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James Moores Ball Papers

Historical Note

James Moores Ball was a physician and scholar who became an eminent member of the St. Louis Medical Society. Ball received his medical degree from Iowa State University in 1884, taking further post-graduate courses in New York and Europe. He served as professor of Ophthalmology at the St. Louis College of Physicians and Surgeons from 1894 to 1910, then served as dean and professor of Ophthalmology at the American Medical College.

Dr. Ball was active in local, state, national, and international medical societies, notably the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom, the American Ophthalmological Society, and the American Oculist Society. He was also the editor of the Annals of Ophthalmology. Additionally, Ball was a well-known author, and his writings were crafted from his own extensive personal libraries on ophthalmology and general history of medicine. His three monographs reflect his scholarly and scientific interests: Andreas Vesalius, the Reformer of Anatomy (1910), Modern Ophthalmology (six editions between 1904 and 1927), and a study of the practice of body snatching, The Sack-em’ Up Men (1928).

Provenance

The items in this collection were the gift of the St. Louis Society for Medical and Scientific Education.

Access and Use

The collection is open and accessible for research. Certain categories of documentation, however, may carry restrictions on access. For detailed information, contact the Archives and Rare Book Department of the Becker Medical Library (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).

Scope and Content

The collection contains mostly correspondence and reprints, but also included are newspaper and journal clippings, manuscripts of lectures, and papers on ophthalmology and the history of medicine.

Related Material

The library also houses the James Moores Ball Collection of general rare medical books dating from the 16th to 20th centuries, his gift to the St. Louis Medical Society Library.

See also the Ball Ophthalmic Museum Collection at the National Museum of Health and Medicine.

Preferred Citation

James Moores Ball Papers, Washington University School of Medicine.

Organization of the Collection (Series List)

Total Boxes: 2

Series 1: Manuscripts and Correspondence, 1894-1928. Box 1.

Series 2: Publications, 1887-1910. Box 2.

Container List

Series 1: Manuscripts and Correspondence, 1894-1928. Box 1.

Files contain correspondence, notes, manuscripts of lectures, and various ephemera.

Box 1 of 2

1.	Annals of Ophthalmology, job offer to Dr. Ball, 1901-1902.
2.	Alvord, B. C., funeral, 1910.
3.	Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Medical Museum catalogue of James M. Ball Collection, 1922.
4.	Army Medical Museum, 1925.
5.	Ball, James M., “Discovery of anesthesia,” typed manuscript, undated.
6.	Ball, James M., address given to the founders of the Mayo Foundation, 1928.
7.	Ball, James M., “Concerning medical histories,” manuscript, handwritten, 1856.
8.	Ball, James M., manuscript on early American medicine, handwritten and typed copies, 1900.
9.	Ball Collections correspondence, 1928-1960.
10.	Bedell, Arthur, 1928.
11.	Bibliographies and biographies, 1900.
12.	Body snatching, correspondence and newspaper clippings regarding Dr. Ball’s book, 1928.
13.	Brown, Thomas (Sir), manuscript, undated.
14.	Burke, William, murders for bodies, copies of journal articles, 1829.
15.	Christmas cards, 1906, 1928.
16.	Cullen, William, handwritten manuscript, undated.
17.	Dante, Globe-Democrat editor letter, 1921.
18.	Druidic medicine, clippings, 1908.
19.	Frederick II (1194-1250), handwritten note, undated.
20.	Haab’s magnet, letter from E.B. Meyponitz, 1899.
21.	Hunter, John, handwritten manuscript and clippings, 1895.
22.	Hunt, Joseph H., correspondence and other material, 1899.
23.	LaForce, W. B., re: Adam Hammer, undated.
24.	Lecture on “History of Anesthesia,” handwritten, undated.
25.	Leonard, Claude C. vs Mary Pitman, court summons, 1885.
26.	Lowes, Peter, 1895.
27.	Mackenzie, William, medal and memorial fund, 1928.
28.	Manuscript, untitled, undated.
29.	Massachusetts General Hospital, wax seal, 1811.
30.	Metric system correspondence with Meyer Brothers Druggist, 1928.
31.	Meyer Brothers, 1898.
32.	Myopia, manuscript, 1899.
33.	Names and addresses, handwritten list, undated.
34.	Notes, 1909.
35.	Ophthalmology course announcement by Dr. Ball, 1900.
36.	Obituaries, 1862-1929.
37.	“Sack-em-up Men,” correspondence in appreciation of book, 1928.
38.	Truemann, William, 1898.
39.	Vili, Achille, microphotographs, undated.

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Series 2: Publications, 1887-1910. Box 2.

This series contains publications by Dr. Ball and his colleagues.

Box 2 of 2

1.	Ball, James M., “A brief note on Aspergillus keratitis,” American Medical Journal, reprint, July 1901.
2.	Ball, James M., “A case of large tumor of the brain. Neuritis as a sign of brain tumor.” The Philadelphia Medical Journal, reprint, 1899.
3.	Ball, James M., “Dr. Adam Hammer, surgeon and apostle of higher medical education,” Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association, reprint, Vol. 6, No. 3, 1909.
4.	Ball, James M., “On removal of the cervical sympathetic in glaucoma and optic nerve atrophy,” reprint, 1899.
5.	Ball, James M., “Ambrose Pare, the father of French surgery, 1509-1590,” Journal of the American Medical Association, July 1894.
6.	Ball, James M., “A subconjunctival dermoid cyst,” Annals of Ophthalmology, reprint, July 1902.
7.	Ball, James M., “Artificial ripening of cataract,” The Kansas City Medical Index, reprint, December 1895.
8.	Ball, James M., clippings from journals, 1894-1901.
9.	Ball, James M., “Michael Servetus, the discoverer of pulmonary circulation, 1509-1553,” Moody’s Magazine of Medicine, undated, reprint.
10.	Ball, James M., “The practice of medicine among the Greeks prior to the age of Hippocrates,” Journal of the American Medical Association, reprint, March 1887.
11.	Ball, James M., “Remarks on hydrophthalmus with report on two cases.” St. Louis Medical and Surgical Journal, reprint, 1899.
12.	Ball, James M., “The surgical treatment of glaucoma,” Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association, reprint, Vol. 4, No. 4, 1907.
13.	Ball, James M., “Thomson and Thomsonianism,” Interstate Medical Journal, Vol. 13, No. 4, 1906.
14.	Hinrichs, Gustavus D., publications, 1860-1910.
15.	Jonnesco, Thomas, “Resection of the cervical sympathetic in glaucoma,” Dr. Ball’s translation from German, reprint, 1899.
16.	Medical Books, the Davis line of. Dr. Ball photograph, p. 8, criticisms of Ball’s book, Modern Ophthalmology, p. 19, 1910.
17.	Ball, James M., “Medicine among the ancient Egyptians,” Iowa State Medical Reporter, Vol. 4, No. 10, 1887.

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