The collection contains private records and papers relating to the medical and teaching career of Maude Abbott. It consists in large part of correspondence, 1894-1920, including family correspondence with, among others, her sister Alice Abbott, 1904-1919, and her brother Rev. Harry M. Babin, 1916-1920. Also included are manuscripts and drafts of articles and addresses; case reports; post-mortem records; glass slides and drawings; exhibit panels largely pertaining to her research on congenital heart disease; programmes of medical meetings, 1902-1937; reprints and papers relating to the history of medicine in Montreal and Quebec, as well as to the history of McGill, 1829-1936. In addition, there are photographs, some poems, an autobiographical sketch and a printed copy of her Classified and Annotated Bibliography of Sir William Osler's Publications, 1939, with corrections and annotations by W. W. Francis. Fonds also includes a draft of Abbott's letter to the Dean of Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, regarding admission (1889).

Abbott's papers reflect her family background, education and private life, as well as her research and publications on medical history. There are no materials relating to her work as a pathologist. Abbott's family background is documented by a printed history (1931) of St. Matthew's, Grenville, of which Joseph Abbott was the first rector, and glass negative views of the family home in St. Andrew's. Records of her education comprise notebooks (1886-1890) for courses at McGill in classics, philosophy, English literature, and science, her graduation photograph, and a photocopy of her address as Donalda Valedictorian in 1890. Private records include diaries (1930-1940), a commonplace-book (1929-1938), and a bundle of notes, clippings, poems, letters and invitations. Three versions of her autobiography survive: the finished "Autobiographical sketch" of 1928 (photocopy), part of an undated autobiography, and a brief autobiographical note. Records of Abbott's historical research and publications include extensive notes on the history of medicine in Québec as well as papers relating to the publication of her History. Other files contain notes on the admission of women to McGill and other universities, the establishment of the Medical Museum, the amalgamation of the medical faculties of Bishop's and McGill with some administrative records of the medical faculty. Dr. Abbott's professional correspondence is represented only by a file on the Federation of Canadian Medical Women, 1938.