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Constant Merrick Physician's Account Book


Finding aid created by: MRR
Date: 14 Jul 2006

Biographical History

Dr. Constant Merrick lived and practiced medicine in Longmeadow, Massachusetts (1796-1797) and Franklin, Connecticut (1797-1800). In 1802 he moved with his family to Madison County, New York, near Hamilton and in 1807 he was present at the meeting that selected the site for the new village of Lebanon. He became deeply involved in his adopted community, being a founding member of the county medical society, a member of the first school commission, and an election inspector among other public services. He remained in Lebanon, New York until his death in 1828.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Constant Merrick Physician's Account Book details not only Dr. Merrick's treatment of hundreds of named patients but also his relocations to Connecticut and New York. Since Madison County was not formed until 1806 and Lebanon not formed until 1807, Dr. Merrick's entries include the names of numerous Madison County pioneers. Not infrequently an individual's military rank is noted, many of the early settlers being veterans of the Revolutionary War who migrated from various New England states to take up pension lands in New York. Dr. Merrick visited his patients in their homes (as witnessed by his documented travel expenses, which sometimes exceeded his medical fee) and extracted teeth, set broken bones, prescribed elixirs and medicines, opened abscesses and performed abortions.

The account book also gives details of Dr Merrick's own life, including an epidemic that killed his son, his purchase of foodstuffs and liquor, and his acquisition of farmland. Other entries testify to his importance in the community. Seldom does a single individual's ledger contain as much information on the founding years of a community as does this volume. Happily, Dr. Merrick possessed a clear, neat hand and the book is easily legible.

Arrangement of the Collection

Single item.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

See also Lowell Holbrook Physician's Account Book and David M. Benson Physician's Account Book.

Subject Headings

Persons

Merrick, Constant

Subjects

Medicine -- Practice -- Accounting
Physicians -- Biography.
Physicians -- Connecticut -- Franklin
Physicians -- Massachusetts -- Longmeadow.
Physicians -- New York (State) -- Lebanon

Places

Lebanon (Madison County, N.Y.) -- History
Madison County (N.Y.) -- History -- 19th century
New York State -- History -- 1775-1865

Genres and Forms

Account books.
Daybooks.

Occupations

Physicians.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Constant Merrick Physician's Account Book,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchased with funds from Library Associates, 2006.

Table of Contents

Business records

Inventory