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This family archive includes numerous letters which shed light on MacDonald's career and the operation of the Sanford Hall asylum: 4 letters from James MacDonald to brother Allan MacDonald concerning the operation of their asylum, 1842-48, including one concerning admission of the widow of John Delmonico, the famous restaurateur, 22 March 1843: "They are respectable folks and want everything done for the comfort and advantage of Ms. D." * 7 letters of introduction and other documents relating to Dr. MacDonald's tour of European asylums, 1831-2 * Letter from Dr. MacDonald to his wife, who was apparently running the Murray Hill asylum briefly in his absence: "I hope you will have a more quiet afternoon than yesterday. Pray do all you can to keep the place quiet, particularly in front of the house." 17 June [1841?] * Letter from James MacDonald to Dr. Ranny of Blackwell's Island, referring a patient, 30 April 1849 (shortly before his death) * 18 letters from Dr. Josiah W. Barstow (superintendent of Sanford Hall) to widow Eliza H. MacDonald, circa 1857-60, most concerning the asylum * One long letter from C.M. Kittredge to Dr. Barstow, 1870, concerning a new Sanford Hall patient, B.B. Colah, a Parsi from India * Letter from Dr. Pliny Earle to widow Eliza MacDonald, 1857, researching Dr. MacDonald's use of restraints in the 1830s, with her draft response * plus more than a hundred family letters and receipts.