John Wiley papers
Scope and Contents
This small collection of five notebooks documents John Wiley's
medical education at Jefferson Medical College, 1835-1837, and
gives some sketchy information about his later professional
life.
The heart of the collection consists of one volume of Wiley's
notes (1835-1837) on the lectures of Jefferson faculty, including:
Samuel Colhoun on materia medica; Robley Dunglison on physiology;
Jacob Green on chemistry; George McClellan on surgery; Granville
Sharp Pattison on anatomy; and a lengthy series of notes on
John Revere's lectures on the practice of medicine.
Three volumes of the Wiley collection contain extensive notes
(1835-1842) on medical texts many of which Wiley was reading
in the spring and summer of 1835, possibly preceding his course
work at Jefferson. Authors read include Samuel Cooper on surgery;
William P. Dewees on obstetrics; John Eberle on materia medica
and the practice of medicine; and William E. Horner on anatomy.
In addition to some of Wiley's later notes on John Eberle's texts,
the fifth volume of the collection contains some miscellaneous
material such as drafts of a deed and a quit claim for a Cape
May Court House tavern of which Wiley was a trustee in 1854
as well as floor plans for the Wiley house. This series also
contains a receipt for Wiley's work in association with the
U.S. Marine Hospital at Great Egg
Harbor (1852) and two letters, one from Joshua Swain, appointing
Wiley as attending physician to an almshouse at Townsends Inlet
(1854), and one from William S. Bowen
outlining the correct procedure for submitting bills (1855).
This item also is probably related to the Marine Hospital Service.
Dates
- Creation: 1834 - 1855
Creator
- Wiley, John (Person)
Biographical / Historical
John Wiley was born on 6 August 1815, possibly in Sharptown, New Jersey. He received his M.D. from Jefferson Medical College in 1837 and practiced in Cape May Court House, New Jersey. Very little is known of his professional career. He appears to have provided medical care to seamen at the U.S. Marine Hospital at Great Egg Harbor in 1852 and been attending physician to an almshouse at Townsends Inlet in 1854-1855. Wiley was a president of the Cape May County Medical Society. He died during an epidemic of the grippe at Cape May Court House on 24 December 1891.
Full Extent
5 Volumes (5 volumes and 3 folders)
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
The John Wiley notebooks were purchased by the Historical Collections of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia from Palinurus Bookseller, P.O. Box 15923, Philadelphia, PA 19103 on 14 September 1987.
Subject
- Jefferson Medical College (Organization)
- Title
- John Wiley papers
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia Repository
19 S. 22nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19103 United States


