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Letter to Casey Albert Wood, December 22, 1915
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A major figure in modern medical history, Sir William Osler is well known as a scientific researcher, a great medical pedagogue, a humanist, and an advocate for a patient-centered approach to medicine.
Born in Bond Head, Ontario, in 1849, Osler earned his medical degree at McGill University, and later taught at McGill's Faculty of Medicine from 1874 until 1884. Osler then joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he was appointed Chair of Clinical Medicine before becoming Physician-in-Chief and one of the "Big Four" founders of Johns Hopkins Hospital and medical school in Baltimore – the first school of its kind to train medical students in a modern residency program. Osler finished his career as Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, where he also devoted time to his passion for book collecting. His library of nearly eight thousand rare and historic works of the history of medicine and science is known as the Bibliotheca Osleriana, documented by a published catalogue of the same title.
Sir William Osler was knighted in 1911 in recognition of his contributions to medical science and teaching. His library of 7600 volumes on the history of medicine and science bequeathed to McGill University forms the nucleus of the present Osler Library of the History of Medicine. His life and contributions to medicine are described in detail in the Pulitzer-Prize winning biography "Life of Sir William Osler" (London: Oxford University Press, 1925) by Harvey Cushing.
Letter to Casey Albert Wood from William Osler, 13, Norham Gardens, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Word about the fire in the dining-room. They are hopeful in spite of transient set tasks. It is hard to turn a democracy into an army. Agrees with the subscription to a cigarette fund. It will be helpful. Amazed by the monetary help they received from America for the Belgian professors. Revere is off with the McGill Unit and will go with No.3 Field Ambulance. His library grows. Edmund Boyd Osler gave him 7000 $ to spent for his collection which will go to McGill. Greetings for 1916.
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Cushing's colour code: White (Correspondence)