Sir William Osler Papers
Finding aid prepared by Steven Collicelli
Manuscripts Department
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Fax: (626) 449-3477
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
© 2011
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Sir William Osler Papers
Dates: 1893-1939
Collection Number: mssOsler
papers
Creator:
Osler, William, Sir,
1849-1919
Extent:
231 items in 1 box
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Manuscripts Department
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Fax: (626) 449-3477
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection contains the papers of
physician Sir William Osler (1849-1919), who helped found Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
and served as Regius Chair of Medicine at Oxford University, chiefly consisting
of correspondence.
Language of Material: The records are in English.
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities.
The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with
the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Sir William Osler Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Provenance
On long-term loan from the Los Angeles County Medical Association, 1992.
Biographical Note
Born in 1849, Sir William Osler rose through the ranks of professional medicine
eventually becoming one of the world's most renowned physicians. As chair of
clinical medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1885, he helped found the
American Association of Physicians. Later, in 1893, he helped establish the Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine. In 1905, he was appointed the Regius Chair of
Medicine at Oxford University, where, in 1911, he received the honorary title of
baronet.
Throughout his career as an instructor, Osler developed a philosophy of medicine
based on equal parts science and humanism. He insisted students talk and listen
directly to patients, supplementing their classroom education with participatory
residencies in hospital wards. Meanwhile, his many publications, including the much
reprinted textbook,
The Principles and Practices of
Medicine
(1892), significantly contributed to the professionalization of
medicine in the late nineteenth century.
In addition to his medical career, Osler gained fame for his wit and humor. He
published several satirical articles under the pseudonym, "Egerton Yorrick Davis."
During his farewell speech at John Hopkins, he infamously suggested retired men
should be chloroformed instead of burdening society. The self-deprecating remark
made national headlines, sparked debate, and further elevated Osler's notoriety.
Scope and Content
Correspondence forms the bulk of the Sir William Osler papers. These letters span the period
from 1893-1939. They include Osler's own correspondence with his former student,
C.N.B. Camac, concerning Camac's career and Osler's work. The collection also
records the conversations between Osler and the prominent physicians William Sydney
Thayer, and Henry Barton Jacobs. Also included are the letters exchanged between
Camac, Harvey Cushing, and Lady Grace Revere Gross Osler about William Osler's
career and the publishing of his biography. These letters reveal the inner workings
of a dedicated scholar and the devotion of his students. Several letters detail the
European travels of the Oslers, including postcards from Italy and France and ocean
liners such as the Lusitania. Others discuss medical issues ranging from aneurisms
to trypanosomiasis and Osler's passion for collecting rare books. There is one
folder of miscellaneous correspondence and one letter book of Osler's.
One folder includes collected ephemera, mainly newspaper clippings. This material
highlights Osler's public persona and medical expertise. A number of obituaries and
memorials describe Osler's profound contribution to modern, Western medicine.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by type. The majority of the collection is
correspondence, which is arranged alphabetically by author.
Indexing Terms
Personal Names
Osler, William, Sir, 1849-1919
Subjects
Medicine - History - 19th century - Sources
Medicine - History - 20th century - Sources
Medicine - Study and teaching - United States
Physicians - United States - Correspondence
Genre
Clippings (information artifacts)
Letter books - United States - 19th century
Letter books - United States - 20th century
Alternate Author
Camac, C.N.B. (Charles Nicoll Bancker), 1868-1940
Cushing, Harvey, 1869-1939
Davis, Egerton Yorrick
Jacobs, Henry Barton, 1858-1939, addressee
Osler, Grace Revere Gross, Lady
Thayer, William Sydney, 1864-1932, addressee
Box 1
Correspondence and Ephemera
Folder 1
Boggs, Thos. R. 6 letters to C.N.B. (Charles Nicoll Bancker) Camac, 1869-1940
(1916, November)
Folder 2
Camac, C.N.B. (Charles Nicoll Bancker), 1868-1940. 13 letters to Sir William Osler, 1849-1919
(1897-1915)
Folder 3
Camac, C.N.B. (Charles Nicoll Bancker), 1868-1940. 2 letters to Lady Grace Revere Gross Osler
(1913-1920)
Folder 4
Camac, C.N.B. (Charles Nicoll Bancker), 1868-1940. 1 letter to “Mr. Brown”
(1916, December 15)
Folder 5
Cushing, Harvey, 1869-1939. 18 letters to C.N.B. (Charles Nicoll Bancker) Camac, 1868-1940
(1898-1933)
Folder 6
Osler, Grace Revere Gross, Lady. 26 letters to C.N.B. (Charles Nicoll Bancker) Camac, 1868-1940
(1903-1928)
Folder 7
Osler, William, Sir, 1849-1919. 60 letters to C.N.B. (Charles Nicoll Bancker) Camac, 1868-1940
(1896-1905)
Folder 8
Osler, William, Sir, 1849-1919. 53 letters to C.N.B. (Charles Nicoll Bancker) Camac, 1868-1940
(1906-1919)
Folder 9
Osler, William, Sir, 1849-1919. 3 letters to Miscellaneous
(1897-1912)
Folder 10
Osler, William, Sir, 1849-1919. 1 letter to Julia Augusta Camac
(1905, Sep. 18)
Folder 11
Osler, William, Sir, 1849-1919. 2 letters to William Sydney Thayer, 1864-1932
([undated])
Folder 12
Miscellaneous Correspondence
(1896-1939)
Physical Description: 14 letters
Folder 13
Osler, William, Sir, 1849-1919. Letter book to Henry Barton Jacobs 1852-1939
(1893-1919)
Folder 14
Ephemera
(1897-1935)
Physical Description: 31 items
