Letters From THE COLORED HOME and HOSPITAL of New York City, 1872

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An important pair of 1872 letters written by a recently graduated medical physician William Osborn Ballantine (1848-1929) from "The Colored Home and Hospital of New York City. Founded in 1839. After nearly ten years of operation at "Woodside" near the North river; the institution relocated to the intersection of First Avenue and 65th Street where a home, chapel, hospital for general diseases, and a lying-hospital was built. The "Colored Home and Hospital" was established to care for New York City's "worthy aged" or "indigent colored persons". It became one of the city's most important hospitals for its black residents and played a important role in giving aid to the victims of New York's 1863 draft riots. In 1892, King's Handbook of New York City, noted that the "Commissioners of Public Charities have the right to place in the institution adult destitute, infirm, sick and incurable colored persons of either sex for whose support partial provision is made from the public funds". Dr. William Osborn Ballantine, writes from the "Colored Home" [and Hospital], New York, April 21, 1872 and July 3, 1872, to "My dear Peabody", reading, in part: "…I find myself very pleasantly situated in my new quarters…I shall get enough experience during the year to pay for my remaining here. I have seen some interesting cases indeed…I have charge of the drug room and lying in ward especially. Have confined three cases already and expect to another before tomorrow morning. Our opportunities for post-mortem are among the best in the city. We have a very fine Dead House and we have a chance to make a Post-Mortem on almost every case that dies here. Then we have a fine microscope which is attached to the Institution which we can use at any time…Dr. Whitall the superintending physician is a thoroughly posted man and among other things makes a specialty of pathology. He is always present at the post mortems and explains everything…very clearly…in regards to the working of the microscope…I have got so as to distinguish the common forms of crystals which occur in urine and to some extent casts also…I hope before my year is out to be somewhat skilled in the use of the microscope. I did not know the great variety of uses the microscope could be put to and how important and necessary…it was to a physician's outfit. We get splendid living and everything is homelike…I have a room and bed to myself…we will try and let you see everything of interest in the institution…one of the house physicians has had his whole family…here…W. O. Ballantine…[July 3, 1872]…this is warm enough weather to suit India. Ice is in great demand. Lots of cases of sunstroke this year. We at the Col. [colored] Home had a private patient…who died of upstroke. It was an interesting and instructive case…W. O. Ballantine." Ballantine, a son of a missionary, was born in Ahmednuggur, India on Feb. 9, 1849. Educated at Amherst College, Ballantine attended New York University Medical School from 1869-1872. Upon graduation he served as assistant physician and house physician at the "Colored Home and Hospital" until 1873. After practicing for a time in Columbus, Ohio, he returned to India in 1875 in the employment of the British government in order to report on the condition of that country's famine epidemic. He remained in India spending the rest of his life working in that country as a missionary. Both original stamped transmittal covers are included. Near fine.

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