The collection documents the life of Katsuji Nakashima since his arrival in Canada in 1909. The material consists of a personal handwritten journal written on rice paper in ancient Japanese; a Dominion of Canada certificate of Naturalization issued in 1919; a passport issued by the Imperial Japanese Government (1921); invitations, bills and other ephemeral items (ca. 1910-1945); military photographs; an Internment Camp Ration Book; and other personal documents reflecting the civilian and military activities of Katsuji Nakashima. The collection also contains personal belongings such as Buddhist prayer items.

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.

Scrimger's papers mainly concern his war service. His brief diary of the Ypres campaign, 1915, is supplemented by signals and military messages on troop movements and medical matters; Scrimger sometimes used the signal forms for additional diary entries. There are also a handful of letters and cables of congratulation on his V.C., certificates of service, newsclippings, and printed souvenirs. The remainder of these papers consist of obituary notices and tributes. Some are pasted into Scrimger's notebook of Professor Bier's clinic, Berlin, 1910.

Fonds consists of originals, carbon and photocopies stemming from both the wartime and post-war phases of Currie's career. His wartime career is recorded in a copy of his battlefield diary for 2 June 1916- 8 February 1917 and commemorated in an album of signatures of the officers he commanded. Postwar materials comprise correspondence and speeches. The correspondence concerns various causes which Currie patronized and books for which he wrote introductions. His speeches (in 7 volumes, with some loose) are devoted to the war and its aftermath, politics, education, eulogies, speeches of welcome, Christmas and New Year's messages, dedications of war memorials and the like. Some are noted as having been written by Wilfred Bovey.

The fonds consists primarily of Logan's scientific work. A small percentage relates to the affairs of his family and to memorials to Logan after his death. The great majority of the papers consists of scientific correspondence from about 1820 to 1874, but mostly for the years following his appointment to the Survey in 1842. The letters deal with the collection, exchange and description of geological specimens, expeditions under the aegis of the survey, problems of research and scientific interpretation, scientific meetings, and visits by scientists. The number of correspondents, both individuals and learned societies, is very large, but the most substantial bodies of letters are from J.W. Dawson, geologist and Principal of McGill University, James Hall, paleontologist of the New York Geological Survey, Alexander Murray, Logan's chief assistant, and James Lowe of Grenville, Québec, who supplied Logan with specimens and appears to have been casually employed by him on surveying jobs and field trips. Other correspondents include Sanford Fleming, E.D. Ashe of the Québec Observatory, Thomas Sterry Hunt, and R.I. Murchison of the Geographical Society of Great Britain. Some letters pertain to political or social affairs, but usually in close connection with the scientific work of Logan or the Survey. These files contain copies of some of Logan's outgoing letters, as well as some letters addressed to other individuals, generally his assistants. Other scientific papers consist of field trip records (a journal kept during an expedition in 1845, a weather table kept on Lake Superior in the winter of 1846-1847, work records and astronomical readings for surveying projects, notes on mineral deposits, and lists of specimens), manuscripts of three scientific papers, as well as "Observations on the proposed Geological Survey", and manuscript and printed maps and geological schemata, including some by Logan of the Bay of Fundy, Labrador, and Hamilton, Ontario regions. Manuscript catalogues of specimens were prepared by Logan for the Paris Exhibitions of 1855 and 1867. Official reports include Logan's annual reports for 1842-1844, an overview of the work of the Geological Survey, 1866, two reports by Logan on prospects for mining on the north shore of Lake Superior, 1846, 1847, and one on mineral deposits around Rivière-du-Loup, 1853, as well as Logan's copy of his proposed Geological Survey Bill, 1844, and some copies of reports on mining and cartography prepared by others. Logan's financial records include expense accounts for Geological Survey expeditions, as well as other professional expenditures, such as books. His private and family life is reflected by a very brief diary of an Atlantic crossing in 1856, letters to and from his brothers James and Henry, his father, his uncle Hart Logan, and Hart Logan's partner John Fleming, covering the years 1772-1856. There are also baptismal and burial certificates, and legal documents, particularly bills of sale pertaining to James Logan's farm. Memorials to Logan after his death include J.W. Dawson's correspondence concerning the Logan Memorial Fund and Collection, 1881, and a manuscript biography by Alexander Murray. There is a chronological and author/recipient index to these papers.

Additional materials received from McGill Library's Rare Books and Special Collections consist of correspondence, 1837-1871; notices of admission to scientific and historical societies, 1842-1867; a history of the geological survey 1850; a report on mining locations addressed to B. Papineau, 1847; and correspondence with Robert Bell, 1861-1874.

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.