Title: American Institute of the History of Pharmacy Collected Records
Inclusive Dates: 1855-1923

Creator:

• American Institute of the History of Pharmacy

Call Number: Mss 726; Micro 1124

Quantity: 48.2 c.f. (7 archives boxes and 48 flat boxes) and 18 reels of microfilm (35 mm)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Records of retail pharmaceutical businesses in Wisconsin, Indiana, New York, and South Carolina, consisting of prescription registers and financial records. Prescription registers, which primarily document firms in Madison, Wisconsin (1859-1907); Charleston, South Carolina (1868-1882); New York City (1859-1923); and Indianapolis, Indiana (1870-1905) consist of microfilmed scrapbooks of physicians' handwritten prescription slips. Most extensively documented are the New York City pharmacy Ewen McIntyre & Son and the Madison firm Dunning & Sumner. Records of the latter firm also include daybooks, ledgers, and other miscellaneous financial records covering the period 1859-1914.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00726

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Of the drug and pharmaceutical businesses documented in this collection, historical information is available only for Ewen McIntyre & Son and for the Madison, Wisconsin, firm of Dunning & Sumner. This latter firm was founded in February 1859 when Philo Dunning, John H. Jones, and Edwin Sumner joined in a pharmacy and grocery business on what is now South Pinckney Street. It may be that James W. Sumner was also involved in the business. According to their first day book, Dunning invested $2000.00 and Jones $1000.00. Until 1862 the name was Dunning, Jones & Sumner, after which it became Dunning & Sumner.

Both Philo Dunning (1819-1900) and Edwin Sumner (1841-1920), who was his son-in-law, became leaders in Madison civic and political circles. In 1853-1854, Dunning served as treasurer of Dane County, and he was later elected a supervisor of the city of Madison. He also served as a member of the Wisconsin Assembly in 1873 and in 1879 was appointed by Governor Smith to the Fish Commission, a post in which he continued for fifteen years. Sumner held lesser posts in the community and was involved in the Madison Fire Department from 1863 to 1865. He was also a Mason and a trustee of the First Congregational Church for more than 50 years.

About 1883 a shift had occurred in the nature of the firm. At this time the firm deemphasized groceries and specialized in wholesale and retail drugs, oils, brushes, and paints. This specialization coincided with a similar specialization among other Madison pharmacies. The 1858 Madison city directory noted six firms in the retail drug and grocery business. Over time this number changed to four in 1866, five in 1875, eight in 1888 (with only half of these eight also listed as grocery stores), twelve in 1896, and fourteen in 1904.

Shortly before the turn of the century Dunning retired from the business. About 1904 Louis D. Sumner joined his father in the company, and the firm became known as Edwin Sumner & Son. In 1909 the Sumners entered into a partnership agreement with N.J. Cramton, and a branch called Sumner & Cramton was opened on State Street, while the original Sumner & Son drug store remained at 15 South Pinckney Street. The firm continued its operations until the 1930s, although the circumstances and dates of its dissolution are not known.

New York Pharmacist Ewen McIntyre Sr. was born on a farm near Johnstown, New York on January 25, 1825. When he was seventeen years old he moved to New York City where he worked in a pharmacy and attended the College of Pharmacy of the City of New York, graduating in 1847. McIntyre opened his first pharmacy about that time at Broadway and Eighteenth Street. Although this address was almost outside the city limits, McIntyre prospered, and he soon attracted the patients of the most prominent city physicians. About 1880 he opened a branch at 56th Street and Sixth Avenue, which was eventually managed by his son Ewen McIntyre Jr. In 1890 he disposed of the older property.

McIntyre was one of the most prominent New York pharmacists, serving as president of the College of Pharmacy of the City of New York (1877-1890) and as a member of the board of trustees (1880-1892). He was also an active member of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.

This collection of retail pharmaceutical business records does not fully document individual firms. Rather, these records offer unique documentation collected by the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy for the study of therapeutics. With this collection, one can examine trands with regard to the types and frequency of medicine actually administered from the pre-Civil War era to the turn of the twentieth century. Though geographic diversity is limited, the data does permit comparisons between regions and between cities and small towns. Unfortunately, the prescription books only document the specific formulation, the prescribing doctor, and the patient, not the symptoms being treated.

There is one exception to this form of documentation. That is a virtually complete set of financial records (as well as the prescription books) for the Madison firm Dunning & Summer. Because of the long time period documented, one can trace the evolution of the firm from a general mercantile firm to its later specialization in pharmacy.

A significant portion of the collection is the records from the New York firm of Ewen McIntyre & Son. These prescription records were donated to the AIHP by the Columbia University School of Pharmacy to whom they had apparently been donated by Ewen McIntyre, Jr., during the 1920s. They now comprise one of the longest known runs of such records, although the run of volumes (1859-1895) contains numerous gaps. The vast majority of the volumes are unidentified, but the sequence of the prescription numbers and other internal evidence suggests their provenance. It is not known, however, to which branch of the firm they belong.

The records are arranged alphabetically by state and by city and then by prescription number, which is a rough chronological sequence. In the case of Dunning & Summer for which there are financial records as well as prescription books, the financial records have been grouped by type. Because of their deteriorating condition, many of the prescription books have been microfilmed and the originals destroyed. Because of the large size of the original volumes filming was done without the use of a counter.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, Madison, Wisconsin, April 16, 1971, May 17, 1972, August 8, 1987, and July 1, 1988. Accession Number: M71-293, M72-178, M87-382, M88-211.

Processing Information

Processed and prepared for microfilming by Anita Taylor (Carolyn J. Mattern), 1987. Additions processed by William Beaudreau and James Russo (Carolyn J. Mattern), 1988.

Micro 1124	Indiana
	Greensburg
	Temperance Drug Store, Batterton & Bro.
Reel   1	Prescription book, circa 1880s [Prescription #628-1829]
	Indianapolis
Reel   1	Henry Hannaman & Company Prescription book, 1870 April-1871 February [Prescription #4820-6989]
	H.E. Zimmer Prescription books
Reel   1	, 1891 November-1894 July [Prescription #19469-23093]
Reel   2	, 1894 July-1897 [Prescription #23094-28025]
Reel   2	, 1899 August-1901 March [Prescription #34490-38164]
Reel   3	, 1901 April-1903 March [Prescription #38165-41750]
	New York
	New York City
Reel   3	R. Vanderemde's Pharmacy Prescription book, 1881 July-1882 April [Prescription #60500-65882]
Mss 726	Ewen McIntyre & Son Prescription book,
Box   19	, 1859 May 2-May 17 [Prescription #61855-62314]
Box   20	, 1860 April 20-August 15 [Prescription #72809-75906]
Box   20	, 1862 January 1-March 26 [Prescription #90772-93824]
Box   21	, 1862 April 1-July 31 [Prescription #94059-98648]
Box   22	, 1862 August 1-1863 February 16 [Prescription #98649-104592]
Box   23	, 1864 July 9-1865 February 11 [Prescription #122455-128988]
Box   24	, 1865 February 11-August 27 [Prescription #128989-136916]
Box   25	, 1866 February 11-May 30 [Prescription #143739-149954]
Box   26	, 1866 May 30-October 30 [Prescription #144956-154961 + 154997]
Box   27	, 1866 October 30-1867 February 26 [Prescription #154999-160362]
Box   28	, 1867 February 26-June 13 [Prescription #160363-165356]
Box   29	, 1867 June 13-November 15 [Prescription #165357-170168]
Box   30	, 1868 March 25-August 18 [Prescription #175039-179913]
Box   31	, 1869 August 19-1870 January 2 [Prescription #189153-197983; 197724-197761 missing]
Box   32	, 1871 June 14-1872 January 31 [Prescription #216486-223190]
Box   33	, 1872 April 7-June 13 [Prescription #226295-229027]
Box   34	, 1872 June 14-December 31 [Prescription #229028-234726]
Box   35	, 1875 April 20-September 30 [Prescription #262131-266474]
Box   36	, 1875 October 1-December 31 [Prescription #266475-270280]
Box   36	, 1876 January 1-March 7 [Prescription #270281-272970]
Box   37	, 1876 May 20-September 25 [Prescription #276966-279567]
Box   37	, 1876 September 26-December 31 [Prescription #279597-282541]
Box   38	, 1877 January 1-March 13 [Prescription #282542-286228]
Box   38	, 1877 March 13-May 21 [Prescription #286229-288737]
Box   39	, 1878 January 1-May 20 [Prescription #295686-298492]
Box   39	, 1878 June 14-October 21 [Prescription #301332-304152]
Box   40	, 1879 June 25-December 9 [Prescription #311811-315212]
Box   40	, 1879 December 9-1880 February 28 [Prescription #315213-317773]
Box   41	, 1880 February 28-June 4 [Prescription #317774-320896]
Box   41	, 1880 June 4-November 17 [Prescription #320897-324049]
Box   42	, 1881 May 1-September 23 [Prescription #329758-333558]
Box   42	, 1882 January 1-May 5 [Prescription #336068-339999]
Box   43	, 1882 November 24-1883 April 22 [Prescription #344000-348254]
Box   43	, 1883 April 22-November 1 [Prescription #348255-351122]
Box   44	, 1883 November 1-1884 April 16 [Prescription #351123-354496]
Box   45	, 1885 May 4-1886 January 2 [Prescription #361083-365627]
Box   45	, 1886 January 2-June 13 [Prescription #365628-369099]
Box   46	, 1888 March 23-November 9 [Prescription #379685-382777]
Box   47	, 1888 November 9-1889 August 27 [Prescription #382778-387350]
Box   48	, 1891 April 5-June 2 [Prescription #399061-401581]
Micro 1124 Reel   3	, 1895 April-November [Prescription #429197-432463]
	Unidentified
Reel   4	, 1855 July-December [Prescription #26530-30306]
Mss 726 Box   49	, 1870 October 26-1871 February 6 [Prescription #16300-16682]
Box   49	, 1871 April 11-1872 January 18 [Prescription #1-3271]
Box   49	, 1872 December 14-1873 March 8 [Prescription #8234-9858]
Micro 1124 Reel   4	, 1874 February-June [Prescription #247924-242743]
Reel   4	, 1875 December-1876 March [Prescription #31522-33612]
Mss 726 Box   50	, 1879 May 19-1880 February 1 [Prescription #48648-57894]
Box   50	, 1880 November 15-1881 July 22 [Prescription #56010-60497]
Box   51	, 1889 July 8-1890 January 19 [Prescription #50244-57079]
Box   52	, 1900 March 2-1902 July 24 [Prescription #8107-95025]
Box   53	, 1903 December 11-1904 February 1 [Prescription #89796-91048]
Box   54	, 1905 August 1-1909 July 12 [Prescription #126891-137488]
Box   54	, 1909 July 14-September 4 [Prescription #137450-137660]
Box   55	, 1923 February 17-June 1 [Prescription #55841-57504]
	South Carolina
	Charleston
Micro 1124	G.W. Aimar, Apothecary, Prescription books
Reel   5	1868 June-1869 April
Reel   5	1871 October-1872 May
Reel   6	1873 January-October
Reel   7	1875 June-1876 May
Reel   7	1878 October-1879 April
Reel   8	1881 August-1882 February
	Wisconsin
	Janesville
Mss 726	S. Heimstreet and Son, Druggist, Formulae books
Box   1 Folder   1	, 1873 November-1874 July [Prescription #11314-13257]
Box   1 Folder   2	, 1874 July-1875 April [Prescription #13258-19977]
Box   1 Folder   3	, 1877 July-1878 February [Prescription #40000-41635]
	La Crosse
Micro 1124	M. Wenzell and Moeller, Order and invoice book
Reel   8	1861 April-1864 February
	Madison
	Colwell & Company? Prescription book
Reel   8	, 1856 February?-1858 October [Prescription #144-1704]
Mss 726	Dunning & Sumner
Box   2 Folder   1	Letter book, 1859 May-1861 December
Micro 1124	Prescription books
Reel   9	, 1859 March-1862 November [Prescription #1852-9798]
Reel   9	, 1862 November-1864 September [Prescription #9799-16844]
Reel   10	, 1864 September-1865 December [Prescription #16844-23446]
Reel   10	, 1865 December-1867 May [Prescription #23447-29563]
Reel   10	, 1867 May-1868 June [Prescription #29564-31924]
Reel   11	, 1868 June-1870 February [Prescription #31925-37321]
Reel   11	, 1870 February-1871 May [Prescription #37322-41196]
Reel   11	, 1871 May-1872 September [Prescription #41212-44570]
Reel   12	, 1872 September-1873 September [Prescription #44571-47949]
Reel   12	, 1873 September-1874 September [Prescription #47950-51671]
Reel   12	, 1874 September-1875 October [Prescription #51672-55295]
Reel   13	, 1875 October-1876 October [Prescription #55297-58987]
Reel   13	, 1876 October-1878 March [Prescription #58992-64779]
Reel   13	, 1878 March-1879 October [Prescription #64780-69305]
Reel   14	, 1879 October-1881 April [Prescription #69306-74420]
Reel   15	, 1881 April-1883 January [Prescription #74421-80222]
Reel   15	, 1883 January-1885 December [Prescription #80223-84999]
Reel   15	, 1885 December-1887 December [Prescription #85000-89701]
Mss 726	Day books and journals
Box   2 Folder   2	1859 February-December
Box   3	, 1859 February-October (includes 1863 January-1866 November “A”)
Box   4 Folder   1	, 1859 December-1860 August “B”
Box   4 Folder   2	, 1860 August-1861 March “C”
Box   4 Folder   3	, 1861 April-October “D”
Box   5 Folder   1	1861 November-1862 November
Box   5 Folder   2	1862 November-1863 November
Box   6	, 1863 November-1864 November “G”
Box   7 Folder   1	, 1864 November-1865 October “H”
Box   7 Folder   2	, 1893 January-1894 August “F”
Box   8	, 1894 August-1896 May “G”
Box   9	, 1896 May-1897 December “H”
Box   10	, 1903 November-1905 November “L”
Box   11	, 1905 November-1908 February “M”
	Ledgers
Box   12	, 1886-1895 “C”
Box   13	1896-1907
Box   14 Folder   1	Draft register, 1875-1892
	Miscellaneous records
Box   14 Folder   2-3	Edwin Sumner's journals for Hastings & Jennings, 1859-1860
Box   14 Folder   4	Louis D. Sumner's personal expenses, 1897-1914
	Manawa
Micro 1124	L.B. Bullock and Sons Prescription books
Reel   15	, 1894 September-1895 May [Prescription #1-699]
Reel   16	, 1895 May-1898 March [Prescription #701-2639]
Reel   16	, 1903 August-1910 February [Prescription #4788-5978]
Reel   16	, 1910 February-1918 January [Prescription #5979-6787]
	Mazomanie
	Alfred Senier (Senier's Pharmacy) Prescription books
Reel   16	, 1870 March-1871 April [Prescription #1002-1588]
Reel   17	, 1871 April-1872 February [Prescription #1589-2173]
Reel   17	, 1872 February-December [Prescription #2174-5563]
Reel   17	, 1873 February-circa 1874 June [Prescription #10005-11162]
Reel   17	, 1874 June-1875 [Prescription #11172-114782]
Reel   17	, 1875 [Prescription #114826-116236]
	Milwaukee
Reel   17	A.H. Cohn and Ruentzels Pharmacy Prescription book, 1887 November-1892 May [Prescription #27661-49068]
Mss 726	Louis P. Rupp Formulae books
Box   15	, 1877 December-1882 February [Prescription #51-7999]
Box   16	, 1882 March-1887 February [Prescription #8000-19141]
	Kopf Pharmacy
Box   17	Prescription book, 1892 November-1894 April [Prescription #164000-173998]
Box   18	Ledger, 1892 July-1897 March
	Mineral Point
Micro 1124	R.D. Pulford Prescription books
Reel   18	, 1864 September-1868 May [Prescription #2438-4491]
Reel   18	, 1868 May-1872 August [Prescription #4492-7500]
Reel   18	, 1876 June-1882 October [Prescription #9501-11900]
	Neillsville
Reel   18	W.C. Crandall Prescription book, 1880 June-1881 September [Prescription #7950-8764]
	Shullsberg
	J.T. Brewster, Druggist and Apothecary
Reel   18	Prescription book, 1887 November-1889 July [Prescription #14100-16599]