McGill Library
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Letter to Thomas McCrae, April 10, 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 Thomas McCrae from William Osler, 13, Norham Gardens, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Mention of his visit to Vienna. He returns the figures with legends. Shirres has giving up his section, asks Russel to do it, he already has written to him but can McCrae write to give details ? Sends heart proofs with a few corrections. Comment on a fine program of the Interurban. Hopes to have a good meeting at Edinburgh. Hard to stir the men up to much enthusiasm. Revere is well again, Miss Nichols is used up, but Revere is devoted to her. Civilities. P.S. Wants to have the date to settle sailing.
Copy or transcription.
Cushing's colour code: White (Correspondence)