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Letter to John George Adami, April 15, 1917
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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 John George Adami from William Osler, 13, Norham Gardens, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Thanks for the book he gave him (Firmin Didota "Alde Mannuae"). Will put it next to Renoir Annales de l'Unpriniere Alde. Glad that Adami sent him his bookplate. He has the Leoni ceius Syphilis tractate. Mentions the Grocyn letter to Aldus in the 1499 Astrom. Veleres. Asks him for the figures of syphilis and gonorrhoea in the Canadian troops during the first two years. Mentions that the matter has been referred to in the House Committee sitting on the bill. The Bruce Report of the cases has given a great shock in Canada. Osler thinks that the figures could be useful to get increased police power against open prostitution.
Copy or transcription.
Cushing's colour code: White (Correspondence)