MSS 2/0021-01 Acc. 1989-015;
1989-030
NEILSON, THOMAS R.
(1857-1939)
Papers,
1865-1937
Biographical
Thomas Rundle Neilson was born in Philadelphia on 29 October 1857.
His parents, Thomas and Sarah Claypoole Lewis Neilson had nine
children, William, Robert Henry, Sarah, Thomas Rundle, Lewis,
Emma Florence, Mary Alice, and Frederick Brooke.
On 12 January 1898, Thomas R. Neilson married Louise Fotterall.
They lived in Devon, Pennsylvania, and had one son, Thomas
Rundle, Jr. When Thomas R. Neilson died in Bryn Mawr Hospital
on 25 October 1939, just a few days short of his 82nd birthday,
he was survived by his son, his brother Lewis, his sisters,
Emma Florence and Mary Alice, and one granddaughter, Louisa.
Neilson was a devout Episcopalian, a keen organist, and a member
of the Vestry and Rector's Warden at the Church of the Ascension
in Philadelphia.
Thomas R. Neilson attended Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia from
1865 to 1873. In 1873, he entered the University of Pennsylvania
and became a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity. He received
an A.B. from the University in 1877 and, continuing to study
at Penn, received his A.M. and M.D. in 1880. His graduate thesis
on gelatinous arthritis was accorded distinguished merit. Neilson
began an internship at the Hospital of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in Philadelphia in 1880 and was licensed to practice
medicine in the following year.
From 1886 to 1891, Thomas R. Neilson was Attending Surgeon at
Episcopal Hospital; he was promoted to Surgeon in 1891. He was
an "exceptionally clever diagnostician" and paid "strict attention
to asepsis". In 1907, Neilson was elected President of the
Medical Board at Episcopal and held this post until his death.
He became Surgeon Emeritus in 1924.
At St.Christopher's Hospital for Children, Neilson served
as Attending Surgeon from 1887 until 1916 and as Consulting Surgeon
from 1916 until his resignation ca.1920. He was President of
the Medical Staff at St. Christopher's from 1900 to 1916. Neilson
also maintained a private practice in Philadelphia.
As a teacher of medicine, Neilson was associated with the University
of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for many years. From 1882
to 1883, he served as 3rd Assistant Demonstrator of Anatomy
at Penn. He was the Assistant Demonstrator of Anatomy from
1883 until 1895. From 1883 to 1888 and again from 1895 to 1900,
he served as Assistant Demonstrator of Surgery. From 1885 to
1892, he was Instructor in Genito Urinary Diseases, became Clinical Assistant
Professor in this area in 1901, and finally Clinical Professor
in Genito Urinary Diseases in 1903. He held this position until
1915 when he was named Professor of Genito Urinary Surgery.
He retired in 1923 on account of his age and was an Emeritus
Professor from that time until his death. Neilson was also
Professor of Genito Urinary Surgery at the Philadelphia Polyclinic
and College for Graduates in Medicine.
Neilson was active in many local medical organizations including
the Pathological Society of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia
County Medical Society. He was a Fellow of the Philadelphia
Academy of Surgery from 1890 to 1939 and Secretary from 1892-1896.
In 1887, he became a Fellow of the College of Physicians of
Philadelphia. Neilson served as Secretary to the College from
1896 to 1914, was a Censor, and then President from 1922 through
1924. He was also a member of the American Medical Association,
the American Surgical Association, and the American College
of Surgeons.
Scope and Contents
This collection of Thomas R. Neilson's papers touches on many
areas of the professional career and personal life of this Philadelphia
physician, surgeon, and teacher. The bulk of the collection,
comprised of professional correspondence and surgical case records,
comes from a narrow period of time, 1888 to 1892, years when
Neilson was approaching middle age and was well advanced in
medical career. His early education, family affairs, and financial
situation are also documented.
The Neilson Papers are divided into seven series. Series
1 concerns the education of the young Thomas R. Neilson. An extensive
collection of weekly reports on his academic standing and conduct
(1865-1873) at the Academy of the Protestant Episcopal Church
in Philadelphia is preserved in this series. The reports indicate
that each class was small, ranging from nine to fourteen pupils,
and although Neilson's grades were good, he was usually ranked
in the middle of his class. Series 1 also contains printed
materials from Neilson's 1880 graduation from the Medical Department
of the University of Pennsylvania. The 1880 class was the first
to take medical degree under the new three year plan.
A small amount of personal correspondence concerning domestic
matters (1881-1893) from many members of the Neilson family
is preserved in Series 2.1. This series also contains a folder
of letters of condolence from friends and colleagues sent to
Neilson on the occasion of the death of his sister, Sarah, in
July, 1892. Physicians represented include H.C. Deaver, Richard
H. Harte, Francis Rudderow, and William J. Taylor.
Series 2.3 and 2.4 contain small collections of correspondence
relating to professional matters (1888-1893). There are several
instances of Neilson's medical testimony being requested during
legal proceedings. There are also letters from patients, such
as S.S. Brown and Irvin J. Morgan, or about patients, such as
the correspondence from Hubert B. Carpenter, C.K. Ingham, and
Charles K. Mills which describes the activities and treatment
of Willie Ingham in 1893. There are a number of letters from
medical colleagues, including Walter Freeman, Robert P. Harris,
and J.M. Keating, and a fine letter, dated 19 August 1891, from
E.C. Wagner concerning his medical courses at the University
of Berlin, antisepsis, prostitution, and American physicians
in Berlin.
Series 2.5 is composed of six letters (1879-1880 and 1890), written
by noted Philadelphia physicians Alfred Stille, John Ashhurst,
Jr., D. Hayes Agnew, and Thomas Wistar, attesting to the medical
skill and personal probity of Thomas R. Neilson. Several of
these letters recommend Neilson for a position on the surgical
staff of Episcopal Hospital.
Records of Neilson's medical practice and teaching career at
several Philadelphia institutions are preserved in Series 3.
Neilson taught in the Medical Department at the University
of Pennsylvania, and Series 3.1 contains some notes, primarily
concerning the anatomy and surgery of the hernial regions, for
his lectures as well as his 1891 application for the post of
Clinical Professor of GenitoUrinary Diseases. Neilson was
not, however, appointed to this position until 1903. Neilson,
in conjunction with J. William White, also embarked on teaching
short courses of post graduate instruction in venereal and genito
urinary diseases, probably circa 1891. Neilson's lectures were
delivered at the Venereal Dispensary of the Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania. Series 3.2 contains a ten page typescript
fragment and manuscript notes of one of Neilson's lectures concerning
current theories on masturbation and impotence from this course.
The bulk of professional material in the Neilson Papers concerns
records from his surgical practice at Episcopal Hospital. In
addition to some correspondence, an 1876 printed manual listing
descriptions and dosages of pharmaceuticals from the Hospital
Dispensary, and a course outline for a nurses' lecture series
on surgery, Series 3.4 contains a detailed list of surgical
operations performed by Neilson from January through March,
1890, and twenty six files on individual surgical patients from
1890 and 1891. These files include detailed case histories,
temperature charts, and descriptions of surgical procedures.
Many of the cases deal with skull fractures, amputations, and cancers.
Neilson is listed as Attending Physician and Lewis H. Adler
as Resident Physician for most of these cases.
The collection shows little evidence of Thomas R. Neilson's activity
in many medical organizations. Series 4.1 contains printed
copies of Neilson's 1918 address as Acting President of the
College of Physicians of Philadelphia. He describes the achievements
and proceedings of the College, changes in Fellowship, new acquisitions
of incunabula by the Library, and summarizes the reports of
the standing committees, Sections, and Council. Neilson was
also a Fellow of the Philadelphia Academy of Surgery, and a
few items of correspondence are preserved in Series 4.2. Transcripts
of Neilson's remarks during two discussions of cases, one on fixation
of the knee presented by H. Augustus Wilson, the other concerning
compound skull fractures presented by DeForest Willard, are
also part of this series.
Series 5 is comprised of Neilson's financial records from 1886
to 1892. His account books contain information about not only
his personal expenses but also fees from his professional practice.
A few miscellaneous items are contained in Series 6. The series
includes a biographical memoir, presumably written by Neilson
in 1933, concerning Charles Berkeley Taylor, a Philadelphia
lawyer; calling cards; and copies of the printed charter and
by laws of the Church of the Ascension in Philadelphia and
correspondence concerning the church's organ. Neilson was an
active member of the Vestry of the Church of the Ascension.
Series 7 of the Neilson Papers contains a fine collection
of photographs, mostly of Thomas R. Neilson and his family.
There is also a set of four photographs depicting Neilson
performing surgery at Episcopal Hospital; photographs of the 40th,
50th, and 60th reunions of the University of Pennsylvania's
Class of 1877; and photographs and copies of engravings of John
B. Deaver.
Provenance
This collection of the papers of Thomas R. Neilson was donated
to the Historical Collections of the College of Physicians of
Philadelphia by Susan Neilson Tutolo, the daughter of Thomas
R. Neilson, Jr. The collection was originally received by the
Mutter Museum on 13 December 1988; certain artifacts were retained
by the Museum, and others returned to Susan Neilson Tutolo.
The Neilson Papers were received by the Historical Collections
on 16 February 1989 although most of the photographs came in
a separate accession on 15 March 1989. Before the donation,
a partial inventory of the collection was made by Joseph F.
Tutolo, Jr.
The collection was processed in July, 1989, and separate inventories
of the surgical case records and photograph were prepared.
1865-1937
2 boxes and 1 oversize folder
7/10/1989
jde
MSS 2/0021-01 Acc. 1989-015;
1989-030
THOMAS R. NEILSON
(1857-1939)
Papers,
1865-1937
Box Ser.
1 1 EDUCATION, 1865-1873; 1880
1.1 Academy of the Protestant Episcopal Church:
1. Reports (weekly), Class A (1 folder) 1865-1866
2. Reports (weekly), Class B (1 folder) 1866-1867
3. Reports (weekly), Class C 1 (1 folder) 1868
4. Reports (weekly), Class D 1 (1 folder) 1868
5. Reports (weekly), Class E 1 (1 folder) 1869-1870
6. Reports (weekly), Class F 1 (2 folders) 1870-1871
7. Reports (weekly), Form VI, 1 (1 folder) 1873
8. Good conduct citations and Class A booklist
(1 folder) 1865-1866
1.2 University of Pennsylvania Department of Medicine:
1. Commencement program and list of graduates
(1 folder) [1880]
2 CORRESPONDENCE, 1879-1893
2.1 Personal correspondence received from
Neilson Family members:
1. Thomas Neilson [father] (1 folder) 1891
2. Sarah Claypoole Neilson
[mother] (1 folder) 1881;1892
3. William D. Neilson? [brother] (1 folder) 1890
4. Robert H. Neilson [brother] (1 folder) 1888
5. Sarah Neilson [sister] (1 folder) n.d.
6. Lewis Neilson [brother] (1 folder) 1893
7. Mary Alice Neilson [sister] (1 folder) 1892
8. Miscellaneous Neilson family (1 folder) 1892
2.2 Personal correspondence received from friends
and colleagues concerning Sarah Neilson's death:
(1 folder) 1892
2.3 Professional correspondence sent (chronological):
(1 folder) 1891;1893
Box
1 2.4 Professional correspondence received (alphabetical):
1. "A" (1 folder) 1891;1893
2. "B" (1 folder) 1892;1893
3. "E" (1 folder) 1892
4. "F" (1 folder) 1893
5. "H" (1 folder) 1892
6. Willie Ingham Case (1 folder) 1893
7. "K" (1 folder) 1887;1891
8. "L" (1 folder) 1892;1893
9. "M" (1 folder) 1892
10. "N" (1 folder) 1892;1893
11. "R" (1 folder) 1892;1893
12. "S" (1 folder) 1888;1891
13. "T" (1 folder) 1892
14. "U" (1 folder) 1890
15. "W" (1 folder) 1891;1893
16. "Y" (1 folder) 1892
17. Unidentified correspondents (1 folder) 1892
2.5 Testimonial letters from physicians (1 folder):
1. Alfred Stille (1 item) 1880
2. John Ashhurst, Jr. (3 items) 1879-1890
3. D. Hayes Agnew (1 item) 1880
4. Thomas Wistar (1 item) 1880
3.RECORDS OF TEACHING AND MEDICAL AND SURGICAL PRACTICE, 1876-1893
3.1 University of Pennsylvania Medical Department:
1. Application for Clinical Professor of Genito
Urinary Diseases position (1 folder) 1891
2. Lecture notes (1 folder) 1889
3. Course announcements [printed] (1 folder) 1890;1893
4. Anatomical Room receipt books (2 volumes) 1888-1889
5. Miscellaneous correspondence
and printed materials (1 folder) 1886-1891
3.2 University of Pennsylvania Hospital:
NO
1. Lecture [incomplete] and notes for
post graduate instruction in venereal
and genito urinary diseases
(1 folder) [ca.1891?]
3.3 Philadelphia Polyclinic and College
for Graduates in Medicine:
1. Correspondence received (1 folder) 1890-1893
Box
1 3.4 Hospital of the Protestant Episcopal Church:
1. Correspondence sent and received
(1 folder) 1890-1891
2. Admission tickets [blank] (1 folder) n.d.
3. "Prescribing manual of the Dispensary"
[printed] (1 volume) 1876
4. Outline of lectures delivered to nurses in
the Training School (1 folder) [ca.1890]
Box
5. Surgical case lists (1 folder) 1888;1890
2 6. Surgical case records [refer to separate list]
(26 folders) 1890-1891
7. Case notes on Charles W. Pierce (1 folder) [ca.1890?]
3.5 Private practice:
1. Notes on cases and prescriptions
(1 folder) 1891;n.d.
4.PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, 1890-1893; 1918
4.1 College of Physicians of Philadelphia:
1. Address of acting president [printed]
(2 copies) (1 folder) 1918
4.2 Philadelphia Academy of Surgery:
1. Correspondence received; notice of meeting; and
transcripts of remarks on case presentations by
H. Augustus Wilson and DeForest Willard
(1 folder) 1890-1893
5. FINANCIAL RECORDS, 1886-1892
1. Account book personal expenses
(1 volume) 1888-1891
2. Account book (1 volume) 1886-1892
3. Correspondence sent and received
(1 folder) 1886;1892
4. Notes and summaries of expenses (1 folder) 1886-1888
6. MISCELLANEOUS, 1888-1893; 1933
6.1 Writings:
1. "Charles Berkeley Taylor: a memory"
typescript (5 p.). (1 folder) 1933
Box
2 6.2 Church of the Ascension, Philadelphia, Pa.:
1. Correspondence received and
charter and by laws [printed] (1 folder) 1888-1893
6.3 Calling cards:
(1 folder) [ca.1891?]
7.PHOTOGRAPHS, 1882-1937 [refer to separate listing;
indicates some items filed with MSS Oversize]
7.1 Thomas R. Neilson (14 items) 1886-1935
7.2 Group photographs (8 items) 1900-1937
7.3 Neilson Family (10 items) 1882-1925
7.4 John B. Deaver (5 items) [n.d.]
1865-1937
2 boxes and 1 oversize folder
7/07/1989
jde