Wood Family Papers and Medical Practice Records, 1803-1903

Series 1. Day Books, Ledgers, and Blotters 1803-1869

Physical Description: 36 folders

Scope and Content Note

DAY BOOKS are arranged by date and include patient's name, short statement of treatment or drugs provided, and sometimes cost of the service. LEDGER entries are arranged under patient names, not in alphabetical order but with an alphabetical index in front or back of each volume, and include the date of service, sometimes indication of treatment, and financial transactions concerning that patient. Volumes called BLOTTERS seem identical to Day books. The volumes are arranged in rough chronology, often overlapping in dates. Any loose pieces of paper found in the volumes are housed in the same folders as the volumes in which they were found.

Arrangement

chronological

Box 1, Folder 1

Day book. May 1803-Sep 1804

Physical Description: no cover, stitched pages, 7 x 13"

Box 1, Folder 2

Ledger. 1804-1805

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 12.5"

Note

additional scraps found between pages: include papers pertaining to a patient being committed to the insane asylum

Box 1, Folder 3

Day book. 1806

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 14"

Box 1, Folder 4

Ledger C. 1806

Physical Description: bound, soft cover [frayed condition], 8 x 13"

Note

additional scrap found between pages

Box 1, Folder 5

Ledger. 1807-Nov 1809

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 13"

Box 1, Folder 6

Day book. Apr 1810-Dec 1810

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 13"; extra stitched pages laid in

Box 1, Folder 7

Ledger. Oct 1809-May 1812

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 13"

Box 1, Folder 8

Day book. May 1811-May 1812

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 13"; additional loose pages stitched to other pages

Note

additional scraps and one loose page found between pages

Box 1, Folder 9

Day book. Jun 1812-Aug 1813

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 13"; additional loose pages stitched to other pages

Note

alphabetical index of patients in back; additional scrap found between pages: list of drugs and supplies [inventory or order?]

Box 1, Folder 10

Day book and ledger. Mar 1813-Sep 1814, Mar 1813-Dec 1815

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 13"

Note

alphabetical index of patients in back

Box 1, Folder 11

Day book. Mar 1814-Jan 1816

Physical Description: bound, soft cover, 8 x 13"; additional loose pages stitched to other pages; fragile

Scope and Content Note

includes stitched-in small pages titled "Shop book 1814"

Box 1, Folder 12

Day book. Jan 1816-May 1818

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 12"; extra stitched pages laid in

Box 5, Folder 1

Day book. Jun 1819-Apr 1820

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 7 x 14"

Scope and Content Note

Partnership agreement on first page: "1819, June 15th, Pennsborough. Thomas Wood Senior and Thomas Wood Junior Have this day Entered into Partnership to be equal in the profits and expenses of the Practice of Physick, Surgery and Midwifery (But in no other Respect). In witness of this above argument we Hereunto Set our hands. Thomas Wood Sen, Thomas Wood Jun"

Note

also separate pages for 1819 found in other volumes

Box 1, Folder 13

"Receipts given Dr. Thos. Wood". no date

Physical Description: unbound, folded and stitched pages, 6.5 x 8.5"

Note

Thomas Wood Junior's name appears in the contents, so it is assumed that this booklet belonged to Thomas Wood Senior

Box 2, Folder 1

Ledger. Feb 1819-Aug 1821

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 12"

Box 2, Folder 2

Day book. May 1820-Sep 1820

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 12"; loose pages stitched in

Box 2, Folder 3

Day book. Jul 1821-May 1822

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 7.75 x 12"; separate stitched pages of various sizes

Note

plus separate pages: compounding recipes, partial [hymn?] lyric, Bible verses [?], George Wood's signature

Box 2, Folder 4

Day book. Jun 1822-Dec 1822

Physical Description: unbound pages, folded and stitched together, 2 bundles, 4 x 13.5" and 4 x 7.25"

Box 2, Folder 5

Day book. Apr 1823-Dec 1823

Physical Description: unbound pages, folded and stitched together, mostly 4 x 12"

Scope and Content Note

five separate bundles and one loose page

Box 2, Folder 6

Day book. Dec 1823-Mar 1825

Physical Description: unbound pages, some folded, stitched together, 4 x 12" and 8.5 x 13"; fragile

Scope and Content Note

two bundles of pages, the larger with a penciled G. W. Wood on the cover page

Box 2, Folder 7

Ledger. Apr 1823-May 1825

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 8 x 13"

Scope and Content Note

Dr. Thomas Wood Junior and Dr. George W. Wood shared the practice for part of this period; the final pages of the ledger document the division of labor between them and an account of moneys owed

Note

additional scraps found between pages

Box 2, Folder 8

Day book. Jun 1823-Oct 1824

Physical Description: bound, soft cover, 8 x 12.5"

Box 2, Folder 9

Day book. Sep 1824-Apr 1825

Physical Description: unbound pages, folded and stitched, 4 x 12"

Note

one loose page

Box 2, Folder 10

Ledger. 1825

Physical Description: unbound pages, folded and stitched, 4 x 12"

Box 2, Folder 11

Day book. Dec 1826-Mar 1827

Physical Description: unbound pages, folded and stitched, 4 x 10"

Box 2, Folder 12

Blotters. Mar 1827-Aug 1827, Aug 1827-Dec 1827

Physical Description: unbound pages, folded and stitched, 4 x 12.5", 4 x 13"

Scope and Content Note

two bundles of pages

Box 2, Folder 13

Ledger. 1827-1829

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 6 x 15.5"

Scope and Content Note

on p. 189: "March 24th, 1829. This day a settlement was made between the partners and the notes on hand were equally divided for the first two years of the Term (?) J. Rankin, Th. Wood"

Note

written in ink on front cover binding: Wood & Rankin; additional scraps found between pages

Box 2, Folder 14

Ledger. 1828

Physical Description: bound, soft cover, 8.5 x 12.5"

Scope and Content Note

pages 104-114 document further settlement of accounts between Thomas Wood and George Wood

Box 2, Folder 15

Ledger. 1834-1838

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 6 x 15.5"

Note

written in ink on front cover binding: "Partnership, 1835 to 10/38"; additional scraps found between pages

Box 2, Folder 16

Day book. 1839-1842

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 5.5 x 14.5"

Note

additional scraps found between pages

Box 2, Folder 17

"Accounts of Wood & Rankin under arrangement of May 5th 1838 until 8th day of March 1840." 1838-1842

Physical Description: unbound, folded pages, 7.75 x 12.5"

Scope and Content Note

ledger entries assigned to Wood or Rankin, until April 1, 1842

Box 3, Folder 1

Ledger. Apr 1842-1846

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 7.75 x 12.5"

Scope and Content Note

some entries as late as 1853; pp 90-91, further accounting with Dr. Rankin; pp 86-87, lengthy case description

Note

additional scraps found between pages

Box 3, Folder 2

Ledger. 1846-1857, some entries to 1866

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 6 x 15"

Scope and Content Note

note on flyleaf: "Wood & Rankin disolved partnership April 1, 1842"; p. 254: note about cash settlement with Rankin; pp. 190-191: "Table of charges adopted by the undersigned members of the Lycoming County Med'l Society. E.D. Ketloo, Th. Wood, Wm. Muper (?), John Tomlinson .... Jun (?) 17th, 1850."

Note

additional scraps found between pages

Box 5, Folder 2

Day book. Jan 1855-Dec 1857

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 6.5 x 16"

Note

additional scraps found between pages

Box 5, Folder 3

Ledger. Jan 1858-May 1862

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 6 x 15.5"; some loose pages

Scope and Content Note

first page has day book entries

Note

additional scraps found between pages

Box 5, Folder 4

Various accounts 1862-1869

Physical Description: bound, hard cover, 6 x 15.5"

Scope and Content Note

first 30 pages: medical accounts, various local taxes paid; next 100 pages: farm accounts, personal expenses

Note

additional scraps found between pages, including a newspaper clipping of a poem translated from French: "The death of President Lincoln", by Edouard Grenier

Series 2. Loose Manuscript Materials. 1803-1865

Physical Description: 31 folders

Scope and Content Note

This series contains mostly records of financial transactions pertaining to the Wood multigenerational medical practice, plus some farm and household records. The vast majority is written on scraps of paper which were folded into small packets; a summary of the transaction and a follow-up are often noted on the obverse of the paper, which sometimes clarifies the content. Because both Drs. Thomas Wood used the same name it is often impossible to distinguish between them; 1826, the year of Dr. Wood senior's death, seemed a sensible date for a separation of subseries. Many of the papers deal with settlement of Dr. Wood senior's estate; these constitute a separate series.

Arrangement

chronological

Subseries 1. Early Financial Records 1803-1826

Physical Description: 10 folders

Arrangement

by topic

Box 3, Folder 3

Accounts payable. 1803-1825

Scope and Content Note

receipts for payments from Dr. Thomas Wood

Box 3, Folder 4

Accounts payable. 1811-1823

Scope and Content Note

requests for payment from, and promissory notes by, Dr. Thomas Wood

Box 3, Folder 5

Accounts payable. 1817-1825

Scope and Content Note

Bills for good, produce, and services provided to Dr. Thomas Wood

Box 3, Folder 6

Accounts receivable. 1803-1825

Scope and Content Note

Bills for services and receipts for payments.

Box 3, Folder 7

Accounts receivable. 1819-1825

Scope and Content Note

Promissory notes handed to a third party for collection

Box 3, Folder 8

Legal judgments for payment. 1818-1825

Scope and Content Note

actions brought by Dr. Thomas Wood

Box 3, Folder 9

Legal judgments for payment. 1817-1825

Scope and Content Note

actions brought against Dr. Thomas Wood; also actions between two other parties

Box 3, Folder 10

Dissolution of partnership between Dr. Thomas Wood Jr. and Dr. George Wood. circa 1824-1828

Scope and Content Note

an agreement by Thomas Wood and George Wood, dated 1828, to submit their unresolved differences to arbitration, and to abide by the arbitrator's decision; the arbitrator's assignments of worth to each party; plus extensive listing of all patients treated during the span of the partnership practice, with fees charged in each case, and how these fees were divided between the former partners

Box 3, Folder 11

Memorandum of money paid to the heirs of James Wood by Thomas Wood. 1826

Scope and Content Note

a list of names with dates and payment amounts

Box 3, Folder 12

Miscellaneous papers. mostly undated

Scope and Content Note

ground plan of city lots connected with settlement of Samuel Green estate, 1800; unidentifiable names index and ledger entries; fragments

Subseries 2. Records of the settlement of Dr. Thomas Wood Senior's estate 1826-1840

Physical Description: 6 folders

Arrangement

by topic

Box 3, Folder 13

Questions concerning Dr. Thomas Wood's will and estate. circa 1826

Physical Description: manuscript sheets with holes, stains and bleeding ink obscuring some of the contents

Scope and Content Note

1) statements concerning the existence of a will other than the one submitted for probate; 2) letter from ? to Thomas Wood Jr. concerning the building of a house for Thomas Wood Sr. by David Montgomery; 3) narrative by Thomas Wood Jr. concerning events after his uncle's death; 4) other documents

Box 3, Folder 14

"Evidence of corruption in the administration of the affairs of the estate of Dr. Wood." no date

Scope and Content Note

several sheets stating points against the administrator, and a paragraph from the opposing point of view

Box 3, Folder 15

Receipts for money paid by the estate administrators. 1827-1834

Note

Dr. Wood Jr. had folded many of these items into packets; his cover slips are included with each group

Box 3, Folder 16

Bill and claims submitted to the estate administrators. 1817-1829

Box 3, Folder 17

Estate accounts brought before a justice of the peace for settlement. 1826-1834

Box 3, Folder 18

Moneys received and due the estate. 1828-1840

Scope and Content Note

receipts for money received; promissory notes handed to a third party for collection; notes labeled "not recoverable"

Subseries 3. Later Financial Records 1826-1871

Physical Description: 9 folders

Arrangement

by topic

Box 3, Folder 19

Accounts payable. 1826-1867

Scope and Content Note

receipts, bills, promissory notes

Note

includes two printed promissory-note forms, one blank and one filled out dated 1867, with revenue stamps

Box 3, Folder 20

Accounts payable. 1845-1846

Scope and Content Note

bills from Mrs. Hannah Riebsam [apparently the proprietor of a dry goods store]

Box 3, Folder 21

Accounts receivable. 1826-1868

Scope and Content Note

receipts, promissory notes

Box 3, Folder 22

Accounts receivable. 1826-1832

Scope and Content Note

Promissory notes handed to a third party for collection

Box 3, Folder 23

Documents relating to the Thomas Wood-James Rankin partnership. 1845

Box 3, Folder 24

Assorted financial documents. 1831-1856

Box 3, Folder 25

Documents regarding Thomas Wood Jr.'s guardianship of Catherine Walton. 1835-1854

Box 3, Folder 26

Documents regarding Thomas Wood Jr.'s function as guardian or executor of various estates. 1840-1861

Scope and Content Note

papers concern: A.D. Hepburn; George Stover; some others

Box 3, Folder 27

Records bearing Hopewell Wood's name. 1865-1871

Scope and Content Note

a list of some financial assets, 1865; receipts for tax payments; a notice concerning the Dr. Thomas Wood Jr. estate

Subseries 4. Miscellaneous Manuscript Materials. 1818-1865

Physical Description: 6 folders

Arrangement

by topic

Box 3, Folder 28

Assorted documents: medical. 1818-1865

Physical Description: three booklets, stitched, no cover; single sheets, some foxing and tears

Scope and Content Note

1) lecture notes, Univ. of Pennsylvania, 1818/19; 2) notes on drugs and medications; 3) "An essay on rheumatism submitted to the examination of the Medical Board in the University of Pennsylvania, Feb. 12th, 1819"; 4) notes and three letters; 5) draft of a speech to the Medical Society of the County of Lycoming

Box 3, Folder 29

Assorted documents: political, religious, philosophical. 1841

Scope and Content Note

drafts of letters to the editors of the "Lycoming Gazette" and the "Muncy Telegraph", rebutting published allegations; drafts for what may have been short speeches, other letters for publication, or just musings

Box 3, Folder 30

Assorted documents: family. 1819-1854

Scope and Content Note

1) article of agreement between the two Drs. Thomas Wood concerning real estate, 1825; 2) two family letters, 1843, 1854

Box 3, Folder 31

Assorted documents: general. 1828-1855

Scope and Content Note

includes: letter concerning lottery tickets; short report on church subscription funds for 1849-1850; Dr. Thomas Wood's record of birth for Sarah Isabel Neel, 1853; two names on a subscription list for a copy of "Uncle Sam's Mess-room, or The Mechanic Sailor," by J. A. Hazen, 1853; a note which seems to say: "Douglas vote 18 Nov (?) in the County of Lycoming as by official return-137, Lincoln-3494, Bell-91"; and others

Box 3, Folder 32

Teachers of Lycoming County. 1856

Scope and Content Note

a sheet titled: "Address of Teachers of Lycoming Co." and two short letters to Dr. Wood concerning a circular to be sent

Box 3, Folder 33

Various scraps of paper. no date

Series 3. Printed Materials 1849-1903

Physical Description: 6 folders

Arrangement

by topic

Box 3, Folder 34

Biographical materials. 1892-1969

Scope and Content Note

1) partial photocopy of "Muncy's four Dr. Woods, in service from 1803 to 1943," by T. Kenneth Wood, MD, in: "Now and Then; quarterly magazine of history and biography", 1949; 2) chapters XVIII, XIX, XXVII, and XLIX [with marginal annotations]: "The Medical Profession"; "Internal Improvements"; "Borough of Muncy"; "Biographical Sketches"; from: "History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania," ed. by John F. Meginness, 1892; 3) chapter XVIII (as above) downloaded from the "Lycoming County of Pennsylvania Genealogy Project"; 4) issue no. 5, vol. 16, Oct. 1969 of "Now and Then", containing "Some Early Medicine in Lycoming County", by Dr. J. Donald Wentzler, pp. 261-274

Box 4, Folder 1

Medical journal issues, medical lectures and reports. 1854-1883

Scope and Content Note

1) "The Herald of Health and Journal of Physical Culture", ed. by Russell T. Trall, 1865; 2) "The Medical and Surgical Reporter", vol. 13, no. 23, Dec. 2, 1865, and vol. 14, no. 10, Mar. 10, 1866; 3) "University Journal of Medicine and Surgery", Philadelphia, vol. 10, no. 7, Jan. 1, 1867; 4) "The Family Review: devoted to legal, medical, educational and social affairs", Philadelphia, vol. 2, no. 3, Mar. 1883.

Medical phamphlets removed from the Thomas Wood Family Medical Manuscript Archive.

Scope and Content Note

1) Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. "Annual report of the Board of Directors", 1854. [George G. Wood was one of the consulting physicians for the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb]. 2) "The Unity of Medicine: an introductory lecture", by Alfred Stillé, Medical Department of Pennsylvania College, 1856.

Note

These pamphlets have been separately cataloged and housed. Access via the UCLA Library online catalog.

Box 4, Folder 2

Professional medical institutions and societies. 1849-1903

Scope and Content Note

1) membership card of the American Medical Association annual meeting, Boston, May 1849, made out to "Thomas Wood, delegate from the State Medical Society, Pennsylvania"; 2) resolutions of the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania, 1852; 3) annual announcement of The Medical Department, Pennsylvania College, Philadelphia, 1858-5; 4) invitation to the commencement exercises of the class of 1903 of the Medico Chirurgical College, Philadelphia, with a visiting card for T. Kenneth Wood inside; the envelope [with no sign of having been mailed] is addressed to Mr. William J. Wood, Muncy, Penn.; 5) notice of a summer course of lectures to be given at the Medical Department of the Pennsylvania College

Box 4, Folder 3

Advertisement booklets and catalogs. 1860-1889

Scope and Content Note

1) "Catalogue of fluid and solid extracts in vacuo, also concentrations and officinal pills, prepared by Henry Thayer and Co.", 1867; 2) "The Gettysburg Katalysine water; reports of physicians and the people of its wonderful cures; history of the spring, 1868; 3) "Wasting diseases, their causes, treatment, and cure" [touting Scott & Bowne's emulsion of pure cod liver oil with hypophosphites of lime and soda], 1879; 4) Sanford, Truslow & Co. heaters and stoves, 1889; 5) Dr. Price's extract of vanilla

Note

the verso of the Dr. Price advertisement has a bill of sale for William J. Wood, dated 1889

Box 4, Folder 4

Religious and cultural materials. 1824-1856

Scope and Content Note

1) "An address delivered at the opening of the tenth exhibition of the American Academy of the Fine Arts", by Gulian C. Verplanck, 1824; 2) "An address on the study of natural history" by John G. Morris, and "A poem on the sovereignty of the mind" by John N. M'Jilton, 1841; 3) "Popular amusements: a discourse delivered in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Winchester, VA", by Rev. Charles Porterfield Krauth, 1851 (second edition); 4) "Subjection to law, the constitution of man's nature: a discourse to the graduating class of Pennsylvania College" by H. L. Baugher, 1852; 5) "The Sunday question. Sabbath of the Jews. Sunday of Constantine", by William Logan Fisher and Edward M. Davis, 1855; 6) "Religious liberty: an address to The Phrenakosmian Society of Pennsylvania College", by J. S. Black, 1856

Box 4, Folder 5

Political materials. 1828-1849

Scope and Content Note

1) "Address to the people of Pennsylvania", 1828; 2) "To the people of Pennsylvania. Read, pause, reflect, & vote!!", 1832; 3) "Message of the President of the United States to Congress", 31st Congress, 1st session, 1849

Series 4. Objects no dates

Physical Description: 2 folders and 8 objects

Box 4, Folder 6

Portrait of Thomas Wood, Sr. no date

Physical Description: 3.5 x 5" oval mounted in a 7.5 x 9" frame

Scope and Content Note

photographic copy of a stippled engraving, bust portrait, with Dr. Wood's signature pasted on and the dates 1780-1826 in ink underneath; a short biography written by George G. Wood, the doctor's grand-nephew, dated 1902, is affixed to the frame backing

Box 4, Folder 7

Photographs of Dr. George Wood. no date

Physical Description: 4 x 6.5" cabinet card photo, 4.75 x 3.5" photo

Scope and Content Note

bust portrait of Dr. George Wood, photographer R. Y. Nice, Williamsport, PA; winter outdoor scene of house pasted to front of a note card, labeled "George Wood, Washington St., Muncy"

Box 5, Folder 5

Dr. Thomas Wood Jr.'s office sign. circa 1850

Physical Description: 14 x 5" metal sign, black background, gold letters

Scope and Content Note

the text: "DOCTOR Thomas Wood"

Note

the date is taken from a note taped to sign's back

Medical and surgical instruments and objects. no date

Scope and Content Note

1) metal syringe with wood plunger, slightly curved spout, length: 11", width: 1.5" [MUSEUM Item #154.001]. 2) metal instrument resembling spring-action tongs, 0.6" heads each with one edge of small teeth which interlock with the opposite, and with an 1.25" x 0.75" arrowhead lance facing inward; overall length: 7.5" [MUSEUM item #154.002]. 3) metal forceps with one head a 1.25"-long scoop, the other a ring fitting loosely around it; overall length: 5.75" [MUSEUM item #154.003]. 4) white ceramic cup with handle and long spout, possibly a feeding cup or douche cup; overall length: 7.25" [MUSEUM item #154.004]. 5) medicine bottle marked "T. Kennith (sic) Wood, MD./ Muncy, PA.", with a cc. scale on one edge and fluid-ounce scale on the other; 2" wide x 5" high [#154.005]

Note

These objects are housed separately from the Wood documents, with the UCLA Biomedical Library Museum Artifacts.

Spectacles. no date

Scope and Content Note

Spectacles with wire frame, straight wire ear pieces; slightly magnifying lenses, 1.5" x 1.12"; total width, 4"; cardboard case [MUSEUM item #154.006]

Note

This object is housed separately from the Wood documents, with the UCLA Biomedical Library Museum Artifacts.

Container List