The MLA Philadelphia Regional Chapter invites you to Philadelphia over the 1998 Memorial Day weekend to attend the MLA Centennial Conference in the city where the Medical Library Association began!
In this article we want to give you a glimpse of both colonial Philadelphia, where so many "firsts" occurred in "physic" (an early term for the practice or profession of medicine), and of modern-day Philadelphia, where nearly 15% of the private-sector jobs are in the health care industry. Along the way, we hope to intrigue you so that during your visit, you'll want to see first-hand some of the fascinating, medically-oriented facilities in the Philadelphia area. Some of these same places will be part of an MLA Conference tour that focuses on 18th century medicine--refer to your preliminary conference program for sign-up information. If you can't spare the time for an in-person visit, take a virtual tour of some of these sites by following the links throughout this article.
Of course, Philadelphia has many notable libraries to visit, including the Free Library of Philadelphia, modeled after the Hotel Crillon on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, and the Rosenbach Museum and Library which houses more than 30,000 rare books. You could easily spend a month touring some of the more than 800 libraries in the Greater Philadelphia region. We invite you to do so!
Modern-day Philadelphia is the second largest medical research and education center in the United States. The Greater Philadelphia region can boast of more than 120 hospitals and clinics, including 20 teaching hospitals and 6 medical schools; more than 70 manufacturers of medical instruments; more than 60 biomedical research firms and 40 pharmaceutical companies; as well as nearly 10,000 physicians. It's no surprise then that this impressive modern-day industry can trace its roots back to the 1700s and 1800s when even then Philadelphia was the hub of much medical-related activity:
| 1751 | The Pennsylvania Hospital, the oldest hospital in America, was founded by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. Its library, the first medical library in the Colonies, began 11 years later. |
| 1765 | Benjamin Franklin founded the first medical school in America at the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania), which he also had founded. Dr. John Morgan, who delivered the address at the opening ceremony, filled the first medical professorship. |
| 1773 | The American Medical Society was founded by students who came from different parts of the Union to attend medical lectures. |
| 1774 | Physicians in Philadelphia formed the Society for Inoculating the Poor, the first benevolent association designed to relieve the horrors of small pox. |
| 1786 | The Philadelphia Dispensary for the medical relief of the poor the first of its kind in the United States was established by Dr. Benjamin Rush. |
| 1787 | The oldest honorary medical academy in the country, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, was founded. |
| 1852 | For the first time in history, the degree of medicine was conferred upon women at the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania. |
| 1892 | The Wistar Institute of Anatomy, the country's oldest independent research facility dedicated to biomedical research and instruction, was founded. |
| 1898 | The Medical Library Association was founded in Philadelphia. |
Excerpted in part and adapted from Rudolph J. Walther's Philadelphia Firsts 1681-1899
Historical libraries and special medical collections abound in Philadelphia. Following is just a sampling of the places and collections you could see during your stay:
| AIDS Library | 1211 Chestnut Street, 7th Floor (215) 575-1110, ext. 2 Founded in 1987, the AIDS Library was the nation's first public lending library dedicated to HIV/AIDS information. It contains a comprehensive multi-media, multi-lingual collection of monographs, serials, vertical files, audio and video cassettes relating to HIV/AIDS. In 1995, resources expanded to include the electronic database OASIS (Online AIDS Information Services) for HIV/AIDS information and services referral. Closed Sundays and holidays. Call for hours. |
| Archives & Special Collections on Women in Medicine |
http://www.auhs.edu/ofcdev/archives/geninfo6.htm#collection Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, Conference Center Building, 3200 Henry Avenue (215) 842-4700 This special collection preserves the history of women physicians in the United States. If you go, please call ahead for an appointment. |
| Bartram Gardens |
http://www.libertynet.org/iha/tour/_bartram.html 54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard (215) 729-5281 John Bartram (1677-1777) is recognized for advancing the science of botany in the New World. He was also a "doctor" in an age when physicians were few. Today, surrounded by oil refineries and railroad tracks, Bartram Gardens is a jewel of Philadelphia past with its beautiful grounds and well-preserved house and outbuildings. Open weekdays, noon-5:00 p.m.; weekends, noon-4:00 p.m. Gardens, free; house tour, $3.00 per person. |
| Thomas Bond House | 129 S. 2nd Street (800) 834-BOND Once the home of colonial doctor Dr. Thomas Bond, this house is now a popular Bed & Breakfast. |
| College of Physicians of Philadelphia |
http://www.collphyphil.org/ 19 S. 22nd Street (215) 563-3737 The oldest private medical society in the country, the College of Physicians encourages the study the relationship between medicine and society. The collections of the Historical Library date from 1788 and contain many manuscripts, rare editions of scientific works, and personal and professional papers. Open to the public, free of charge, by appointment only, Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. The C. Everett Koop Community Health Information Center (CHIC) provides the public with access to a wide range of reliable, current information about health topics. Along with the Modern Library which houses the professional biomedical collection, it is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. No visit to the College is complete without a stop in the Mutter Museum with its collections of pathological and anatomical specimens and medical instruments. Check the web site for hours of operation and admission fees. |
| Delaware Academy of Medicine |
http://www.delamed.org/ 1925 Lovering Avenue, Wilmington, DE (302) 656-6398 The Delaware Academy of Medicine was organized in 1930 by local physicians and dentists to foster interest in medicine, science and educational activities. The Academy's Lewis B. Flinn Library attempts to preserve the history of medicine and dentistry in Delaware. Staff also operate a Consumer Health Library for the citizens of Delaware. The Academy and libraries are open weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. |
| Eakins Gallery, Thomas Jefferson University | http://www.tju.edu Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust Street (215) 955-6000 Portraitist Thomas Eakins studied anatomy at Jefferson Medical College. His celebrated painting, The Gross Clinic, hangs in the Eakins Gallery. This painting is considered by many to be the most important example of realist art in America. An oil painting by his student and wife Susan Macdowell Eakins, Portrait of a Soldier, hangs in the anteroom of the Gallery. Stop at the Alumni Hall reception desk for directions. |
| Historical Society of Pennsylvania | http://www.libertynet.org/~pahist 1300 Locust Street (215) 732-6201 Founded in 1824, HSP is one of the oldest historical societies in the United States and, because of its vast collections, is highly regarded as a "scholar's retreat." Of special interest to the medical community are the record books of the United States Sanitary Commission and Fair, 1817-1873, the casebook (1814-1831) of midwife Mrs. Joseph Farber, and the business papers (1762-1768) of Christopher and Charles Marshall, drug manufacturers. HSP is currently working with Thomas Jefferson University to scan 1,000 images of the history of Philadelphia health care. Call or consult the web site for hours of operation and admission fees. |
| Library Company of Philadelphia | http://www.voicenet.com/~lcp3/ 1314 Locust Street (215) 546-3181 Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin and a group of his friends as a subscription library, The Library Company is the only major colonial American library that survives virtually intact. Open free to the public, 9:00 a.m.-4:45 p.m. weekdays, the overall collection is strong in American architecture, agriculture, banking, business, education, natural history, science, and medicine. One of its major collections is the library of colonial physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. Benjamin Rush. |
| Pennsylvania Hospital |
http://www.libertynet.org/iha/tour/_hosp.html 800 Spruce Street (215) 829-8796 Pennsylvania Hospital, the oldest hospital in America, is today a busy modern hospital where you can still sense the past. The historical library in the Penn Building features massive bookcases with hand-blown glass panes. Outside the library, you'll find portraits of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and of yellow-fever fighting Dr. Benjamin Rush. Up the large double staircase you'll find the Amphitheatre where surgical procedures were performed from 1804 to 1868. North of the Pine Building is the Gallery Pavilion where you will find Benjamin West's famous 1817 painting Christ Healing the Sick in the Temple. Stroll through the grounds and view a medicinal herb garden. Guided tours are available, weekdays, 9:00-4:30 p.m. Self-guided tour information is also available. Inquire at the Welcome Desk, Preston Building, 8th & Spruce Streets. |
| Physick House |
http://www.libertynet.org/iha/districts/societyhill/physi.htm 321 S. 4th Street (215) 925-7866 The only free-standing house in Society Hill, the Physick House is a magnificent example of Federal style architecture. Dr. Philip Syng Physick lived here from 1790 until 1815 and his descendants until 1941. A room honoring Dr. Physick and his many surgical inventions is on the second floor. The Physick House is open for tours on Thursday through Saturdays on the hours of 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. |
| University of Pennsylvania | http://www.upenn.edu Stroll especially Walnut Street to Hamilton Walk from 34th Street to 38th Street; the Biomedical Library is at 36th & Hamilton Walk (215) 898-5000 For architectural enthusiasts, the Penn campus is a delightful mix of old and new. Several buildings are historical landmarks, including, in the biomedical complex, the Leidy Laboratory and Goddard Laboratory, which was designed by Louis Kahn. Stop in the Morgan Building of the medical school to view the Agnew Clinic painting by Thomas Eakins. Also on this campus you can visit the Fisher Fine Arts Library, designed by well-known Philadelphia architect Frank Furness, which was recently magnificently restored. |
The author wishes to thank the following colleagues for their contributions to this article:
December 13, 1997