Letter from James Durham to Benjamin Rush, 1789
Transcription of the Text
New Orleans 22th May 1789
Dear Sir,
I am greatly obliged to you for all your favours: all I have to hope is that the progress I make in my practice of physic will be no disagreeable return from the same gratitude. Duty, and a view of future advantages, all contributed to make me thoroughly sensible how much I ought to labour for my own improvement and your satisfaction and to shew myself worthy of the pain and honours that you have taken of me . . . . and I have sent you a small discription of the sore throat and the method that I cure it in this Climate. For of beside the [??] method as yet, but I would be glad of your advicese if you please . . . . . . I have made great [??] of the Christian life the book you gave me for I don’t go to Chapell there is no other pleas of worshep . . .and I have sent you some notes of this [??] that we call pocan and two [??] of wild turkey feather for madam and her Daughter as they are [??] here. I wanted to send you some medicill plantes but it is not the season to dig them up but I send the first opportunity and will you please remember me to madam and to the gentlemen of your fackeltey and [??] I take the liberty to bege you to send me four barell of superfine flower and three dozen of [??] and three dozen of cider the American [??] of send twenty four dollars by Capten Mac Fanden.
I am with always your most [??] and humble servant,
James Durham
Note
The above represents my attempt at transcribing one of the nine letters Benjamin Rush received from black physician James Durham between May 1789 and January 1801. All the letters are available at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in the correspondence of Benjamin Rush. –J. Radin
Also see Benjamin Rush's testimony concerning Durham. For further information about Durham, see the section about him in our discussion of secondary sources in the African American node.
Source
Benjamin Rush. Letters from James Durham to Benjamin Rush. (The Historical Society of Pennsylvania).