The History of Medicine Collection serves as a resource for students, faculty, and researchers in general. It contains early medical works of scholarly significance, pre-1850 original research, and medical classics. Subject coverage is broad with concentrations in early anatomy, surgery, pharmacy, obstetrics and gynecology, American medical literature from the early 1800s, the medieval motive of the b Dance of Death, lead poisoning, homeopathy, cardiology, pathology, and hernia repair. In mid- to late 2008 the rare collections of the Public Health and Dentistry libraries were incorporated into the History of Medicine Collection. The print collections are all cataloged and represented in the University of Michigan's online catalog Mirlyn (see Web address above).

Holdings:

With titles dating from 1470 to the early 20th century, the collections consist of approximately 6,300 monographs (primarily pre-1822 imprints), a small collection of journals, 82 incunabula, medical fugitive sheets, medical portraits, and a collection of 52 medical magic amulets from Late Antiquity. In addition, there is an extensive homeopathy collection, including the Bradford Collection of 1,027 pamphlets and the contents of the former University of Michigan Homeopathic Library. The History of Medicine Collection has grown primarily by gift, with the largest donations coming from the libraries of Le Roy Crummer, M.D., Lewis Stephen Pilcher, M. D., Aldred Scott Warthin, M.D., and George E. Wantz.

Subject Strengths:

History of Anatomy; History of Gynecology and Obstetrics; History of Pharmacology and Pharmacy; History of Public Health; History of Stomatology; History of Surgery

Last Updated:

16 Jun 2014