11From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 4 December 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the pleasure to inclose for communication to the society observations made on a lunar eclipse at the Observatory of Philadelphia on the 21st of Sep. last by messrs. Patterson & Ellicot. Also some extracts from a letter I recieved from mr Dunbar of the Natchez with Meteorological observations for the year 1800. made there by him, and remarks on the soil, climate & productions of the...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 14 July 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 10th. of Apr. in answer to mine of Mar. 22. satisfied me perfectly as to Doctr. Barnwell whom therefore I then concluded to appoint to the hospital of N. Orleans, if established. but learning afterwards that Doctr. Bache had determined to remove to the Missisipi, I could have no hesitation to offer the place to him, as eminently qualified for it. I did so, and he has accepted...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 4 January 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. T. M. Randolph being desirous of perusing the work of Faujas which I sent you some time ago, if you are done with it, I will ask the favor of you to inclose it to me by post: but if you have any further use for it, he will wait your convenience. have you seen a work of Morveau’s Sur les moyens de desinfecter l’air &c? it is a work of great interest to cities subject to infection, to...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 20 June 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
While visiting some parts of Europe, I thought it might be useful to bring home some specimens of the different coins I met with, some of copper, some of silver, & others of a mixture of both called billon. having then a mint to established I supposed they might furnish subjects for consideration, & sometimes imitation. to these have been since added some other coins & some medals which have...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 28 February 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed sheets may contain some details which perhaps may be thought interesting enough for the transactions of our society. they were forwarded to me by mr Dunbar with a couple of vocabularies which I retain to be added to my collection. What follows is to be perfectly confidential. I have at length succeeded in procuring an essay to be made of exploring the Missouri & whatever river,...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 25 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 19th. has been recieved, as was a former one proposing mr Hassler to be employed in the survey of the coast. I have heard so much good of him as to feel a real wish that he may find the emploiment of a nature to which his physical constitution & habits may be equal. I doubt it. in yielding this as to mr Hassler, I transgress a principle I have considered as important in making...
17From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 18 February 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
Having recieved the inclosed essay on public education from it’s author, the revd. mr Knox , &, as I presume with a view that it should be communicated to the Philosophical society, I take the liberty of putting it under cover to you for that purpose, and to present you my salutations & respect. RC (William Reese Company, New Haven, Connecticut, 2001); at foot of text: “Doctr. Wistar.” PrC (...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 3 February 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
According to your desire I wrote to Chancellor Livingston on the subject of the bones. the following is an extract from his letter dated Jan. 7. ‘I have paid the earliest attention to your request relative to the bones found at Shawangun, & have this day written to a very intelligent friend in that neighborhood. I fear however that till they have finished their search there will be some...
19From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 16 December 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
Having lately recieved from Count Rumford , one of the managers of the Royal institution of Great Britain a prospectus of that institution, with a letter expressing their desire to cultivate a friendly correspondence with the American Philosophical society, I have now the honor of forwarding them for the society. the application of science to objects immediately useful in life, which seems to...
20From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 22 March 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
What I am now to write about will be in perfect confidence between ourselves. the legislature is likely to establish a marine hospital at New Orleans, where we lose about 400. boatmen & seamen annually by sickness. I think it probable that we shall have a run on us, of recommendations of young men, just from their lectures, unsettled, and without experience, to obtain the superintendance of a...