Series 2112: Natchez Charity Hospital Patient Registers. 1894-1960.
Health Institutions (RG 56). Natchez Charity Hospital.

Series 2112: Natchez Charity Hospital Patient Registers. 1894-1960.
Health Institutions (RG 56). Natchez Charity Hospital.

      Bound volumes documenting the admission and discharge of patients receiving care at the Natchez Charity Hospital. The handwritten entries in each register typically contain such information as name of patient, next of kin, marital status, race, place of birth, occupation, date of admission and discharge, diagnosis, treatment, and additional remarks. The exact information given varies from volume to volume. Some registers contain the names of surgeons and resident students serving at the hospital, and some registers (particularly the earlier volumes) feature recapitulations and summaries of patient data.

      Due to these recapitulations and summaries, dating of registers from before 1906 is a bit problematic. For example, the bulk of the earliest register dates from 1894, but has recapitulations dating back to 1889. In addition, separate registers were sometimes kept for inpatients and outpatients (they are referred to as “inside” and “outside” in the registers), so for certain periods of time there will be two sets of registers. Other registers contain entries for both types of patients within the same volume. Researchers should be aware that some of the registers are marked “inside” or “outside” on their spines, or may have dates written on the spines or covers. Such labels are sometimes incorrect; the dates listed below for each particular volume are more accurate.