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Charles B. Pittinger Letter on The Anesthetization of Fanny Longfellow for Childbirth on April 7, 1847

 Collection
Identifier: MS-1650

  • Staff Only

This collection consists of a letter written by Dr. Charles B. Pittinger of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine affirming a statement made by the National Museum of American History that Fanny Longfellow, wife of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was the first person to receive obstetrical anesthesia in the United States from Dr. Nathan Cooley Keep. The letter is undated.

Dates

  • 1847

Conditions Governing Access

Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Conditions Governing Use

The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Abstract

This collection consists of a letter written by Dr. Charles B. Pittinger of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine affirming a statement made by the National Museum of American History that Fanny Longfellow, wife of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was the first person to receive obstetrical anesthesia in the United States from Dr. Nathan Cooley Keep. The letter is undated.

Biographical/Historical Note

Frances Fanny Appleton was born in 1817. She married Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on May 10, 1843. They had six children together; their daughter, Fanny, was born on April 7, 1847. Fanny Appleton Longfellow died from complications on July 9, 1861, after setting her dress on fire with a candle and badly burning herself.

Dr. Nathan Cooley Keep was born in Longmeadow, Massachusetts on December 23, 1800. He received his M.D. from Harvard University in 1827 and practiced dentistry for many years. He was also a practicing physician known for his use of anesthesia for childbirth. He died in 1875.

Dr. Charles B. Pittinger was born in 1913. He received his M.D. from the University of Cincinatti in 1949 and his M.S. in Anesthesiology from the University of Iowa. He taught Anesthesiology and Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University and served as President of the Nashville Society of Anesthesiologists. He passed away in 1990.

Arrangement

This collection consists of a single folder.

Acquisition Note

This collection was donated to Special Collections by the author.

Repository Details

Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository

Contact:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville TN 37996 USA
865-974-4480