.
Commonplace book, undated Digital
Excerpts from Treatise on the Consumption of the Lungs by Edward Barry, undated. Digital
Contains transcribed entries on apoplexy, asthma, consumption, cancer, epilepsy, leprosy, and vertigo, among other illnesses. Most entries describe symptoms of an illness, and the medicines and medical care to be delivered to the patient.
Puerperal fever, undated. Digital
Notebook containing information on the possible causes of puerperal fever, symptoms, and disease progression. Puerperal fever is a post-partum bacterial infection of the female reproductive tract. Hastings writes that treatment may include scarification and cupping, or applying leeches to the area of the abdomen that is affected; gentle vomits; and other medicines and teas.
Receipt book, undated. Digital
Contains lists of ingredients, and recipes for a throat distemper, broken bones, and others for unnamed afflictions, some for specific patients. Also includes a recipe for saltpetre (potassium nitrate).
Commonplace book, 1799., 1799. Digital
Contains notes on John Gregory's ideas on the physician's ethical obligations: to maintain humanity, patience, attention, discretion, secrecy, and honor. Also includes notes taken on the published lectures of Herman Boerhaave regarding the five internal and five external human senses, and on fevers. There are several pages containing lists of debts and payments, although it is unclear if these relate to medical treatment, and a list of wheat consumed by Hastings' family.
Commonplace book, 1801., 1801. Digital
Notes on ophthalmia and dissection, 1801, undated., 1801 Digital
Two pages of notes torn from a notebook, on ophthalmia, its causes and treatments, and two autopsies Hastings attended in 1801.
Commonplace book, 1802 October., 1802 October. Digital
Title page is inscribed, "Extracts principally from the Encyclopedia, upon Medicine." Contains notes on causes, symptoms, prognoses and cures for illnesses including pyrexia or febrile diseases, remittent fevers, continued fevers, typhus fever, typhus gravior, putrid fever, angina maligna, and pneumonia.
Commonplace book, 1802 November., 1802 November. Digital
Title page is inscribed, "Extracts upon Medicine taken from the Encyclopedia." Contains notes on causes, symptoms, prognoses and cures for illnesses including enteritis, hepatitis, hysteritis, rubeola (measles), and hamoptisis (spitting blood). There are a number of blank pages following, and the last two pages contain a poem entitled "Esculapian song," author name illegible, and the name Caleb Abernathy inscribed below.
Commonplace book, 1808-1813., 1808-1813. Digital
Nathan Smith lecture notes, 1815 November., 1815 November. Digital
Contains notes probably taken by Hastings during a lecture on the "Theory [and] practice of Physic" by Dr. Nathan Smith at the Yale School of Medicine, where Smith was a professor. Topics covered in the lecture included influenza, erysipelas, and gangrene.