McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Letter to Henry Barton Jacobs, April 2, 1909
Item
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 Henry Barton Jacobs from William Osler, Hotel de la Ville, Milan, Italy. Sorry that he has been knocked out. Informs him that he is going back to Oxford to take care of matters concerning the new laboratories and clinics at the Radcliffe which he would like to try to settle before the end of next term. An old surgeon, Briscoe has given L80 000 to it. Enjoyed Florence. Information on the books purchased and the antiquariats of Florence, Venice. Bologna and Padua were quite up to his expectations. The Aula is wonderful. He saw the six plates of Vesal, 1538 which is superior to the 1543 one. Would like the Press to reproduce it. Good comment on the Library work of Italians. Not much in Verona. Will see Golgi at Ravia. Sorry to have had Chatard change the date for the meeting unnecessarily. Civilities.
Copy or transcription.
Cushing's colour code: White (Correspondence)