Stearns, Samuel, 1747-1809. Medical notebook of Samuel Stearns, circa 1773. H MS b1.1, Countway Library of Medicine.

Notebook containing descriptions of various diseases and medical conditions and recommended treatments collected by New England physician Samuel Stearns (1747-1809) in circa 1773. There are entries in alphabetical order including instructions on preventing abortion (miscarriage), setting fractures, and for treating melancholy, taken sometimes from the published works of other physicians, such as Richard Brookes (1721-1763), whose prescription for cancer Stearns transcribed. The notebook is dated 1773 and may have been intended for publication as part of a medical dispensatory Stearns was attempting to compile, beginning in 1772. As part of his efforts, Stearns traveled to hear medical lectures in North America, England, Scotland, Ireland, and France. The volume bears the locations including London, England; Québec, Canada; and Pembroke, New Hampshire, on the title page and flyleaf.