Dr. James Macdonald Collection of Correspondence
This collection consists of six letters written to Dr. James Macdonald, and addressed to him in London, England and Paris, France, while he was visiting European mental institutions and noting improvements in the care and treatment of patients. His job was to report to the "Asylum Committee" on a monthly basis.
Dates
- 1831-1838
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
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
Abstract
This collection consists of six letters written to Dr. James Macdonald in London, England and Paris, France, while he was on tours of Europe, visiting mental institutions and noting improvements in the care and treatment of patients.
Biographical/Historical Note
Dr. James Allan Macdonald was born in 1803. He graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York in 1924. He specialized in the care of individuals with mental disorders. In 1825, Dr. James Macdonald was appointed resident physician at the Bloomingdale Lunatic Asylum and remained there until the end of 1830. In 1831, Macdonald was sent on tour in Europe to study some of the principal institutions that cared for the mentally ill. In 1837, James's brother Allan became a proprietor of a private mental institution in New York City. The two brothers purchased the private residence of Nathan Sanford in Flushing, NY and transformed it an institution for the mentally ill. The brothers transferred all of their patients to the new Sanford Hall Institution. James Macdonald died suddenly in 1849, and the management of the institution was passed to his wife Eliza. The institution remained in the family for several years.
Acquisition Note
Purchased by Special Collections in 2013 from Michael Brown Rare Books. ($500)
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository