Inventory of the Ellis H. Hudson Photographs and Papers, 1920s-1950s and undated

Abstract

Physician and syphilis researcher.

The Ellis H. Hudson Photographs and Papers date from the 1920s to late 1950s, and consist of black-and-white photographs and negatives relating to Hudson's research on non-venereal syphilis in Syria in the early twentieth century, as well as galley proofs of maps, charts, graphs, and tables from his book Non-Venereal Syphilis: A Sociological and Medical Study of Bejel (1958). Many of the photographs also appear in this book. Acquired as part of the History of Medicine Collections at Duke University.

Descriptive Summary

Repository: David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
Creator: Hudson, Ellis Herndon, b. 1890.
Title: Ellis H. Hudson Photographs and Papers, 1920s-1950s and undated
Language of Material: English
Extent: 1.4 Linear Feet, Approx. 390 Items
Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Series Quick Links

Prints and Negatives Series, circa 1920s-1930s
Volumes Series, 1926-1950s

Collection Overview

The Ellis H. Hudson Photographs and Papers date from the 1920s to the late 1950s, and consist of black-and-white photographs and negatives relating to Hudson's research on non-venereal syphilis in Syria in the early twentieth century, as well as galley proofs of maps, charts, graphs, and tables from his book Non-Venereal Syphilis: A Sociological and Medical Study of Bejel (1958). Many of the photographs also appear in this book. Acquired as part of the History of Medicine Collections at Duke University.

Administrative Information

Collections are on the move for the renovation of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this form before using this collection. In particular, personally-identifiable information about medical cases may not be revealed or published without permission.

Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Contents of the Collection

Browse List of Series

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Prints and Negatives Series, circa 1920s-1930s

(1 box)

The black-and-white prints and negatives depicting cases of syphilis in various stages in Syrian men, children, and a few women, are housed in 132 envelopes measuring 7.5 x 5.5. The majority of the envelopes contain both prints and negatives, but a fraction of the envelopes contain only either a print or a negative. The galley proofs include maps of Syria, and charts and tables documenting cases according to religion, sex, age, and place of residence. They were most likely taken during the 1920s and 1930s when Hudson was conducting his principal research in Syria.

Galley proofs

(2 folders)

Box 1

Prints and negatives

(5 folders)

Box 1

Volumes Series, 1926-1950s

(2 boxes)

Journal, 1926-1935

Bound ledger written in holograph script containing Hudson's notes regarding a quantified study of persons afflicted with syphilis, including numerical figures based on age, marital status, and symptoms and stages of the disease. Includes several one-page loose manuscripts laid in.

(500 pp.)

Box 2

Non-venereal syphilis: A Sociological and Medical Study of Bejel, notes, circa late 1950s

Bound typescript notes with holograph notes.

(3 vols.)

Box 2-3

Non-Venereal Syphilis: A Sociological and Medical Study of Bejel, draft, circa late 1950s

Bound typescript draft with holograph notes.

(2 vols.)

Box 3

Historical Note

Ellis Hudson was born in 1890 in Osaka, Japan, to American missionary parents, and was educated at Milliken University and the University of Pennsylvania. He founded a Presbyterian mission hospital in Deir-es-Zor, Syria, where he studied cases of non-venereal syphilis (also known by its Arabic name bejel) among the local Christian, Muslim, and Bedouin population.

Subject Headings

Related Material

Letter from Ellis Hudson, 1969, Apr. 25, California, to Dr. Goldwater. Trent Manuscripts Collection. (Duke University, Rubenstein Library, History of Medicine Collections)
Various published titles and reprints by Ellis Hudson, chiefly on syphilis and associated infectious diseases, are also held by the Rubenstein library. Please consult with a reference archivist or search in the online Duke Libraries catalog. (Duke University, Rubenstein Library, History of Medicine Collections)