This small collection of twenty-eight letters is comprised chiefly of correspondence between Burton Chance and Samuel Wood, a librarian at the Royal College of Surgeons of England who conducted bibliographic work for Chance. They concern the history of ophthalmology, with reference to Sir William Bowman, Joseph Lister, and John Milton's vision problems, among other information that Wood supplied Chance. The collection also includes letters from Karl and Frederick Weinberger concerning personal matters.

This collection consists of letters from doctors, relating to medicine and medical publications and editing, as well as medical organizations. Most significant of the correspondence is that with John Shaw Billings (ca. 60 letters).

These papers reflect Isaac Hays' interests and activities in the medical profession and as an editor. His interest in paleontology, especially in the controversy with G. W. Featherstonhaugh, is also represented. There is one separate volume (77 letters) containing correspondence about natural history and naturalists, written to Hays by C. L. Bonaparte, George Ord, Thomas Say, and Charles A. Lesueur. The correspondence in the larger collection, however, contains much material on the American Journal of the Medical Sciences, particularly illuminated in the correspondence with John D. Godman. The I. Minis Hays material consists of letters from doctors, relating to medicine and medical publications and editing, as well as medical organizations. Most significant of the correspondence is that with John Shaw Billings (ca. 60 letters).