Indiana Historical Society - Manuscripts and Archives Department

INDIANA STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
COLLECTION, 1841-1953.
COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY RECORDS


Collection #
M 0457
BV 2204-2205


Table of Contents

Collection Information
Historical Sketch
Scope and Content Note
Box and Folder List
Cataloging Information

Processed by
Kim Rivers
July 1986


COLLECTION INFORMATION

VOLUME OF COLLECTION:

2 manuscript boxes, 2 bound volumes, and 2 photographs

COLLECTION DATES:

1841-1953

PROVENANCE:

Gift of the Indiana State Medical Association, Indianapolis, IN, 11 July 1986

RESTRICTIONS:

none

REPRODUCTION RIGHTS:

Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained in writing from the Indiana Historical Society

ALTERNATE FORMATS:

none

OTHER FINDING AIDS:

none

RELATED HOLDINGS:

none

ACCESSION NUMBER:

1986.0498

NOTES:

 

 


HISTORICAL SKETCH

In 1938 the Indiana Medical Association elected Dr. James B. Maple of Sullivan, Indiana, as State Historian for the purpose of writing a composite history of the various county medical societies. To accomplish this task, Maple wrote to officials of most of the county societies from April 1938-June 1939, requesting them to forward any historical information they could uncover. Maple asked particularly for membership lists, officers' names, biographical sketches of influential physicians, and early information about medical schools. While this project seems to have remained unfinished, Maple did complete one historical work earlier in his career; in 1936 he published a Medical History of Sullivan City, which he later claimed in his letters was the impetus for his historical appointment.


SCOPE AND CONTENT

The two manuscript boxes and two bound volumes are the results of Maple's efforts to amass county medical society information. The information is organized by each of the 54 counties included. The material is an amalgamation of whatever historical information the localities could dig up: copies of constitutions and by-laws, essays presented at meetings, minutes, society bulletins and the like. However, certain types of material are better represented. First, there is a large amount of Maple's correspondence with local contacts from April 1938-June 1939, discussing the nature of the assignment and possible sources. Another group of material consists of newspaper clippings dated around 1938-1940, usually focusing on prominent doctors and new medical discoveries. Finally, there are a few written histories and biographies such as Maple requested, which are often short and informal and occasionally represent personal reminiscences of elderly doctors.

A calendar of contents by county is available in the Indiana Historical Society Library.


BOX AND FOLDER LIST

Box 1: County Medical Society Records

FOLDER

CONTENTS

1

Allen, Bartholomew, Cass, Clay, Daviess-Martin, Dekalb

2

Delaware-Blackford, Dubois, Fayette, Floyd, Gibson, Grant, Hamilton, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson

3

Hendricks

4

Johnson, Knox, La Grange, La Porte, Lawrence, Madison

5

Lake

7

Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Noble, Owen, Parke, Posey

8

Randolph, Scott, St. Joseph, Starke, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vigo

 

Box 2: County Medical Society Records

FOLDER

CONTENTS

1

Vanderburg

2

Wabash, Washington, Wayne-Union, Wells

3

Indiana Medical Association & Miscellaneous items

4

Kentucky items

5-6

3 Volumes of Treasurer's Reports of Hendricks County Medical Society: 1892-1899, Pp. 30; 1883-1929, Pp. 44; 1930-1937, Pp. 14

5

1893-1899

6

1883-1929, 1930-1937

7

12,000 Medical Words Pronounced and Defined, by George M. Gould, 1892

8

(VC) Photographs (2) Dr. and Mrs. Lockheart, Danville, Indiana, c.1860; Van Buren Elm with short history by J.S. Ragan

9

BV 2204 Minutes of Parke County Medical Society, 1847-1907, Pp. 256; BV 2205 Minutes of Switzerland Co. Medical Society,1908-1942, Pp. 31.

 


CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

  1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog
  2. Click on the "Local Catalog" icon.
  3. Search for the collection by its call number, using the letter or letters designation and four digits (e.g., M 0715, SC 2234).
  4. When you find the collection, go to the "Holdings" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.

END