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Summary

Publications Note

General Note

Arrangement

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A guide to the Pennsylvania Hospital Records,
1751 - 1978 [Bulk 1751 - 1929]

Historic Collections, Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA USA

Compiled by Bonnie Ellen Blustein with a Preface by Caroline Morris, 1978

Revised 2007

Note: the entire Finding Aid will require approximately 36 pages to print.
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  • Processed by: Historic Collections Staff
  • Extent: Approx. 2,000 linear feet
  • Provenance: Pennsylvania Hospital
  • Access: Patient, staff and student records are restricted
  • Citation: Pennsylvania Hospital records, Pennsylvania Hospital, Historic Collections, Philadelphia, PA
  • Funding Note: This collection was processed and microfilmed in part with funds provided by the American Philosophical Society and the National Library of Medicine (NIH Grant IM 02291).

Contact Information

Stacey C Peeples
Curator-Lead Archivist
Pennsylvania Hospital
Historic Collections
3 Pine East
800 Spruce St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Phone: (215) 829-5434
Fax: (215) 829-7155
Email: peepless@pahosp.com

Summary

The archives of the Hospital remain an unbroken series from 1751 to 1978. They provide a unique resource for students in the history of hospital development, health care and medicine. The collection includes personal papers of hospital practitioners as well as the records of affiliates absorbed by Pennsylvania Hospital such as the Philadelphia Dispensary, the Preston Retreat, the Southern Dispensary, the Philadelphia Lying-In Charity, the Maternity Hospital, the Nurse Charity, and the Humane Society.

Publications Note

The following titles provide historical overviews of the hospital:

Tomes, Nancy. A Generous Confidence: Thomas Story Kirkbride and the art of asylum-keeping, 1840-1883. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1984.

Williams, William Henry, 1936- . The Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751-1801, an internal examination of Anglo-America's first hospital. [Newark], University of Delaware, 1971; [Ann Arbor, University Microfilms, c1972].

Packard, Francis R. (Francis Randolph), 1870-1950. Some account of the Pennsylvania Hospital, from its first rise to the beginning of the year 1938. Philadelphia [1957] 2nd print., with a continuation of the account to the year 1956, by Florence M. Greim.

Morton, Thomas George, 1835-1903. Woodbury, Frank, 1848- . The History of the Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751-1895. New York, Arno Press, 1973 [c1895]

General Note

Funding Note

In 1965, Pennsylvania Hospital received its first grant from the American Philosophical Society to organize and microfilm the first one hundred years of the archives.

In 1974, the National Library of Medicine granted the Pennsylvania Hospital funding to inventory the Historic Library and to organize the second hundred years of the archives. These records reflect the growth of the Hospital, the increased specialization of medical care and the merger of small hospitals with this institution. The records also reflect the development of institutional mental health care in a separate physical facility.

In 1976, the National Library of Medicine awarded the Hospital another grant to re-catalog the historic medical library and to complete the organization and microfilming of the second hundred years of archives.

Note on Restricted Access

Not all materials in the collection are publicly accessible or reproducible. The physical condition of an item, copyright issues, donor restrictions, and Federal or State regulations will determine restrictions on access and reproductions.

According to the Hospital Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA), effective April 14th, 2003, Hospital employees are not permitted to provide access to identifying information of any patient - past, present, or future. As a result, access to, or reproductions of, any images in which patients appear, cannot be granted, unless the patients' faces are blurred so as to be unrecognizable.

State law 50 P.S. 7111 prohibits the use of all patient mental health records.

The Pennsylvania Hospital closes non-mental health patient records for 100 years. Records older than 100 years are open for researchers to view. All non-patient related material is closed for 75 years from its creation. Certain restrictions might still apply on specific records.

Requests for Reproductions and Publishing/ Use Rights

When deemed appropriate, and when not restricted by federal or donor regulations, the Archivist may grant one-time, non-exclusive rights to publish hospital-owned images. Reproduction costs, Service charges, and Publication/ use fees may apply.

All requests for image reproductions must be in writing and should be delivered to the Hospital Archivist at least three weeks prior to the date the image is needed. Please request to view the "Details of Image Reproduction Services" information page and the "Image Services Fee Schedule" for additional information regarding image reproductions.

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies and other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of the specified conditions is that the photocopy or other reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.

Reproductions of materials in the Historic Collections of Pennsylvania Hospital are provided as a service to expedite research and lessen wear on image/ documents, and are made solely for the personal use of the individual researcher requesting them. Reproductions may not be transferred to another individual or organization, deposited at another institution, or reduplicated without prior permission of the Pennsylvania Hospital. Duplication by the Hospital in no way transfers either the copyright or the property right. Similarly, duplication by the Hospital does not constitute permission to publish, or to display materials, without the express written consent of the Pennsylvania Hospital Archivist via a signed Permission to Publish and/or Exhibit Materials form, and the payment of use fees where applicable.

 

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged in three sections:

Section I. Records of Pennsylvania Hospital, Department of Sick and Injured at Eighth Street

Section II. Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital Records. Some early Institute records will be found in section I. of the finding aid.

Section III. Historic Image Collection, ca. 1749-1997

Section I, Series 1. Board of Managers, 1751-1975.

The Managers were the most important administrative body in the Hospital, making most policy decisions as well as supervising the day-to-day functions of the institution. Their Minutes, the complete set of which has been preserved, thus constitute a very valuable source of information about nearly every non-medical aspect of the work of the Hospital. Each month two members of the Board served, in rotation as Attending Managers, visiting the Hospital frequently and reporting to the full Board. Their responsibilities included admitting and discharging patients, inspecting the wards, hearing the officers’ reports, and examining the financial records. The compete run of the Attending Managers' Accounts, included in the Archives, is thus another very useful set of records.

Board of Managers. Minutes, 1751-1975, in 95 volumes.
With index to first seven volumes, 1751-1824. Minutes contain Annual Accounts until 1803 when the Accounts were transferred to a separate Annual Accounts Book. Index to Minutes, 1751-1824.

  • Minutes, v. 1, May 1, 1751 - May 2, 1757.
  • Minutes, v. 2, May 4, 1757 - May 5, 1764.
  • Minutes, v. 3, Map 14, 1764 - May 1, 1769.
  • Minutes, v. 4, May 8, 1769 - Feb. 22, 1775.
  • Minutes, v. 5, March 4, 1777 - April 26, 1784.
  • Minutes, v. 6, May 10, 1784 - April 28, 1794.
  • Minutes, v. 7, May 12, 1794 - May 5, 1804.
  • Minutes, v. 8, May 14, 1804 - May 4, 1833.
  • Minutes, v. 9, Map 13, 1833 - Dec. 27, 1858 .
  • Minutes, v. 10, Jan. 31, 1859 - May 5, 1877.
  • (through May 1860)
  • (May 1860 - May 1877)
  • Minutes, v. 11, May 1877 - April 1895.
  • Minutes, v. 12, May 1895 - Feb. 1910.
  • Minutes, v. 13, March l910 - Nov. 1916.
  • Minutes, v. 14, may 1916 - May 1919.
  • Minutes, v. 15, May 1919 - Dec. 1921.
  • Minutes, v. 16, Jan. l922 - Nov. 1923.
  • Minutes, v. 17, Jan. l924 - Dec. l925.
  • Minutes, v. 18, 1926.
  • Minutes, v. 19, 1927.
  • Minutes, v. 20, 1928.
  • Minutes, v. 21, 1929.
  • Minutes, 1930 - 1970, in 61 volumes.
  • Minutes, 1971 - 1975, in 13 volumes.

Board of Managers. Rough Minutes, 1781 - 1916, in 13 volumes.
Lists of Applicants for position Resident Physician, 1868 - 1916 (five volumes), were included and filmed from end of Board of Managers, Rough Minutes. Lists include date, name of Applicant, action on application (accepted, rejected, withdrew). No such lists found in earlier volumes of Rough Minutes. No more lists kept after 1916.

Attending Managers. Accounts, Feb. 11, 1752- 1961, in 51 volumes.
These accounts contain lists of patients, Steward's and Matron's monthly accounts, and lists of medical pupils (1789 - 1813).

Attending Managers. Monthly Reports, 1801 -1825, in three vols.

Attending Managers, Monthly Reports, 1762 -1801, 1804 - 1820, in 2 boxes.
Annual Accounts, 1769 - 1840, of Board of Managers, arranged chronologically in one box (set not complete). These are rough drafts of the annual accounts; the final drafts of some (those between 1804 and 1840) appear in the bound volume of Annual Accounts, 1804 - 1852, listed below. The box also contains a "General Abstract of the Accounts for the Hospital" from Feb. 1752 - May 1763, and two copies of a "Summary of Hospital Accounts" for the period 1762 - 1769.

Annual Accounts, examined and adjusted by a Committee of the Managers, for 1804 - 1895, in two volumes. Include: Treasurer's Accounts; Steward's Accounts, Receipts and Expenditures; Legacies, Contributions, and Donations; Capital Stock; List of Patients and Abstracts of Cases.

Annual Elections and Meetings. Ledgers. Arranged in chronological order, including the following years: 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836, 1840, 1851, 1855, 1856, 1863, 1864, 1867, 1875, 1876, 1888, 1895, 1900, two undated.

Annual Reports, 1794 - 1841 (printed broadsides), in one volume.

Laws and Regulations pertaining to Pennsylvania Hospital, to 1856, in one volume.

Letter Book, Nov, 4, 1786 - Dec, 30, 1828, in one volume. With index, complete except for pages 106 - 109 (covering 1818 - 1828).

Letter Book, Jan. - Dec. 1915.

Minutes of Committee appointed to collect the outstanding debts due to the Hospital, Nov. 19, 1788 - April 16, 1801, in one volume.

Miscellaneous papers originating with Managers, arranged chronologically, 1751 - 1860 in two boxes. Those items available in Minutes in same exact form (i.e., resolutions, minutes, letters) were not filmed. At end of run is an incomplete set of Dr. Kirkbride's Monthly Reports, 1847 - 1860. For additional reports, see also, Superintendent-Steward of the Department for the Insane. Monthly Reports.

Miscellaneous papers, 1880 - 1910, in eleven boxes. Box 4 includes partial index.

Miscellaneous papers, 1911 - 1928, in ten boxes.

Contributive Record, 1890. Record of individuals' annual contributions.

Development and Public Relations Material, ca. 1930 - 1960, in two boxes

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Section I, Series 2. Financial and Real Estate Records, 1724-1973.

Funding Note
The processing of this collection was made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Provenance
The financial records of the Pennsylvania Hospital have been housed in the Pine Building since its completion, resulting in a remarkably complete set of records, which reflect the development of the Hospital from 1751 until approximately 1920, when there appear to have been changes in record-keeping procedures and shifts in responsibilities of key hospital personnel.

History of Pennsylvania Hospital Finances
The Pennsylvania Hospital was founded in 1751 by Dr. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin. Chartered by the Colonial Government, the Pennsylvania Hospital has the distinction of being the first hospital in America to care for the sick poor. The original building on Eighth and Pine Streets, completed in 1755, was expanded over the years, as demand for a larger facility grew.

The vitality of every charitable organization depends upon securing financial support from the government and private individuals. This was equally true in 1751, when Benjamin Franklin, at the request of Thomas Bond, presented a petition to the Pennsylvania Assembly that proposed a hospital “to care for the sick poor of the Province and for the reception and care of lunaticks.” Franklin convinced the Assembly to support the project by asserting that prominent supporters of the Hospital would raise 2,000 pounds from private citizens, if the Assembly would match the funds raised. Anticipating that Franklin would not be able to raise the required money, the Assembly approved the plan. Hospital supporters had preemptively gathered pledges in excess of the amount needed, and the bill creating funds for a hospital was signed into law on May 11, 1751. The money received from the Assembly was kept in a capital stock fund, which was to be maintained and grown through investments in property and shares in companies.

To facilitate fundraising and to educate the public about the mission of Pennsylvania Hospital, Franklin wrote and published a pamphlet entitled Some Account of Pennsylvania Hospital in 1754. This publication served as an annual report to contributors, as well as a request for new supporters. Included in the report was an appeal for contributions, promising that with the contribution of ten pounds or more, the individual would become eligible to vote in the election of the Managers and Treasurer of the Hospital. In 1761, another financially vulnerable period, this book was updated and reprinted to appeal, once again, to the public’s generosity.

In addition to official grants from the Assembly and donations from the Contributors, the Managers raised funds for the Hospital using charity boxes that were placed around the Hospital and in individuals’ homes. Financial assistance of various types enhanced the Hospital’s ability to serve the community; some wealthy patrons donated stock in local companies that would yield benefits over a long period of time, others granted the Hospital land rights, which made it possible to collect rents from tenants and expand the Hospital’s grounds. The Penn family donated much of the lot upon which the Pennsylvania Hospital still stands.

Donors of modest means often gave money to endow a bed in honor of a loved one who was treated at the Pennsylvania Hospital. Many of the plaques made to commemorate the donations are still on display in the Hospital today. Other methods of raising funds for operating expenses included requiring gratuities from visitors who came to see the patients from the insane ward as they walked the Hospital grounds, charging a small admission fee to see Benjamin West’s painting “Christ Healing the Sick in the Temple,” and collecting entry fees from charity concerts and lectures throughout the city. Several working farms were also operated by the Hospital, generating funds through sales of agricultural products while also supplying milk and produce for hospital use.

Pennsylvania Hospital was favored by many English donors affiliated with the Society of Friends, including John Fothergill, David Barclay, and Thomas Hyam. Because of the assistance of these supporters, the Hospital became the beneficiary of monies held in the London Land Company. Between 1760 and 1787, Fothergill, Franklin, and David Barclay acted as the Hospital’s agents in London and negotiated the transfer of funds to the newly formed Pennsylvania Land Company. This money could not have come at a more crucial time since the Hospital’s capital stock was severely depleted by the devaluation of Continental currency and the use of Hospital resources to care for soldiers that the Contributors to Pennsylvania Hospital borrowed money on their personal credit to keep the Hospital operating. Over one half of the hospital’s capital stock was decimated when the Hospital was forced to accept repayment of some loans in the nearly worthless Continental currency.

Though this was by no means the last financially vulnerable period in the Hospital’s history, by the nineteenth century, Pennsylvania Hospital’s mission was more widely known and supported. Bequests became crucial in the maintenance of the capital stock fund, and the cultivation of donors was a constant concern, as it continues to be today. Large donations provided the base funds for renovations to hospital facilities and the construction of new buildings, allowing Pennsylvania Hospital to continue to operate in a modern environment.

Time Line

1751--A charter is granted by the Pennsylvania legislature to establish a hospital to care for the sick-poor and insane.

1752—The Pennsylvania Assembly grants the Hospital managers 2,000 pounds to help establish the new hospital. Pennsylvania Hospital begins operations from a temporary location on High Street.

1754— The Managers purchase a plot of ground between Eighth and Ninth Streets where they would begin construction of a permanent home for the hospital.

1756—Charles Norris acts as Treasurer for the Pennsylvania Hospital.

1756—The first patients were admitted to the Hospital's new home on Eighth Street.

1756-1760—Samuel Rhoads is elected Treasurer; Elizabeth Gardiner is Matron of the Pennsylvania Hospital.

1760-1768—Hugh Roberts serves as Hospital Treasurer.

1760-1767—George Weed is Steward of the Pennsylvania Hospital; Weed’s wife Esther serves as Matron.

June 7, 1760—a letter from Thomas Hyam informs the Managers that an act of Parliament had passed, in which was inserted a clause granting any unclaimed money from the Pennsylvania Land Company in London remaining after June 24, 1770 to the Pennsylvania Hospital.

1762—The Pennsylvania Assembly grants the Hospital 3,000 pounds to replenish Capital Stock.

1767—Thomas and Richard Penn donate the remaining land on the block between Eighth & Ninth and Spruce and Pine Streets, making this entire area part of the Hospital property.

1767-1769—Mary Ball serves as Matron.

1768-1769—Samuel Preston Moore is Treasurer.

1769—Thomas and Richard Penn donate another plot of ground south of Ninth & Spruce Streets.

1769-1772—Thomas Wharton is Hospital Treasurer, overseeing financial transactions related to the Pennsylvania Land Company in London; Sarah Harlan serves as the Hospital’s Matron.

1772-1773—Joseph King serves as Treasurer.

1773-1776—John Saxton is Steward.

1773-1780—Joseph Hillborn is elected Treasurer.

1776-1777—wounded Continental and British soldiers are treated at the Pennsylvania Hospital, depleting the funds and supplies of the Hospital.

1776-1780—John Story is Steward.

1777-1784—devaluation of Continental currency; the Hospital’s capital stock is depleted, and the income of the Hospital severely limited.

1778—evacuation of Philadelphia by the British.

1780—the Pennsylvania Legislature grants Pennsylvania Hospital Managers 10,000 in Continental money to supplement the Hospital income after many British soldiers received services in the Hospital, at a great expense to the organization and the province.

1780-1795—Joseph Henszey is Hospital Steward; his wife serves as Matron.

1780-1799—Mordecai Lewis is Hospital Treasurer.

1782—Admiralty Acts assign unclaimed prize money to the Hospital (approx. 2,300 pounds).

1787—Remaining money from the Pennsylvania Land Company in London is transferred to the Managers of the Pennsylvania Hospital.

1793—Pennsylvania Hospital is granted arrears due the Loan Office—Managers become trustees of the Loan Office—$26,666 for completion of the West and Center buildings of the Hospital. The same act allots unclaimed dividends of bankrupts’ estates to the Hospital.

1796—West wing of hospital completed.

1796-1803—Francis Higgins is appointed Steward; his wife Hannah is Matron.

1799-1826—Joseph S. Lewis is elected Treasurer.

1804—Center wing of hospital completed; opening of the surgical amphitheatre.

1804-1808—William Johnson serves as Steward, his wife is Matron.

1808-1812—Francis and Hannah Higgins are reappointed as Steward and Matron.

1813-1826—Samuel Mason and his wife serve as Steward and Matron of the Hospital.

1826-1830—Isaac and Ann Bonsall are Steward and Matron.

1826-1841—Samuel N. Lewis serves as Treasurer.

1830-1849—Allen Clapp serves as Hospital Steward.

1841—The Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane opens in West Philadelphia to accommodate the large number of insane patients who were formerly treated at the Eighth Street Hospital.

1841-49—William G. Malin becomes Steward of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane in West Philadelphia.

1849-1883—William G. Malin returns to the Pennsylvania Hospital to act as Steward.

1841-1881—John T. Lewis is Hospital Treasurer.

1856—The Humane Society ceases operation, and money is transferred to the Hospital accounts; a memorial is presented to the Legislature, proposing the allowance for larger contributions and bequests to the Hospital.

1859—The second section of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane is completed; the original building becomes the department for females, the new building becomes the department for males.

1881-1906—Henry Haines serves as Treasurer.

1883-1886—Richard Cadbury is Steward.

1886-1891—Benjamin Hoopes serves as the Hospital’s Steward.

1891-1895—Jonathan G. Williams is appointed Steward.

1892—Work begins on the modern hospital at Eighth Street.

1896-1920—Daniel D. Test is Hospital Steward.

1906—Provident Life & Trust Co. acts as Treasurer until a replacement for Henry Haines can be found.

1906-1920s— Edward Y. Hartshorne is elected Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Hospital.


Scope and Content of the Financial and Real Estate Records

Due to the large span of time covered in these records, there are considerable variations in record-keeping practices between Treasurers. When they were elected, the Treasurers were bound to a contract stating that they would render reports on the state of Hospital accounts on a periodic basis to the Board of Managers. These reports included summaries of expenditures by the Steward, Matron, and Treasurer, as well as income generated by ground rents, capital stock, contributions, patient board, and other miscellaneous sources. The result of this reporting practice is that there are fairly complete records of the financial dealings of the Hospital until 1920, when some procedural change impacted record keeping, producing a sizable gap in the financial documents. Based on limited information from the Board of Managers’ minutes, it seems likely that much of the record-keeping responsibility fell away from the Steward and was delegated to an assistant.

Prior to 1920, the accounting practices of the Hospital were administered by the Treasurer and a Steward/Superintendent. The Steward and/or Matron (who was often the Steward’s wife) were responsible for the day-to-day spending of the Hospital, including the purchase of food, clothing for patients, medicine, bedding, furniture, hay for livestock, maintenance of houses and buildings owned by the Hospital, and wages to day laborers. The Steward’s finances were administered by the Treasurer, who was responsible for allocating and accounting for all hospital expenditures and receipts.

The collection has been divided into three series, 1. Treasurer—Finance; 2. Treasurer—Real Estate; 3. Steward/Superintendent. These series were derived first by whether the responsibilities represented by a group of documents were delegated to the Treasurer or the Steward, then roughly according to the subject matter that the transaction documented. Every effort was taken to clearly divide Treasurer’s materials into “Finance” and “Real Estate,” though some of the papers were less obviously fitted to only one category.

Series I. Treasurer—Finance, 1751-1971

This series consists of approximately fifty linear feet of files, ledgers and oversize materials that document loans, gifts, contributions, grants and other sources of income throughout the Hospital’s history. Also documented in the Finance records are Hospital expenditures for capital improvements and the administration of loans. This series covers the broadest span of time, making it useful for analyzing shifts in the economics of health care. Included in these materials are wills, bonds, and other legal documents.

The Finance papers are further divided into sixteen subseries: A. Accounts Payable, B. Accounts Receivable, C. Balance Sheets, D. Bankrupt Estates, E. Bonds, F. Capital Stock, G. Cash Books/Day Books/Ledgers, H. Contributions, I. Correspondence, J. Estates and Trusts, K. Loan Office of 1773, L. Minutes, M. Pennsylvania Land Company, N. Power of Attorney, O. Receipts, P. Reports.

Series II. Treasurer—Real Estate, 1724-1914

The Real Estate series of the Financial Records collection consists of approximately twenty linear feet of material, much of which is oversize. Included in this series are original parchment deeds, surveys of properties, mortgages, title searches, insurance policies, and records relating to rental properties owned by the Pennsylvania Hospital.

To facilitate access, this series has been divided into the following subseries: A. Accounts, B. Correspondence, C. Deeds, D. Ground Rents, E. Insurance, F. Mortgages, G. Properties, H. Taxes.

Series III. Steward/Superintendent, 1751-1921

This series comprises the largest segment of the Financial Records collection, and offers insights into patient care, services provided, methods of treatment used, and nutrition over the course of the Hospital’s first 150 years. The Steward/Superintendent records provide a detailed view of the goods and services contracted for the daily operation of the hospital. The majority of this series consists of receipts and bills, which are supplemented by the cash books, ledgers, and receipt books used to record transactions. Also included in this series are accounts of wages paid to hospital employees and costs relative to building materials and repairs to facilities.

The Steward was a staff doctor who oversaw the daily operations of the hospital’s various departments. His tasks included purchasing supplies needed for patient care, maintenance of the hospital buildings, and care of grounds and animals belonging to the hospital. Typically, a Matron was also employed to share the broad range of responsibilities involved in this position. The Matron would administer issues more directly related to patient care, such as making or purchasing clothes for patients, and caring for the bodies of patients who died.

The Steward/Superintendent series has been divided into the following ten subseries: A. Apothecary, B. Building/Repairs, C. Cash Books, D. Ledgers, E. Correspondence, F. Household Expenses, G. Monthly Accounts, H. Receipts, I. Reports, J. Services/Wages.

Preferred Citation

Financial Records Collection. Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Hospital Historic Collections, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

See Also

Board of Managers’ minutes; Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital Steward’s Records.

Box List

Series I: Treasurer, Finance

Subseries A: Accounts Payable Boxes 1-5, 11

This subseries consists of receipted bills for major hospital expenses, wages of hospital employees, costs associated with the administration of loans, and records of payments on loans. Oversize materials are housed separately.

Subseries B: Accounts Receivable Box 5

In addition to receiving payments on loans and overdue balances on patient accounts, the Treasurer also handled dividends gained on stocks. This subseries offers a sampling of these activities.

Subseries C: Balance Sheets Boxes 6, 6.1, 11

This subseries is made up primarily of accounting worksheets that illustrate the state of the Hospital’s funds as handled by a particular Treasurer. In some cases, the worksheets summarize the receipts and payments made by the Steward. Because the Treasurer was ultimately responsible for all of the Hospital’s accounts, the records of the Steward were necessary for accurate reporting. Oversize materials are housed separately.

Subseries D: Bankrupt Estates Box 6

The colonial legislature funded the Pennsylvania Hospital in a number of innovative ways, one of which was the designation of unclaimed dividends from bankrupts’ estates to a special fund benefiting the Hospital. This subseries contains summary statements of these funds.

Subseries E: Bonds Box 7

Many of the bonds in this subseries are between the Contributors to Pennsylvania Hospital and the Hospital’s Treasurers. There are also bonds between individuals for mortgages that were transferred to the Hospital.

Subseries F: Capital Stock (arranged chronologically) Boxes 7, 11, flat files

This subseries documents the fluctuations in funds maintaining the hospital’s infrastructure, which were invested in stocks and real estate. The majority of documents are summaries of investments, providing little detail about any particular entry. For more detailed information, consult the Cash Books/Daybooks/Ledgers, Correspondence, and Estates and Trusts subseries. Oversize materials are housed separately.

Subseries G: Cash Books/Daybooks/Ledgers Boxes 12-25

The Cash/Day Books contain information on salaries paid, money designated for expenses of each branch of the Hospital, loans, shares in companies, bonds, ground rents, contributions received, insurance, board of patients, capital stock, and mortgages.

  • Box 12: Cash Book and Ledger. 1752-1777, Hugh Roberts, Thomas Wharton, Joseph King, and Joseph Hillborn, Treasurers.
  • Box 13: Cash Book and Ledger. 1777-1801, Joseph Hillborn, Mordecai Lewis, and Joseph S. Lewis, Treasurers.
  • Box 14: Cash Book. 1801-1824, Joseph S. Lewis, Treasurer.
  • Box 15: Cash Book. 1824-1848, Samuel N. Lewis and John T. Lewis, Treasurers.
  • Box 16: Cash Book. 1848-1865, John T. Lewis, Treasurer.
  • Box 17: Cash Book/Day Book. 1865-1882, John T. Lewis and Henry Haines, Treasurers.
  • Box 18: Cash Book/Day Book. 1882-1897, Henry Haines, Treasurer.
  • Box 19: Cash Book/Day Book. 1897-1918, Henry Haines and Edward G. Hartshorne, Treasurers.
  • Box 20: Cash Book/Day Book. 1918-1920, Edward G. Hartshorne, Treasurer.

The Ledgers give the details of particular accounts (i.e., payments with dates, as well as who made the payment), mostly in the case of mortgages, bonds, and ground rents.

  • Box 21: Ledger B1. 1788-1795; Ledger B2. 1788-1825.
  • Box 22: Ledger C. 1825-1836; Ledger D. 1836-1855.
  • Box 23: Ledger E. 1855-1880.
  • Box 24: Ledger F. 1880-1904.
  • Box 25: Ledger (Provident Life and Trust Co.). 1904-1915.

Subseries H: Contributions Boxes 7-8

This subseries contains records of fundraising efforts, lists of contributors, contribution certificates, as well as a small amount of correspondence included with contributions. In addition to these general records, there are a group of small leather-bound notebooks that were used to document subscriptions collected by individuals during a fundraising campaign in 1867. The following individuals collected money for the Hospital’s 1867 Appeal: Jacob P. Jones, Joseph C. Turnpenny, William Biddle, M.L. Dawson, Charles Ellis, H.C. Lea, H.C. Gibson, Benjamin Marshall, Edward S. Buckley, Samuel Welsh, Samuel R. Shipley, and F.G. Smith. Two of the books have no name to identify the collector. Inside the cover of each book is a list of other persons authorized to collect money for the Appeal.

Subseries I: Correspondence (arranged alphabetically by author) Boxes 9-11

Dealing specifically with loans managed by the Hospital, much of the correspondence references transactions that took place through either the Loan Office or the Pennsylvania Land Company. It is especially evident in this subseries how intertwined the finance and real estate functions of the Treasurer were. Oversize materials are housed separately.

Subseries J: Estates and Trusts (arranged alphabetically) Boxes 25.1, 25.2, 26-55

Encompassing a wide range of legacies received by the Hospital, this subseries is one of the most comprehensive and complete aspects of the collection. Unlike the bulk of the financial records, the Estates and Trusts files carry through into the 1970s. These files detail investments, legal issues related to specific estates, and correspondence between executors and the Hospital Managers. Included in this subseries are wills and records of Orphan’s Court rulings in some cases.

  • Box 25.1: Copies of Wills 1752-1927; Copies of Wills 1760s-1843; Legacies and Contributions 1760s- ; List of Contributions, legacies, donations 1751-1897

Subseries K: Loan Office of 1773 Boxes 11, 56

This subseries consists of papers generated when Pennsylvania Hospital Managers were made trustees of the State Loan Office, from 1793-1806. Most of the loans the Office administered were for the cost of mortgages. There were officers across the state who collected on delinquent accounts or seized property in the case of longstanding unpaid debts. Many of the records in this subseries are listed by county. Oversize materials are housed separately.

Subseries L: Minutes Box 57, 59-60

This subseries is relatively small, consisting mainly of two bound volumes of Contributors’ and Real Estate committee minutes. Also included are extracts of Managers’ minutes related to purchases of land and other financial matters. Once again, there is a fair amount of overlap between the finance and real estate responsibilities of the Treasurer.

  • Box 59: Contributors’ Minutes
  • Box 60: Real Estate Committee Minutes

Subseries M: PA Land Company Box 57

These papers offer an account of monies granted by the British Parliament to the Hospital, which were vested in the Pennsylvania Land Company in London. The acquisition and transfer of these funds were facilitated by John Fothergill and David Barclay over the course of twenty years. The majority of material detailing the activities of the Loan Office is grouped with Correspondence.

Subseries N: Power of Attorney Box 57

This subseries consists entirely of Power of Attorney documents, most of which authorize the Hospital’s Treasurers to act on behalf of the Contributors.

Subseries O: Receipts Boxes 58, 61

This is another small subseries, the bulk of which is made up of books of check stubs.

Subseries P: Reports Boxes 58, 61

The majority of this subseries are miscellaneous committee reports, with most committees only being represented by one report. There is no historical continuity. The most interesting item in this subseries is the Summary of Fiscal History, which presents a picture of the first one hundred years of the Hospital’s financial decisions, primarily using a series of tables that graphically represent the Hospital’s gains and losses.

Series II: Treasurer, Real Estate

Subseries A: Accounts Boxes 62-63

Many of the properties owned by Pennsylvania Hospital were managed by real estate agents who collected rent, paid bills for the properties, and dealt with tenant issues. This subseries is composed of the receipted bills and correspondence of these agents. Because of variations in record-keeping, or the transfer of records, some materials may have become separated from the original grouping of receipts. These receipts may also be located in subseries J: Taxes, as well as in series one, subseries A: Accounts Payable, or in series three, subseries C: Building/Repairs.

Subseries B: Correspondence Boxes 63-65

The Correspondence subseries consists of letters regarding transfer of ownership, management, and purchase of land; much of this correspondence references land owned by John Keble and Emmor Kimber.

Subseries C: Deeds Box 65, 68, 68.1, flat files

Though small, this subseries is one of the most interesting in the Real Estate papers because of the highly varied forms of parchment and paper deeds included. The earliest deed is from 1724, the latest from 1920. In addition to their utility in tracing the ownership of various plots of land, the parchment deeds are in excellent physical condition, making them fine examples of real estate documents in the 18th century. Oversize materials are housed separately.

Subseries D: Ground Rents Box 65

This subseries is comprised of records of payments by tenants, leases for properties owned by the Hospital, and legal opinions regarding actions taken with tenants.

Subseries E: Insurance Box 66, 68
This subseries consists of fire insurance policies from various insurance companies. Oversize materials are housed separately.

Subseries F: Mortgages Boxes 61, 66, 68, 68.1, flat files
Encompassing a wide range of document types, the Mortgages subseries is comprised of bonds, title searches, mortgages, receipts, and other miscellaneous papers. There is some overlap between this subseries and the Properties subseries, though the primary division is based on the fact that papers grouped in the Mortgages subseries most often reference property owners as opposed to the properties themselves. Oversize documents are housed separately.

Subseries G: Properties Boxes 66-68

This subseries contains materials relating to the John Keble and Emmor Kimber properties, including bonds, statements, surveys, power of attorney documents, and titles. In addition to the Keble and Kimber properties, there are records pertaining to several properties in West Philadelphia.

Subseries H: Taxes Box 67

Though the majority of this subseries consists of bills and receipts for taxes, a particularly interesting aspect of this subseries is the group of correspondence and legal opinions regarding the Hospital’s non-payment of taxes in the early nineteenth century. Because of the Managers’ insistence that they should not have to pay taxes, some property was liquidated at Sheriff’s sales. After several years of protest, the Legislature ultimately granted the Hospital its tax exempt status.

Series III: Steward/Superintendent

Subseries A: Apothecary Boxes 69-71, 141

This subseries is made up, primarily, of receipts for medicines and medical supplies, such as syringes, catheters, crutches, jars, alcohol, and other items purchased for the use of the Apothecary shop. Oversize materials are housed separately.

  • Boxes 69, 141: Inventories

Subseries B: Building/Repairs Boxes 72-78, 141

This subseries consists of bills for building materials and maintenance work done at Hospital-owned properties. Oversize materials are housed separately.

Subseries C: Cash Books Boxes 79-96

These bound volumes record the daily financial transactions performed by the Steward and Matron. See also Ledgers, Monthly Accounts, and Receipts.

  • Box 79: Cash Books 1754-1755; 1758-1759; 1758-1760; 1761-1764; 1764-1769; 1767-1768; 1768-1776; 1776-1784
  • Box 80: Cash Book 1789-1795; Cash Book 1795-1797
  • Box 81: Cash Book 1797-1800; Cash Book 1800-1804
  • Box 82: Cash Book 1804-1809; Cash Book 1809-1815
  • Box 83: Cash Book 1815-1820
  • Box 84: Cash Book 1820-1825
  • Box 85: Cash Book 1825-1831
  • Box 86: Cash Book 1831-1835
  • Box 87: Cash Book 1835-1844
  • Box 88: Cash Book 1844-1854
  • Box 89: Cash Book 1854-1864
  • Box 90: Cash Book 1864-1872
  • Box 91: Cash Book 1872-1880
  • Box 92: Cash Book 1880-1888
  • Box 93: Cash Book 1888-1897
  • Box 94: Cash Book 1897-1905
  • Box 95: Cash Book 1905-1912
  • Box 96: Cash Book 1912-1915

Subseries D: Ledgers Boxes 97-109

The Steward’s Ledgers list account debits and credits for workers at the hospital, patient board, clothing and/or funeral expenses, services provided, etc. These books also record bad debts and the cost of materials. The accounts listed in the Ledgers are a valuable source of information since they detail the patients who were “sponsored” by the account holders, providing notes about how long they were in the hospital, and often their class or ethnic background.

  • Box 97: Ledger A, 1781-1796; Ledger B, 1796-1802
  • Box 98: Ledger C, 1801-1804
  • Box 99: Ledger D, 1804-1816
  • Box 100: Ledger E, 1812-1819
  • Box 101: Ledger F, 1819-1833
  • Box 102: Ledger G, 1831-1842
  • Box 103: Ledger H, 1842-1860
  • Box 104: Ledger I, 1861-1876
  • Box 105: Ledger J (I: 2), 1873-1883
  • Box 106: Ledger K, 1856-1906
  • Box 107: Ledger L, 1906-1913
  • Box 108: Accounts 1781-1784; Accounts 1781-1790; Hospital Expenses 1920-1921; Miscellaneous Accounts
  • Box 109: Accounts with Drug Companies, 1898-1900

Subseries E: Correspondence Boxes 78, 110-112.2

The Steward’s letter books contain a wide range of correspondence—from orders of goods for hospital use to reports on the condition of patients—in carbon copy from either the Steward or the Secretary of the Board of Managers. In addition to the letter books, there is a smattering of correspondence from earlier time periods.

  • Box 110: Superintendent's Letter Books 1884-1903, 1903-1906, 1907-1909
  • Box 111: Superintendent's Letter Books 1909, 1909-1910, 1910
  • Box 112: Superintendent's Letter Books 1910-1911, 1911-1912
  • Box 112.1: Superintendent's Letter Books 1912-1913, 1913-1914
  • Box 112.2: Superintendent's Letter Books 1912-1915, 1914-1915, 1915-1916

Subseries F: Household Expenses Boxes 113-140, 141

This subseries consists almost entirely of receipts for goods and/or services purchased. The expenses ranged from butter and flour to clothing and coffins. In the cases where goods were purchased for patients, the patients are often identified by name. In an effort to simplify classification, and because of ambiguity in some cases, items that would have originally been broken down into categories such as “fodder”, “incidentals”, “furniture”, etc. were integrated into household expenses. For further specificity, see the Cash Books and Monthly Account books, which provide a succinct view of all the expenses for which the Steward was responsible. Oversize materials are housed separately.

Subseries G: Monthly Accounts Boxes 142-146

These bound volumes offer a summary view of all expenses handled by the Steward.

  • Box 142: Monthly Accounts 1842-1848, 1848-1854, 1854-1861, 1861-1869
  • Box 143: Monthly Accounts 1869-1876, 1876-1884, 1884-1892
  • Box 144: Monthly Accounts 1892-1900, 1908-1914
  • Box 145: Monthly Disbursements & Receipts 1824-1848, Monthly Disbursements & Receipts 1848-1860, Monthly Accounts 1900-1908
  • Box 146: Monthly Accounts 1908-1912, 1913-1917

Subseries H: Receipts Boxes 147-165

This subseries is made up entirely of bound volumes, in which the Steward recorded cash received, wages paid, and checks written. There are numerous entries in the category of “special nursing” that are recorded in conjunction with the patient’s name.

  • Box 147: Cash Received for Drugs 1909-1915; Check Stubs 1883-1884, 1884-1886, 1886-1888, 1888-1891
  • Box 148: Receipt Books 1795-1796, 1796-1797, 1797, 1797-1800
  • Box 149: Receipt Books 1800-1802, 1802-1804, 1804-1808, 1808-1810
  • Box 150: Receipt Books 1810-1812, 1813-1815, 1815-1817, 1817-1819
  • Box 151: Receipt Books 1819-1821, 1821-1823, 1823-1825, 1825-1827, 1827-1829, 1829-1831
  • Box 152: Receipt Books 1831-1833, 1833-1837, 1839-1843
  • Box 153: Receipt Books 1843-1849, 1849-1862, 1850-1852
  • Box 154: Receipt Books 1853-1854, 1855-1858, 1858-1861, 1861-1863
  • Box 155: Receipt Books 1866-1868, 1868-1876, 1871-1873
  • Box 156: Receipt Books 1873-1875, 1875-1877, 1877-1879, 1879-1881
  • Box 157: Receipt Books 1884-1885, 1885-1887, 1903-1907
  • Box 158: Receipt Books 1907-1911, 1911-1913, 1913-1915, 1915
  • Box 159: Miscellaneous Accounts 1912-1918, Receipts 1916
  • Box 160: Receipts for Wages 1885-1887, 1887-1894, 1894-1898
  • Box 161: Receipts for Wages 1898-1901, 1901-1904
  • Box 162: Receipts for Wages 1904-1907, 1907-1910
  • Box 163: Receipts for Wages 1910-1913, 1913-1915
  • Box 164: Receipts for Wages 1915-1917, 1917-1918
  • Box 165: Receipts for Wages 1918-1920, 1920-1921

Subseries I: Services/Wages Box 166

This subseries contains bills and receipts for services performed by contracted employees. The variety of services is wide-ranging—there are the mundane tasks of making clothes and cleaning the privy, as well as more notable services such as preparing bodies for burial.

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Section I, Series 3. Administration, 1754-1960.

In its earliest years, the Hospital was administered by a Matron or by a Steward or by a steward and matron working together. At this time the Steward often doubled as the Apothecary. After 1760, however, the Steward emerged as the highest executive officer of the Hospital. He took charge of disbursements for routine expenditures and of the supervision of the housekeeping staff and other employees, responsibilities which increased as the Hospital grew; and by the middle of the nineteenth century he had begun to play a role in policy-making. Reflecting the change in emphasis of the job, the title was changed at the end of the century, first to "Steward and Superintendent," then to "Superintendent," and by 1929 to "Administrator." The chief executive officers of the Hospital, regardless of their titles, were always appointed by the Board and served at its pleasure.

Attending Managers' Monthly Reports, 1842 - 1915.

Pennsylvania Hospital Receipts, March 1915 -May 1915. Receipts for patient accounts and hospital department accounts. One volume.

Pennsylvania Hospital Voucher Registers, 1915 - 1919, 1921, in two volumes. Receipts for patient accounts and other hospital department accounts: administration, social service, electricity, etc.

Linen Room Records, 1901 - 1922, in three volumes: 1901 - 1913; 1913 - 1917; 1917 - 1922.

Store Room Records, 1901 - 1921, in five volumes: 1901 - 1905; 1905 - 1909; 1909 - 1913; 1913 - 1917; 1917 - 1921.

Central Supply Record Book, 1933.

Pennsylvania Hospital Inventory Books, ca.1923 - 1924. Quantities on hand, quantities given out. Three volumes.

Record of distribution of Aprons, Towels, Face cloths, etc., among Staff, Nurses, Officers, Wards, etc., in three volumes: 1905 - 1908, 1909 - 1910, 1914 - 1917.

Superintendent-Steward. Miscellaneous letters 1905 - 1909.

Superintendent-Steward. Monthly reports to the Board of Managers, 1881, 1892 - 1901, in one box. Similar material is filed in Board of Managers. Miscellaneous papers, 1880 - 1928.

Cash Book, X-Ray Department (?), 1919 - 1923, in two volumes.

Mail Office Book, 1919 - 1921, in one volume.

Paymaster's Account Books, 1921 - 1922, in two volumes. Kept by T. D. Hendricks and E. M. Gilmore.

Elevator Operators, 1929 - 1931. Time Book for elevator operators.

Admission Desk Receipts, 1921 - 1923, in three volumes.

Administrative files, ca. 1939 - 1946, of material relating to World War II, in four boxes.

Administrative files, 1940, of general correspondence. (Correspondence mostly of former Administrator Mr. Hatfield.)

Administrative files, 1950 - 1960, of general correspondence.

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Section I, Series 4. Medical Staff, C.1750-1975.

List of medical students entitled to privilege of attending practice and use of the Library, 1814 - 1887, in two volumes. For students, see also lists at end of Attending Managers' Accounts for 1789 - 1815.

Notebook of Benjamin Morris, ca. 1750.

Lecture notes taken by (Reading Beatty?), 1779 - 1783, in one volume.

Memorandum Book kept by Benjamin Horner Coates, 1793, in one volume.

Notes from Dr. Physick's lectures, taken by Constans Curtin in winters of 1807 - 1808, 1808 - 1809.

Notebook kept by Thomas Chalkley James, 1814 - 1818: list of his students, selected weather observations, titles of lectures in his course on obstetrics. See also his scrapbooks of mortality tables.

Lecture notes taken from Mr. (Samuel?) Cooper's surgical lectures, Oct. 7 - (Nov. 16?), 1818.

Lecture notes taken at Medical Clinic , 1847 - 1848, Dr. (George B. ) Wood, in one volume.

John H. Gibbon. M.D. Diploma, Jefferson Medical College, 1891.

Joseph Parrish. Memorabilia, 1802 - 1837.

General material, loose papers: rules for appointment of staff, lists of pupils, University of Pennsylvania's proposal for Hospital teaching, application of women students, etc. In one box, arranged chronologically. Followed by material on individual apothecaries. Material ca. 1752 - 1858.

Material on individual physicians: applications, resignations, correspondence, etc. In three boxes, arranged alphabetically by names of physicians, prefaced by typed list of names included. Material ca. 1773 - 1859.

Bradbury, Dr. Samuel. Out-patient Department. Director's Notebook, 1928 - 1931, in one volume. Kept by Bradbury.

Coates, Benjamin Horner. Diploma of five years' service.

Course Book, 1888, in one volume.

Fisher, Henry MI Notebook, 1881 - 1889, in one volume.

Medical Staff, Lists of, Compiled ca. 1891, one volume.

Medical Staff--Obstetrics and Gynecology. Minutes and correspondence, 1929 - 1950, in seven volumes and one box. Continuation from Phila, Lying-in Charity. The seven volumes (loose-leaf) contain minutes. The box contains correspondence, visitors' registers, miscellaneous and loose material removed from minute book for 1924 - 1929.

For earlier records of above, see Series 8: Affiliates.

Phila. Lying-in Charity. Medical Staff. Minutes, 1924 - 1929, in one volume.

Physicians. Individual - Applications, acknowledgments, resignations, correspondence. Arranged by last name of physician.

Medical Staff. Resolutions, ca. 1902 - 1910, in one volume.

Meigs, Arthur V. Hospital Notes, 1880 - 1894, in five boxes.

Gibbons, John H. M.D. Memorabilia, donated by Mrs. Winthrop H. Bartles (Battles?) (1420 Locust Street).

Mitchell, Charles Franklin. Diplomas and Certificates, arranged chronologically:

Charles Franklin Mitchell. Base Hospital 10 collection, one box. Donated by Miss Anne F. Mitchell, daughter of C.F. Mitchell. Includes:

Out-patient Department. Physicians' Attendance Records, 1908 - 1927, in seven volumes.

Packard, Francis Randolph. Medical Historical Society of the Pennsylvania Hospital. Minutes, 1931 - 1941, in one volume.

Packard, Francis Randolph, Diary, 1881 - 1919. Original typed manuscripts, and photocopies up to 1919. Encompassing the following:

R. Packard. Reprints of thirteen of his approximately forty published scientific articles. Covers 1897 - 1916, arranged chronologically. Including:

Francis R. Packard. Reprints of 27 of his approximately 97 published Historical articles. Covers 1902 - 1949. Arranged chronologically. Including: