John Neill notes on the the lectures of Nathaniel Chapman
Item
Identifier: 10a 138
Scope and Contents
One volume (162 pages, lacking pages at end) of notes on Chapman’s beginning lectures on the practice of medicine. Includes notes on fevers, hemorrhages, and diseases of the digestive system. Lacking notes on the lecture on colic pictonum, which, according to the table of contents, begins on p.163.
Dates
- between 1838 and 1840
Creator
- Neill, John (Person)
Biographical / Historical
John Neill, surgeon, was born in Philadelphia on July 9, 1819, the third son of physician Henry Neill and Martha (Duffield) Neill, the daughter of Dr. Benjamin Duffield. Neill entered the University of Pennsylvania at the age of 14. He graduated from the Academic Department in 1837, and enrolled immediately in the Medical Department, from which he graduated in 1840.
Neill was a skilled and charismatic surgeon and teacher who held many academic and professional positions in Philadelphia. In 1839, prior to his graduation, he had already been appointed House Surgeon at the Wills Eye Hospital. He retained this position until 1841, when he took a voyage to the West Indies to oversee a patient’s care. He returned to Philadelphia in 1842 to set up practice and give private medical instruction. He soon was appointed Assistant Demonstrator of Anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania and in connection with the Guardians of the Poor served as a Vaccine Physician and Physician to a City District. In 1845 he succeeded to the position of Demonstrator of Anatomy, drawing large numbers of pupils to witness his dissections, through his accuracy, clarity and charm. Together with Drs. Reese and Benedict, Neill revived the Medical Institute of Philadelphia, the post-graduate summer school founded by Dr. Chapman. Neill lectured on anatomy there from 1846 until 1849. In 1847 Neill was elected a Surgeon at Wills Hospital, where he was frequently attended by large groups of students. When an epidemic of Asian cholera attacked the city in 1849, Neill served as Physician to the Southeast Cholera Hospital. From 1852-1859 he was a Surgeon in the Pennsylvania Hospital. His growing eminence as a surgeon and instructor prompted the Pennsylvania College to restructure its staff in order to offer Neill the Chair of Surgery in 1854. At this time, Neill also accepted a position at the Philadelphia Hospital. In 1859 the faculty of the Pennsylvania College resigned en masse. For the next two years Neill devoted himself to family practice and taking private surgical cases. He returned to teaching from 1874-1875 as the first Professor of Clinical Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.
After the fall of Ft. Sumter in 1861, Neill took the single-handed initiative to make Philadelphia a center for military hospitals. As Medical Director of the Home Guard, Neill appropriated 8 buildings and converted them quickly into hospitals, using his contacts and prestige to recruit staff and donations of supplies. In 1862 he was appointed Surgeon of Volunteers. The next year he became Medical Director of the forces from Pennsylvania, and for outstanding service during the Battle of Gettysburg he was made Lieutenant-Colonel. After the war he became Post-Surgeon and a medical examiner of recruits until 1876.
Neill was instrumental in founding the Presbyterian Hospital of Philadelphia. He served on its first medical Board from 1872-1875.
His medical accomplishments include inventing an apparatus to treat fractures of the leg and modifying Desault’s splint for femur fractures. He also published twelve articles in the Medical Examiner and 7 in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences. His innovative experiments in the Cholera Hospital were reported in the Transactions of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. At the time of his death, Neill was preparing notes for the first chapter of a work on surgical principles.
Elected a Fellow of the College of Physicians in 1846, he became curator of the College collections in 1849 and made many contributions of pathological specimens to the Mütter Museum, including plates from his cholera experiments.
In 1844 Neill married Anna Wharton Hollingsworth in 1844, and had 3 children. On 11 February 1880, John Neill died.
Nathaniel Chapman was an 1801 graduate of the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania, furthering his medical studies in Edinburgh before settling in Philadelphia in 1804. Chapman is best known as a medical teacher, editor, and professional advocate. He became editor of the Philadelphia Journal of the Medical and Physical Sciences in 1820. From 1810 on he taught at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as professor of materia medica and professor of the theory and practice of medicine and clinical medicine. In 1817 Chapman founded the Medical Institute of Philadelphia, considered the first medical post-graduate school in the United States. The principle publications of Chapman’s career are based on his lectures, such as his A Compendium of Lectures on the Theory and Practice of Medicine (1846). Among his other accomplishments, Chapman was elected the first president of the American Medical Association in 1847. Chapman was also a Fellow of the College of Physicians, elected in 1807.
Neill was a skilled and charismatic surgeon and teacher who held many academic and professional positions in Philadelphia. In 1839, prior to his graduation, he had already been appointed House Surgeon at the Wills Eye Hospital. He retained this position until 1841, when he took a voyage to the West Indies to oversee a patient’s care. He returned to Philadelphia in 1842 to set up practice and give private medical instruction. He soon was appointed Assistant Demonstrator of Anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania and in connection with the Guardians of the Poor served as a Vaccine Physician and Physician to a City District. In 1845 he succeeded to the position of Demonstrator of Anatomy, drawing large numbers of pupils to witness his dissections, through his accuracy, clarity and charm. Together with Drs. Reese and Benedict, Neill revived the Medical Institute of Philadelphia, the post-graduate summer school founded by Dr. Chapman. Neill lectured on anatomy there from 1846 until 1849. In 1847 Neill was elected a Surgeon at Wills Hospital, where he was frequently attended by large groups of students. When an epidemic of Asian cholera attacked the city in 1849, Neill served as Physician to the Southeast Cholera Hospital. From 1852-1859 he was a Surgeon in the Pennsylvania Hospital. His growing eminence as a surgeon and instructor prompted the Pennsylvania College to restructure its staff in order to offer Neill the Chair of Surgery in 1854. At this time, Neill also accepted a position at the Philadelphia Hospital. In 1859 the faculty of the Pennsylvania College resigned en masse. For the next two years Neill devoted himself to family practice and taking private surgical cases. He returned to teaching from 1874-1875 as the first Professor of Clinical Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.
After the fall of Ft. Sumter in 1861, Neill took the single-handed initiative to make Philadelphia a center for military hospitals. As Medical Director of the Home Guard, Neill appropriated 8 buildings and converted them quickly into hospitals, using his contacts and prestige to recruit staff and donations of supplies. In 1862 he was appointed Surgeon of Volunteers. The next year he became Medical Director of the forces from Pennsylvania, and for outstanding service during the Battle of Gettysburg he was made Lieutenant-Colonel. After the war he became Post-Surgeon and a medical examiner of recruits until 1876.
Neill was instrumental in founding the Presbyterian Hospital of Philadelphia. He served on its first medical Board from 1872-1875.
His medical accomplishments include inventing an apparatus to treat fractures of the leg and modifying Desault’s splint for femur fractures. He also published twelve articles in the Medical Examiner and 7 in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences. His innovative experiments in the Cholera Hospital were reported in the Transactions of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. At the time of his death, Neill was preparing notes for the first chapter of a work on surgical principles.
Elected a Fellow of the College of Physicians in 1846, he became curator of the College collections in 1849 and made many contributions of pathological specimens to the Mütter Museum, including plates from his cholera experiments.
In 1844 Neill married Anna Wharton Hollingsworth in 1844, and had 3 children. On 11 February 1880, John Neill died.
Nathaniel Chapman was an 1801 graduate of the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania, furthering his medical studies in Edinburgh before settling in Philadelphia in 1804. Chapman is best known as a medical teacher, editor, and professional advocate. He became editor of the Philadelphia Journal of the Medical and Physical Sciences in 1820. From 1810 on he taught at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as professor of materia medica and professor of the theory and practice of medicine and clinical medicine. In 1817 Chapman founded the Medical Institute of Philadelphia, considered the first medical post-graduate school in the United States. The principle publications of Chapman’s career are based on his lectures, such as his A Compendium of Lectures on the Theory and Practice of Medicine (1846). Among his other accomplishments, Chapman was elected the first president of the American Medical Association in 1847. Chapman was also a Fellow of the College of Physicians, elected in 1807.
Extent
1 volume
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
Title page inscribed Jno. Neill, Wills Hospital. Given to the College 1 June 1897, by H.R. Wharton, M.D.
Creator
- Neill, John (Person)
- Title
- John Neill notes on the the lectures of Nathaniel Chapman
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia Repository
Contact:
19 S. 22nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19103 United States
19 S. 22nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19103 United States
