McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
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H3A 0C9
Letter to Henry V. Ogden, January 26, 1916
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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 V. Ogden from William Osler, The Athenaeum, London, England. Answers his letter of December 15th. They had a desolate Christmas with Revere away, but Harry Wright's daughters with their families are in Oxford for Winter. Good comments on them. Campbell Howard married one of them. He had to go back to Iowa City. Mentions the problems of the McGill Unit. Revere is leaving them to join a regiment, as there was not enough for him to do. Mentions Revere's taste for literature and books. Details about the fire in the dining-room. Invites him to spend a month in Oxford next summer. He is busy and wishes to have more time for literary work. He is struggling with his article on Early Printed Medical Books. He is getting his library classified. Civilities.
Copy or transcription.
Cushing's colour code: White (Correspondence)