Some Account of the Pennsylvania Hospital; From Its first Rise, to the Beginning of the Fifth Month, called May, 1754. Philadelphia, B. Franklin & D. Hall, 1754.

First edition, printed by Franklin’s Philadelphia press in 1500 copies. A Continuation was published in 1761 in only 500 copies and is not present here. Both this Account, written by Franklin, and the Continuation written by a committee of trustees chaired by Samuel Rhoads, were designed to help raise additional money for the Pennsylvania Hospital, incorporated May 11, 1751, and first opened to patients Feb. 19, 1752. Franklin was a prime force in founding the institution, he was its first secretary, and later on chairman of its trustees. “By the time of the founding of the Pennsylvania Hospital, the first permanent hospital in the United States, Franklin was well-known as the man to get projects off the ground and was sought out by Thomas Bond, the initial promoter of the hospital. Franklin wrote up the account of the hospital’s activities in its behalf, even including on page 38 a modern-style form for donation to make giving charity easier. He may even have personally participated in the book’s design, although his press was mostly in the hands of his partner, D. Hall” (Jeremy Norman). The last two pages with List of Contributors to the Pennsylvania Hospital.

Collation: Pp. 40. Typeface: Caslon pica and long primer.

Binding: Original blueish wrappers. American, marked crown shield fleur de lis IV.

Provenance: Early owner’s signature on front fly leaf: "Peter Yarnall 1781" maybe Peter Yarnall (1756 - 1812) of Pennsylvania. Also a hard to read word on title "Jim"?, "Joni"?

References:

Miller, William. Benjamin Franklin’s Philadelphia printing (1974), 587; Norman 831;

Evans 7197. Miller, Benjamin Franklin’s Philadelphia printing, 1728-1766: A descriptive bibliography 587.

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