MSS 2/0141-01 Acc. 1990-107-01
NICHOLAS CHERVIN,
1783-1843
Opinions of Philadelphia physicians regarding yellow fever,
1821
No. Pages
1 1 Lessepil [French consul].
Certificate : Philadelphia, Pa., 1821 June 20.
1 p.
In French.
2 Wharton, Robert, 1757-1834.
Certificate : Philadelphia, Pa., 1821 June 20.
1 p.
2 3-4 Griffitts, Samuel Powel, 1759-1826.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 16.P
2 p.
3 5-6 Currie, W[illia]m, 1754-1828.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 June 1. P
2 p.
4 7-8 Parke, Thomas, 1749-1835.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 May 25.
2 p.
5 9-10 Barnwell, William.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 Apr. 30.
2 p.
6 11-12 James, Tho[mas] C. (Thomas Chalkley), 1766-1835.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 19.
2 p.
7 13-16 Parrish, Joseph, 1779-1840.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May.
4 p.
8 17 Physick, Philip S[yng], 1768-1837.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 12.
1 p.
9 19-23 Monges, J. A. (John Armentaire), 1759-1827.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, 1821 June 18.
5 p.
In French.
10 25-30 Coxe, John Redman, 1773-1864.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 10.
6 p.
11 31-34 Mease, James, 1771-1846.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 June 3.
4 p.
12 35-36 Otto, John C. (John Conrad), 1774-1844.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 17.
2 p.
37 Otto, John C. (John Conrad), 1774-1844.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 June 5.
1 p.
13 39-41 Conover, Sam[ue]l F[orman], 1766? 1824.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 9.P
3 p.
14 43-48 Chapman, N[athaniel], 1780-1853.
Letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas] Chervin,
[n.p.], 1821 May 17.
6 p.
15 49-50 Mathieu, J. H.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 June 4.
2 p.
In French.
16 51 Dewees, W[illia]m, 1768-1841.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 10.
1 p.
17 53-61 Carter, Henry Yates.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 22.
9 p.
18 63 Bensell, George.
Autograph letter signed : Germantown, Pa., to [Nicholas Chervin,
n.p.], 1821 May 23.
1 p.
64 James, Tho[mas] C. (Thomas Chalkley), 1766-1835.
Certificate : Philadelphia, Pa., [n.d.]
1 p.
65-67 Betton, Sam[ue]l, d. 1850.
Autograph letter signed : Germantown, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 June 9.
3 p.
19 69-72 Heylin, Isaac.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 15.
4 p.
20 73 Gallaher, James.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 19.
1 p.
21 75-77 Hewson, Tho[ma]s T.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 18.
3 p.
22 79-81 Hartshorne, Joseph, 1779-1850.
Autograph letter signed : [Philadelphia, Pa.?], to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 22.
3 p.
23 83-86 Jackson, Samuel, 1787-1872.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 22.
4 p.
24 87-89 Rousseau, J[ohn Baptiste] C.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 May 11.
3 p.
In French.
25 91 Klapp, Joseph, 1783-1843.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 11.
1 p.
26 93- 94 Perkin, J[oh]n, d. 1834.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 26.
2 p.
27 95-96 Miller, P[eter], 1773-1848.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 May 18.
2 p.
28 97 Tucker, Sam[ue]l, d. 1863.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 May 29.
1 p.
29 99-101 Thomas, John D.
Autograph letter signed : [Philadelphia, Pa., to Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.?], 1821 May 15.
3 p.
30 103-104 Gibson, William, 1788-1868.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 June 5.
2 p.
31 105-108 Rush, James, 1786-1869.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 18.
4 p.
32 109 Stewart, Sam[ue]l, d. 1824.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 16.
1 p.
33 111-113 Knight, Alex[ander], d. 1827.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 9.
3 p.
34 115-117 Lehman, Geo[rge] F., 1793-1859.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 24.
3 p.
35 119-121 Mitchell, Tho[mas] D. (Thomas Duche), 1791-1865.
Autograph letter signed : [n.p.], to Nicholas Chervin,
[n.p.], 1821 May 12.
3 p.
36 123-126 Emlen, Sam[ue]l, 1789-1828.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 11.
4 p.
37 127-129 Lawrance, J. O'B. (Jason O'Brien), 1791-1823.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 May 24.
3 p.
38 131-133 Shoemaker, Nathan, 1788-1868.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, 1821 May 8.
3 p.
39 135-136 Harris, Tho[mas], 1784-1861.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 14.
2 p.
40 137-138 La Roche, R. (Rene), 1795-1872.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, 1821 May 15.
2 p.
In French.
41 139-140 Barnes, John, b. 1791.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 15.
2 p.
42 141 Meigs, Ch[arles] D. (Charles Delucena), 1792-1869.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 13.
1 p.
43 143-145 Barton, William P. C. (William Paul Crillon), 1786-1856.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, 1821 June 3.
3 p.
44 147-148 Nancrede, J. G. (Joseph Guerard), 1793-1857.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, Philadelphia, Pa., 1821 May 23.
2 p.
In French.
45 149 Klapp, Harvey.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 13.
1 p.
46 151-154 Bache, Franklin, 1792-1864.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 23.
4 p.
47 155-156 Neill, Henry, 1783-1845.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, 1821 May 12.
2 p.
48 157-158 Nancrede, N. C. (Nicholas C.)
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 May 20.
2 p.
49 159 Wood, Geo[rge] B[acon], 1797-1879.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 May 18.
1 p.
50 161 Moore, J[ohn] Wilson, 1789-1865.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 May 11.
1 p.
51 163-165 Harlan, Rich[ard], 1796-1843.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 7.
3 p.
52 167-168 Coates, Benj[amin] H[ornor], 1797-1881.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 15.
2 p.
53 169 Barton, Edward, d. 1821.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 May 12.
1 p.
54 171-172 Barton, J. Rhea (John Rhea), 1794-1871.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, [n.p.], 1821 June 2.
2 p.
55 173 Colhoun, S. (Samuel), 1787-1841.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas
Chervin, n.p.], 1821 May 11.
1 p.
56 175-178 Anderson, W.
Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to [Nicholas]
Chervin, 1821 May 12.
4 p.
1821
1 v. (178 p.)
9/6/1990
je
MSS 2/0141-01 Acc. 1990-107-01
NICHOLAS CHERVIN,
1783-1843
Opinions of Philadelphia physicians regarding yellow fever,
1821
Biographical
Nicholas Chervin, French physician and yellow fever researcher,
was born on 6 October 1783 at St. Laurentd'Oingt. He died
at Bourbonne les Bains on 14 August 1843.
Chervin received his M.D. from the University of Paris in 1812.
He then studied typhus in a military hospital in Mainz and
became Surgeon at the Hotel Dieu in Lyon. In 1814, Chervin
travelled to Guadaloupe to study yellow fever. In pursuit of
his research, he sojourned in the United States from 1818 to
1822, then went to Spain in 1823, and Cadiz and Gibraltar in
1828.
Chervin was an ardent believer in the non contagiousness of yellow
fever. He wrote several monographs on the subject and campaigned
for the elimination of quarantine on the basis of his research.
From 1820 to 1822, Chervin wrote to physicians in most of the
port cities of the East Coast of the United States, from Portland,
Maine, to New Orleans, Louisiana, gathering information regarding
the experiences of each physician with yellow fever and his
opinion regarding the contagious or non contagious aspects of
the disease. The single largest group of responses came from physicians
in Philadelphia. The majority of Chervin's respondents did
not believe in the contagiousness of yellow fever.
Scope and contents
The collection contains fifty seven responses from fiftysix
Philadelphia physicians to Chervin's 1821 survey concerning
each physician's experiences with and beliefs regarding the
contagious nature of yellow fever. The responses, composed
from 30 April through 18 June 1821, vary in length; most are
holograph manuscripts, though a few, including the response
of Nathaniel Chapman, are secretarial copies. Five responses
are written in French. The volume also contains documents of
the French consul in Philadelphia and Robert Wharton, mayor
of Philadelphia, testifying to the knowledge and respectability
of the respondents.
The respondents to the Chervin survey (in alphabetical order)
are: W. Anderson, Franklin Bache, John Barnes, William Barnwell,
Edward Barton, J. Rhea Barton, William P. C. Barton, George
Bensell, Samuel Betton, Henry YatesjCarter, Nathaniel
Chapman, Benjamin Hornor Coates, S. Colhoun, Samuel Forman Conover,
John Redman Coxe, William Currie, William Dewees, Samuel Emlen,
James Gallaher, William Gibson, Samuel Powel Griffitts, Richard
Harlan, Thomas Harris, Joseph Hartshorne, Thomas T. Hewson,
Isaac Heylin, Samuel Jackson, Thomas C. James, Harvey Klapp, Joseph
Klapp, Alexander Knight, R. La Roche, J. O'B. Lawrance, George
F. Lehman, J. H. Mathieu, James Mease, Charles D. Meigs, Peter
Miller, Thomas D. Mitchell, J. A. Monges, John Wilson Moore,
J. G. Nancrede, N. C. Nancrede, Henry Neill, John C. Otto (two
responses), Thomas Parke, Joseph Parrish, John Perkin, Philip
Syng Physick, J. C. Rousseau, James Rush, Nathan Shoemaker,
Samuel Stewart, John D. Thomas, Samuel Tucker, and George Bacon
Wood.
Provenance
The Chervin manuscript was purchased by the Historical Collections
of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia from Palinurus
Rare Books on 1 July 1990. The purchase was made possible,
in part, by gifts from Eleanora C. Gordon, Claire G. and Stuart
A. Fox, J. Wister Meigs, Emily H. Mudd, Philip Syng Physick
Randolph III, Dr. and Mrs. Clarkson Wentz, and Horatio C. Wood
IV.
The manuscript is one of two originals. In his survey, Chervin
asked the respondents to reply on a uniform size sheet of paper
which he provided, in order to facilitate binding the responses,
and to provide a duplicate copy of the response. This set of
responses was formerly in the library of P. B. Malina. In 1990,
it was in the possession of Philadelphia lawyer Kirke Bryan,
who sold it through an auction at Freeman/Fine Arts of Philadelphia
on 22 February 1990.
The manuscript was processed and catalogued in September 1990.
The second original set of responses from Philadelphia physicians
is preserved in the Nicholas Chervin collection at the National
Library of Medicine.
1821
1 v. (178 p.)
9/10/1990
je