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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Washington, George, 1732-1799 Instructions for visiting the hospital

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09246 Author/Creator: Washington, George, 1732-1799 Place Written: s.l. Type: Manuscript document Date: 7 January 1778 Pagination: 4 p. : Order a Copy

Headquarters, Valley Forge. "The Commander in Chief being informed that many disorders and irregularities have taken place at the Hospitals and in some the sick are not tended with due care thinks it necessary that each Hospital should be visited by a prudent and careful Field Officer, who should govern himself by the following rules.… He is to examine critically whether the sick are well taken care of, and if in his opinion there be any fault or neglect in their management to report the same to the director Gen of the Hospitals or… if a remedy be not applied in a reasonable time, then to report the same to the Commander in Chief. But he is to avoid disputes with the Surgeons of the Hospitals and not interfere with them in the management, diet or medicines of the sick."

Washington, George, 1732-1799

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