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).

Fonds consists of correspondence with the pediatrician Dr. Alton Goldbloom of Montreal. It gives a picture of pediatrics and parental concerns at the time. The fonds contains 30 letters.

Fonds contains correspondence, including letters and postcards from Sir William Osler, clippings and two photographs.

Fonds documents the Montreal years of H.V. Ogden and the ties he had with Sir William Osler. The fonds contains the correspondence of H.V. Ogden consisting of letters from May Francis and Marian Francis (Osborne), letters from George Cantlie, a letter from Dr. Robert Palmer Howard and a letter from Edmund J.A. Rogers.

The Aileen Ross fonds consists mainly of correspondence (1935-1990), research files, a brief autobiography (1940-1980), biographical material (1920-1990), and specific talks (1942-1973). Included are personal diaries (1918-1962), appointment books (1946-1992), and Matthew Ibbotson's correspondence to Ross (1921-1927). Books, original and printed articles, newspaper clippings, and reviews of books and articles are also part of the collection. Non textual records consist of several photographs.

Apart from a printed copy of his LL.D. thesis on the idea of atonement amongst the ancient Hebrews, and a copy of examination questions in mathematics set by him, Duff's papers are almost entirely concerned with his application for the Bradford position in 1877. These comprise letters of recommendation from J. W. Dawson, Alexander Johnson (Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Arts), and two professors at Andover Theological Seminary, as well as copies of a letter from A.M. Fairbairn of Aberdeen, encouraging Duff to apply for the post. There is also a copy of Duff's letter to the secretary of the Congregational College in which he declines an offer of teaching work.

Very few of the McLeod papers actually concern the Observatory. However, his work for the railways and in Newfoundland is documented, as are his views on the education and employment of engineers. The basic record for the early part of his career is a diary kept from 1870 to 1875, regarding student days and early work on the Observatory. An essay, "Winter under canvas" (1868) describes an early surveying job, and a letter from his father (1872) inquires about his academic progress. His work for the railways is documented by three letters of recommendation, and two letters (one from Stanford Fleming) on the work of his colleagues in the West. The Newfoundland survey (1875) is described in McLeod's diary, a manuscript essay "Across Newfoundland" (1876), his printed reports and three letters. His work at McGill is represented by six letters (largely official acknowledgements of appointments), and McLeod's manuscript notes on McGill history. McLeod's concern with the engineering profession is reflected in two addresses on education and professional development, and copies of about a dozen letters to Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1906-1908), C.A. McGrath and E.F. Wurtele (1912), largely on the employment of engineers in the civil service.

The greater portion of Purves' papers consists of research materials from his undergraduate and post-graduate period. These include lecture notes in natural philosophy and chemistry (1921-1923), laboratory notes on methylated sugars (1923-1924), extraction of glucose by yeast (1929-1931) and carbohydrate analysis (1929-1930) and reports of experiments at the U.S. National Institute of Health. Teaching files contain lecture notes for his courses in organic chemistry (1957-1965) and correspondence with John R. Platt regarding a new textbook of elementary organic chemistry.

MacIntosh's involvement with the Medical Research Council of Canada is documented by correspondence, agendas and minutes (1960-1962) concerning grant applications and administrative affairs, particularly the Advisory Committee on Policy.