Oberlin College Archives | Holdings | Finding Guides | 30/337 - James Dascomb (1808-1880)

30/337 - James Dascomb (1808-1880)
Scope and Content
The James Dascomb papers document his medical career in Oberlin-- the collection contains many of his own notes concerning his practice. These notes include lists of births and deaths (and in some cases, the cause of death), visits and treatment of patients, and exploration of medical botany. Some of the items are typed, including a formal copy of an address he delivered on the topic of homeopathy. Most of the notes are in a handwritten journal which includes several pages of pressed plants with accompanying notes, and an essay (on loose pages) entitled "Cholera Spasmodica in North America." Though the collection does not provide much insight into Dascomb's personal life, it does provide a good deal of information about medical practices and concerns in Oberlin during the period of 1833-1850.
Series Descriptions
The collection is divided into three series: 1. Notes relating to Dascomb's Medical Practice, 2. Talk, and 3. Writing by Dascomb. Series 1. Notes Relating to Dascomb's Medical Practice, 1833-1836, n.d. (3 folders) Consists of a notebook and loose notes (originals and copies) concerning James Dascomb's medical practice in Oberlin. Series 2. Talk, 1850 (1 folder) Consists of one talk by James Dascomb titled "An Inquiry into the Principles and Practice of Homeopathy," delivered before the Society of Inquiry, at Oberlin, 1850. Series 3. Writing by James Dascomb, n.d. (1 folder) James Dascomb's essay titled "Cholera Spasmodica in North America," n.d., is the only writing in this series.
Provenance
The papers of James Dascomb were received from the Oberlin College Library’s Special Collections Department in 2001 [2001/094].
Related Materials
For other information concerning Dascomb's life, consult: Fairchild, James Harris. Review of Dr. Dascomb's Life Delivered at his Funeral. The Oberlin College Alumni Magazine. April 22, 1880. For further information on medical practices in Oberlin, consult George C. Jameson's article "Medical Practice in Oberlin: 1834-1934," located in the George C. Jameson Papers, RG 30/341, in the Archives. See also the former Faculty, Staff, and Trustee records (RG 28) for information concerning James and Marianne Dascomb.


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