Thomas Jefferson to Jacob Bigelow, 11 April 1818
To Jacob Bigelow
Monticello Apr. 11. 18.
I thank you, Sir, for the comparative statement of the climates of the several states, as deduced from observations on the flowering of trees in the same year. it presents a valuable view, and one which it is much to be desired could be extended thro’ a longer period of years & embrace a greater number of those circumstances which indicate climate. I closed, the year before last, a seven years course of observations intended to characterise the climate of this state, which tho very various in it’s various parts, may be considered as reduced to a mean at this place, nearly central to the whole. in return for your favor I transcribe the heads of observation which I thought requisite, & some of the general results, with the assurance of my high respect & esteem.
Th: Jefferson
RC (MHi: Mary Anna Bigelow Autograph Collection); with MS of enclosure subjoined; corner torn, with missing text supplied from PoC; addressed: “Doctr Jacob Bigelow Cambridge Mass.”; franked; postmarked Charlottesville, 14 Apr. PoC (DLC); with PoC of enclosure subjoined.
Jacob Bigelow (1787–1879), physician, scientist, and educator, was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts. After receiving an A.B. degree from Harvard University in 1806 and an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1810, he moved to Boston and set up a medical practice. A few years later he returned to Harvard, where he served as professor of materia medica, 1815–55, Rumford professor and lecturer of the application of science to the useful arts, 1816–27, and overseer, 1846–54. During his long academic career Bigelow wrote extensively on a wide range of topics, including New England flora, medicinal botany, and the inappropriateness of copious bloodletting and aggressive drug treatments. He also opposed urban cemeteries, which he believed spread disease, and, on utilitarian grounds, what he regarded as an overemphasis in education on the study of ancient languages. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences from 1812 and the American Philosophical Society from 1818, he held various offices in the former organization, including vice president, 1839–46, and president, 1846–63. Bigelow died in Boston (Memoir of Jacob Bigelow, M.D., LL.D. [1880]; MBCo: Bigelow Papers; , 41, 185; , 570; , 5, 7 [nos. 173, 303]; , Minutes, 17 Apr. 1818 [MS in PPAmP]; American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Proceedings 14 [1879]: 332–42, and Memoirs 11 [1888]: 39, 64–5; Boston Post, 11 Jan. 1879; gravestone inscription in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Mass.).
; ; George E. Ellis,Bigelow had sent TJ his short work based on the flowering of trees, Facts serving to shew the comparative forwardness of the spring in different parts of the United States (Cambridge, Mass., 1818; reprinted from American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Memoirs 4 [1818]: 77–85; , 7 [no. 303]; TJ’s copy in MBPLi, inscribed [trimmed]: “Hon Thomas Jeffe[. . .] from the [. . .]”).
Index Entries
- Bigelow, Jacob; Facts serving to shew the comparative forwardness of the spring in different parts of the United States search
- Bigelow, Jacob; identified search
- Bigelow, Jacob; letter to search
- Bigelow, Jacob; TJ sends weather observations to search
- Facts serving to shew the comparative forwardness of the spring in different parts of the United States (J. Bigelow) search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; receives works search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Analysis of Weather Memorandum Book search
- meteorological observations; by TJ search
- trees; flowering of search
- United States; diversity of climate in search
- Virginia; climate of search
- weather; TJ’s Analysis of Weather Memorandum Book search
- Weather Memorandum Book (Thomas Jefferson) search