The Rowley Family Papers, 1837-1955, document the activities of all three generations of Middleton doctors. Consisting primarily of their business records, the Papers are organized in three groups: personal papers, medical practice records, and drug store records.
The personal papers of the Rowley family which include letters, daybooks, account books (ledgers), and a teacher's notebook are fragmentary and provide a negligible amount of information. The medical school notes of all three doctors include notes on injuries and diseases and their remedies and give lists of ingredients and recipes for medicines. Of special interest in the notes is an undated paper by N.C. Rowley in which he describes the benefits of blood letting (Box 1, Folder 3).
Records of the Rowleys' medical practice include visiting lists (residence calls) and appointment books, daybooks, account books, and prescription books, covering the period from 1850 to 1955 in nearly unbroken sequences. There are no visiting lists or appointment books for 1908 to 1940, but there are financial records for this period. For the early period, the visiting lists often give the reason for the doctor's visit, but seldom give the recommended remedy. One folder of recipes for remedies is also included with these records.
The material related to the drug store is limited to financial records. These cover most of the period the store was in operation and are a source of information on the substances used in medicines and their cost. Volume 27, an account book, gives prices of spices, drugs, staple goods, and sundries.
