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Dr. Page Financial Records: Mathews Account

This excerpt from Dr. Page's ledger details his professional dealings with the family of William Mathews. On January 15, 1796, Martha Ballard delivered a Mathews child. Since both Mrs. Ballard and Dr. Page kept scrupulous financial records, we know that the Mathews family paid the doctor nearly three times as much for his services.

To the end, Martha Ballard kept account of most of her fees in the old style of pounds, shillings, and pence. In contrast, this fragment of Benjamin Page's account book shows that by 1804 he had embraced the new federal style of accounting in U.S. dollars and cents. The two systems may reflect Dr. Page and Mrs. Ballard's difference in education level, age, or temperament; we don't know.

 


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Questions to Ask these Pages:

1. What treatments did Dr. Page provide? What did he charge for each?

2. What members of the family did Dr. Page treat?

3. What evidence is there that Dr. Page acted as a man-midwife?


Reading Help

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1804 Mr. Wm Mathews to Benjm. Page Jr, Dr.
Feb.y 29 To Delivery & after attendance yr wife 6.00
March 10 " Phial absorbent Mixture yr Son 0.25
June 20 " Bleeding   .50
July 10 " Visit & medicine yr Son .75
  21 " Visit-bleeding and medicine yr Wife 1.00
  28 " Visit & medicine for Do 1.00
  29 " Visit & Do for Do 0.75
  30 " Visit & Do Do 0.75
  31 " Medicines for Do 0.50
Aug.t 21 " Visit & lancing breast yr Wife 1.00
  26 " Plaster for Do .25
  30 " Visit Do .50
  31 " Plaster Do .25
1805   "      
March 24 " Visit & dressing burn yr Child 1.00
  25 " Visit & Do for Do 1.00
  28 " Visit & medicine Son 0.88
  31 " Visit & medicines for Do 1.00
April 1 " Visit & Do for Do 0.75
  2 " Visit & Do 0.50
May 25 " Lancing gums Child 0.25
June 3 " Visit & lancing abscess   1.00
  9 " Emetic & cathartic yr Son 0.50
  10 " Visit & medicines Do 0.75
  12 " Visit & Do for Do 1.00
  13 " Visit & Do for Do 0.75
  16 " Visit & lancing abscess Child 0.75
  21 " Visit & medicines yr Son 1.00
  24 " Visit & Do for Do 1.25
  25 " Medicine Do 0.13
Dec. 20 " Ointment child 0.06
1806   "      
March 22 " Visit & dressing wounds Daughter 1.37
    " Bleeding Wife 0.50
  25 " Visit & sundry medicines yr wife 1.25
  26 " Emetic for Do 0.25
April 6 " Visit & Do for Do 1.25
  8 " [Piera]   0.13
  10 " Visit yr wife 0.50
Aug.t 1 " Visit & bleeding Do 1.00
  2 " 2 Phials drops -- & ointment for Child 0.50
    Am.t carried over
$32.82




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