Edward Jenner papers, 1800-1822 and undated.

Source Collection

This digital collection comprises selected materials from the following archival collection at David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library:

Edward Jenner papers 1777, 1800-1822

Collection #RL.11401 | 1.4 Linear Feet (1 box and 2 volumes; 71 items)

ABSTRACT
Edward Jenner (1749-1823) was an English surgeon and naturalist known for developing the smallpox vaccine. This collection dates from 1777-1822 and consists mainly of letters written by Edward Jenner to family and friends as well as officials and associates concerned with smallpox vaccination. The collection also includes prescriptions, poems, and a notebook (1810-1812) with Jenner's details on his patients and their treatments for various illnesses, including syphilis, gout, and heart ailments, along with records of many vaccinations. Correspondence topics include: activities of various vaccination programs at home and abroad, including the Royal Jennerian Society and the National Vaccine Establishment; medical cases and consultations; Jenner's recognition in Parliament as discoverer of the smallpox vaccine and his appointment as physician extraordinary to George IV; requests for positions on behalf of others and for the return of a relative who was a prisoner of war in France; updates on health and activities of family members and acquaintances, including the health of his wife Catherine, who suffered from tuberculosis; and financial matters. Family correspondents include Catherine Jenner, brother-in-law William Davies, nephew William Davies, and sister Mary Black. Other correspondents include John Hunter, Thomas Pruen, Thomas Paytherus, Charles Henry Parry, Samuel Bell Labatt, and Charles Murray.

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