McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Letter to William Sydney Thayer, April 1, 1916
Item
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 William Sydney Thayer from William Osler, 13, Norham Gardens, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Congratulations on his nomination as President of the Congress. Glad that Sister Susan is better. All goes on here much as usual. Mentions Davison and Penfield. Comments on the case of the daughter of the Baldwins. B. gave the Herbert Spencer lecture. Glad it was him. Revere is home waiting his transfer to the British Army. Things look hopeful. The French are doing splendidly and England is in fine form. Wishes to choke some of the politicians and editors. They have started a big Army Heart Hospital. Allbutt, McKenzie and he have had the selection of the staff and are in control as active consultants. There will be four services, Lewis, Parkinson, Meakins and they would like to get Fraser for the fourth. Mentions cases. Typhoid has slumped, very few cases of dysentery. Nephritis persists. Civilities.
Copy or transcription.
Cushing's colour code: White (Correspondence)