Samuel Gibson Dixon papers

Samuel G. Dixon was a leader in the United States in the discovery of the cause of tuberculosis and methods to contain and treat it. This collection encompasses the work of Dr. Dixon including dozens of publications and speeches related to tuberculosis and other infectious diseases (including smallp...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Dixon, Samuel Gibson 1851-1918 (Creator)
Collection:Samuel Gibson Dixon Papers
Collection Number:1941
Format: Manuscript
Language:English
Subjects and Genres:
Online Access:Link to finding aid
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Physical Description: 4.5 Linear feet ; 9 boxes, 8 volumes, 6 flat files
Access: The collection is open for research.
Summary: Samuel G. Dixon was a leader in the United States in the discovery of the cause of tuberculosis and methods to contain and treat it. This collection encompasses the work of Dr. Dixon including dozens of publications and speeches related to tuberculosis and other infectious diseases (including smallpox and typhoid). He was also at the forefront of the newest concepts regarding sanitation and nutrition. In addition to Dixon's own work, the collection includes newspaper articles referring to his work, photographs, and a limited number of personal correspondence. Dr. Dixon had a long and prolific career as a physician, researcher, and writer. He also held several public offices in Pennsylvania. The collection covers all aspects of his public life, primarily reflecting his scientific accomplishments. Little is learned of his personal life.
The bulk of the Samuel Dixon Gibson papers date from 1905 to 1918, with fewer materials from 1879, and some as late as 1953. There are printed copies of lectures, articles, and pamphlets, with occasional handwritten notes and drafts of speeches. The collection reflects his work on the cause, symptoms and prevention of the several diseases Dixon researched. This collection is an especially important contribution to the study of tuberculosis. The collection touches on his public messaging endeavors as well. Photographs include those of the Academy of Natural Science, and of Dr. Dixon and his laboratories, including one dated 1889 of his first laboratory of hygiene. A few personal photos depict Dr. Dixon as a young boy and as an older man. There are also photographs of a commemorative tablet and the ceremony in memory of Dr. Dixon after his death. Newspaper clippings date from 1882 to 1951 from Philadelphia, suburban, and other Pennsylvania newspapers, the bulk of which are from 1918 reporting on the First World War. The majority of documents are addresses, printed articles and pamphlets dealing with Dr. Dixon’s work as a researcher and clinical physician. His main interest was the study of tuberculosis. There are dozens of articles and speeches about analyzing the disease. Different methods used in the hope of a cure are discussed, for example: “The Koch Cure for Consumption,” from Nature Magazine, dated November, 1890. (In fact, the cure for tuberculosis was not made possible until 1943 with the discovery of streptomycin.) Dr. Dixon was at the forefront of the prevention of tuberculosis as shown by articles he wrote on the relationship between the disease and hygiene. The sanatoria he ran were ahead of his time. Also found in the collection are Dixon’s thoughts on sexual hygiene and reproduction, infant mortality, and the education of the young. In addition there are also writings on malaria and yellow fever as well as acne, tetanus, gout and cancer. Furthermore, the documents touch on government policies of the time. There are copies of the Acts of the Pennsylvania Assembly in their efforts to prevent the spread of tuberculosis; an article on government control of tuberculosis in Pennsylvania; and an address on legal rights and tuberculosis. It is unfortunate that there are few documents pertaining to his personal life. Most correspondence pertains to his undertakings at various institutions. However, there are some photos and letters written to his family after his death that give a glimpse into his personal relationships. Any researcher interested in the history of medicine will find this collection invaluable. One can trace the reality of the scourge of a terrible disease, tuberculosis, and the attempts to eradicate it. The collection gives the history of the first sanatoria in the Philadelphia area. And the researcher can find some information on early awareness of other diseases of which there was little known at the time, including cancer. Dixon was very much a product of his Philadelphia education and environment. This gives researchers interested in Philadelphia history in general a window into not only the medical scene in early 20th century Philadelphia, but also the life and times of the different classes in this urban environment. Dixon was born and bred in Philadelphia’s upper class, but his patients were from all walks of life.