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Letter to Henry Barton Jacobs, December 8, 1908
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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 Henry Barton Jacobs from William Osler, 44, Avenue d' Iena, Paris, France. Did not find Vernon's address yet. Mention of a lecture at the Tropical Disease Society at the Pasteur and Laverand, on an account of the treatment of sleeping sickness by the French Commission. Anecdote of a letter from Jacobs confusing Magnin with Pirquet. Mention of a dinner given by the Dean of the Faculty, Landouzy. Chauffard and gave a dinner and Raymond also. Mrs. Osler goes to Oxford to bring back Revere. He has bought a first edition of Avenbrugger and a Gilbert's Magnet which he got at the Amherst sale. Morgan bought the Caxtons. Civilities.
Copy or transcription.
Cushing's colour code: White (Correspondence)