http://library.uchc.edu/hms/
This project was made possible in part through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Connecticut State Library on behalf of the State Archives and Conservation ConneCTion.
© 2017 Hartford Medical Society. All rights reserved.
The original patent, no. 3263, is fragile and difficult to view in its entirety. A PDF from the United States Patent and Trademark Office is available.
For copyright status, please contact the Hartford Medical Society.
[Identification of item], , [Box no]., Hartford Medical Society
The following is excerpted from the Proceedings of the Connecticut Medical Society, 1875, p. 430: "Memoir of George O. Jarvis, M.D., of Portland" by C.E. Hammond, M.D., of Portland, CT.
Dr. George O. Jarvis, the subject of our brief sketch, was a son of John Jarvis, of New Canaan, Conn., born July 14, 1795. Receiving such education as the schools of that earlier day offered, he became himself a teacher in his turn, and at a proper age began the study of medicine with Dr. Truman S. Whitmore, of Winchester, Conn. He afterwards attended lectures at Yale College, - the medical department of that institution being then in its early infancy. In 1817, in accordance with the usual custom of that day, Dr. Jarvis received from the Connecticut Medical Society a license to practice, and commenced his professional labors in the town of Torrington. He remained in that place two years; then removed to Colebrook, and continued there up to 1840, when he changed his residence to Portland, then a part of the town of Chatham; where he died of a combined attack of erysipelas and diphtheria, Feb. 3, 1875, after a brief illness of about one week, having been in active professional service for fifty-eight years. He received the degree of M.D. from Yale College in 1846.
In his intellectual capacity, Dr. Jarvis was above the average man. His intuitions were active, his logic was clear, and his judgement correct. He had strength of will, fixity of purpose and energy of action. He was decided and positive in his opinions, but not without good and sufficient reasons for entertaining them. His inventive turn of mind, and a faculty of adjusting means to ends, gave him an inclination to the practice of surgery; and at one period a considerable portion of the surgical business of his selection came into his hands. His attention to some cases of fracture about the year 1843 led to the invention of his apparatus known as "Jarvis Adjuster," for the extension and treatment of fractures and dislocations. His invention met with the approval of many of the first surgeons of the country, and was introduced largely into public hospitals.
In 1845 the doctor went to Europe with his invention, spending six months in introducing it to the notice of the profession in England and on the continent. It was well received; and he was awarded, by the Society for the Promotion of Arts and Commerce, the largest gold medal which up to that time had been given to an American citizen. The presentation was made by Prince Albert, then the President of the Society. Dr. Jarvis was entitled to be proud of this distinguished honor.
This artificial collection documents Dr. George O. Jarvis's invention of a "surgical adjuster". It contains the original patent, 3 promotional pamphlets, and a series of letters documenting Dr. Jarvis's trip to London to promote his invention.
This small artificial collection contains 3 series based on format: the patent, pamphlets, and correspondence.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
The Jarvis letters have been digitized and transcribed. They are available in the Hartford Medical Society collection in the Connecticut Digital Archive.