John Chambers, Collector, Artifact and Books regarding Obstetrics
Collection
Collection Number: A&M 4427
Items collected by Dr. John Chambers, a long-time practitioner of medicine in Charleston, West Virginia who specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. Includes four books and a receipt from a hospital stay (box 1); also includes an obstetrical instrument (box 2).
Two of the four books regard "midwifery", the then-current term for obstetrics; they include "A System of Midwifery" by William Leishman, M.D. (1879) and "The Principles and Practice of Midwifery" by Alexander Milne, M.D. (1884). The other two books are family heirlooms from Dr. Chambers' parents, one from his mother regarding recipes for persons suffering from illness (1882) and the other an arithmetic textbook used by his father (1877). The receipt was issued by Memorial Hospital of New York (1938).
The obstetrical instrument (undated) is one part of a pair of forceps, which were used to guide a baby's head during delivery; this artifact was given to Dr. Chambers in 1947 by another doctor. Notes from Dr. Chambers giving further information regarding the items in the collection can be found in box 1, folder 1.
The artifact in box 2 should only be handled while wearing gloves.
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1.4 Linear Feet (1 ft. 5 in. (1 document case, 5 in.); (1 index card box, 1 ft.))
English
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
Original of hospital receipt moved to closed collections.
Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository