Waterhouse, Benjamin papers, 1797-1829 (inclusive). B MS c10

Waterhouse, Benjamin papers, 1797-1829 (inclusive). B MS c10

Waterhouse (Leyden, M.D. 1780) Hersey Professor of Theory and Practice of Physic at Harvard, introduced vaccination against smallpox into the U.S. He was the first professor of medicine at Harvard, the first to give a course of lectures on natural history at Rhode Island College (Brown) in Providence, founder of the botanical garden at Cambridge, Mass., and curator of the collection of minerals at Harvard.
Consists of Waterhouse's letters to colleagues, including Lyman Spalding, concerning smallpox inoculation and other medical topics. A few letters pertain to Waterhouse's activities at Harvard. Also includes a vaccination certificate.