William J. Morton Papers, 1871-1916
Collection Summary
Title
William J. Morton Papers
Date Span
1871-1916
Call Number
Mss.arc
Creator
Morton, William J. (William James), 1846-1920
Collection Size
.6 linear feet (1 box, 1 oversize container)
Language
The primary language used is English; French and German are also present.
Repository
New York Academy of Medicine Library. The Drs. Barry and Bobbi Coller Rare Book Reading Room.
Biographical Note
Historical Statement
Dr. William J. Morton (1846-1920) was the son of Dr. William T.G. Morton, who is largely credited with the first successful demonstration of ether anesthesia in 1846. Dr. Morton was a neurologist in New York, and a member of the New York Academy of Medicine. He was particularly interested in the developing field of radiology, and co-authored the book “X-ray; or Photography of the invisible and its value in surgery” with Edwin W. Hammer in 1896. His research in the field was widely covered by both national newspapers and scientific journals.
Collection Description
Scope and Content
The collection is comprised of scrapbooks of newspaper clippings; a photo album of cancer patients; correspondence; reprints of his published journal articles; and contact lists. The majority of the scrapbooks contain newspaper articles documenting his work with X-rays and the use of trypsin, of which he was a strong proponent, as a cure for cancer. The scrapbooks also contain various other articles relating to Dr. Morton, or that he found of interest, including several on the protection of dogs from vivisection. The articles are taken from local New York newspapers (New York Herald, New York Tribune, New York World), national newspapers (Commercial Gazette, San Francisco Examiner), and national medical and scientific journals (Electrical Journal, Scientific American, New York Medical Journal).
Arrangement of Collection
The collection is comprised of two scrapbooks, a photo album, and four folders. The majority of the scrapbooks are newspaper clippings collected by Dr. Morton with his order preserved. The folders contain a mixture of correspondences, journal articles, newspaper articles and contact lists organized by country.
Administrative Info
Collection processed and described by Nathan Dvorkin
Requests for permission to quote from or publish any materials should be directed to the reference librarian or curator in writing.
Preferred Citation
William J. Morton Papers. The Drs. Barry and Bobbi Coller Rare Book Reading Room, New York Academy of Medicine Library.
Provenance
Gift of Mrs. William J. Morton, 1947.
Collection Contents
Series 1: William J. Morton Papers
Container Description
Box 1 Folder 1 Poem , “Birth and Death of Pain,” by Silas Weir Mitchell, – 1896
Box 1 Folder 2 Assorted clippings and journal articles
Box 1 Folder 3 Contacts lists
Box 1 Folder 4 Letters
Box 1 Scrapbook with articles on trypsin as a cure for cancer, – 1871-1911
Box 1 Photo album of cancer patients, – bulk 1902-1905
Box 2 Scrapbook with clippings on the X-ray and radiology, – 1896
Box 2 is a flat, oversize container.
Find Similar Resources
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of The New York Academy of Medicine Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
| Anesthesiology — History | |
| X-Rays | |
| Radiology — History | |
| Trypsin | |
| Cancer | |
| Morton, W. T. G. (William Thomas Green), 1819-1868 | |
| Morton, William J. (William James), 1846-1920 |