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Letter to Fielding Hudson Garrison, October 21, 1914
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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 Fielding Hudson Garrison from William Osler, From the Regius Professor of Medicine, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Glad that he got Billing's Life finished. Predicts a great success with the book. Will send his letter to Miss Acland. Compliments on his extract from Emerson about England. He will send it to a paper. Glad that he is doing a sketch of Gaskell. Reports good accounts of his History. Will send him a list of typographical or chronological errata. He will suggest at the Council Meeting of the Historical Section, having a series of bibliographical demonstrations and talks illustrating the evolution of naval and military hygiene. Good comments on the biography of Baron Larrey. Details about the wounded at the hospital. They have 14 Belgian professors in Oxford with the families. Details on their financial situation and the size of their families. Grace has roused her American friends and has a good bank account for them. The Rockefeller Foundation has made an offer for the Louvain science men. Details on the climate in England. Reminds him not to forget about his anaesthesia wants.
Copy or transcription.
Cushing's colour code: White (Correspondence)