This exhibit consists of 19 ledgers created by Dr. Aaron H. Chamberlain that cover from 1870 to 1901. They give us a glimpse of what a doctor’s day to day life looked like in the late 19th century and what healthcare was like during that time. As a doctor and physician, Chamberlain practiced his job out of his former home, west of Kelvin, Ontario, as well as traveling around to visit his patients. These ledgers were used to keep record of his patients, some of his daily activities, and of financial transactions.

Dr. Aaron Chamberlain was born in East Oakland, in the County of Brant, Ontario to Joel and Elvira Main Chamberlain on 7th October, 1829. Aaron attended the Michigan Medical College at the University of Michigan between 1864 and 1865, and the Victoria Royal Medical School in 1867. He would marry Melinda Clark Chamberlain on 10th November, 1869, the same year he obtained his medical licence in Ontario. Over the next forty years Chamberlain practiced allopathic medicine in his home, as well as visiting patients. Aaron Chamberlain died in Kelvin, Ontario on 11th November, 1916. He was the father of Charles Hedgers Chamberlain.