McGill Library
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Letter to Mabel Brewster, April 8, 1915
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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 Mabel Brewster from William Osler, 13, Norham Gardens, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. All goes well, glad to be busy, as these are not days for thinking. Word about their week at Torquay, where he saw the American Hospital. Details about it. Everything looks hopeful. Revere is happy at Cliveden. The McGill Unit with which he will go to France does not come over for a month or six weeks. W.W. Francis and Campbell Howard are with them. Deplores that Revere's education has been interrupted. Grace is working in her shop, with forty university ladies at work. Her New England energy is a revelation to them. Uncle Neds articles in Life are A.1. He has been reading Osborn Taylors new book with pleasure. Mentions Sylvia and the baby. Mrs. Chapin comes visit them this week. They are anxious about the submarines. Wishes he could be with them for a month at Mt. Kisco. Asks about Lois' baby. Civilities.
Copy or transcription.
Cushing's colour code: White (Correspondence)