Nine instruments housed in original wooden case covered in leather or sharkskin. The top of the case is hinged at one side, and held shut by a snap fastening. Inside the top is a printed label: "McAllister & Co./48 Chestnut Street/Philadelphia. Have constantly for sale, cases of/Mathematical Instruments/For Schools, Wholesale & Retail/Dividers, Gunter's Scales, Parallel Rules, Brass and Ivory Protractors, etc. separate from the case." Around the wall of the top is pasted a strip of paper, bearing handwritten inscriptions - "$3 1/4 /N60K/n fli/gfi DW Mr/ No 160-9/str purchd March 18 1847/of McAllister." Contains nine drafting instruments: divider, compass with five attachments, ivory scale, parallel rule, and scaled semicircle.

Alexander Dallas Bache (1806-1867) was an important scientific reformer during the early nineteenth century. From his position as superintendent of the United States Coast Survey, and through leadership roles in the scientific institutions of the time, Bache helped bring American science into alignment with the professional nature of its European counterparts. In addition, Bache fostered the reform of public education in America. The Alexander Dallas Bache Collection consists of 91 letters written primarily by Bache. In most cases, these are brief notes replying to letters that are not part of the collection. The majority of items relate to Bache's work as superintendent of the U.S. Coast Survey, including letters of recommendation and introduction, and there is minor correspondence regarding the National Academy of Sciences, scientific matters, his travels in Europe, or personal matters. Of particular interest is the letter from Louis Agassiz in 1856 expressing his view of what the natural history museum of the future should be.

Working on the Army Epidemiological Board in the 1940s, Joseph Stokes, Jr. discovered the value of gamma globulin for the prevention of epidemic hepatitis. His subsequent research included immunization against influenza, protection against poliomyelitis by gamma globulin, antigenic difference between epidemic and serum hepatitis, immunization procedures in mumps, development of a vaccine against measles. His clinical focus was on the causes and prevention of childhood infectious diseases. His administrative work includes the transformation of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. His community work consists of public health and environment control issues.