Department of Social Studies of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Osler Library of the History of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Postgrad Med J. 2019 Dec;95(1130):637-641. doi: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2019-136745.
As the centenary of Sir William Osler's death approaches on 29 December 2019, it is worth pausing to reflect on the relationship between the Osler Library of the History of Medicine at McGill University and the image of William Osler, for the two are arguably inextricable. When Osler died he had not yet completed his library, yet his donation to McGill included nearly 8000 volumes that represented the foundations of western medicine. The Osler Library now boasts over 100 000 titles and is recognised globally as a centre for the study of medical history.
The approach taken here was to examine inscriptions in the books that William Osler bequeathed to the McGill Medical Facultyin order to learn more about William Osler, the man.
By examining inscriptions William Osler and others made in his books, it was possible to learn more about how Osler interacted with his friends, his patients, and also his books.
It is argued that these inscriptions are as instructive as they are enriching. They reveal information about Osler's priorities and his personal and professional relationships; future scholars will likely find it useful to examine inscriptions more broadly, to gain insight into such topics as the book trade and world events.
2019 年 12 月 29 日，威廉·奥斯勒爵士逝世 100 周年纪念日即将到来，值得我们停下来反思麦吉尔大学奥斯勒医学史图书馆与威廉·奥斯勒形象之间的关系，因为这两者可以说是不可分割的。当奥斯勒去世时，他尚未完成他的图书馆，但他捐赠给麦吉尔大学的藏书近 8000 册，这些藏书代表了西方医学的基础。现在，奥斯勒图书馆拥有超过 10 万册藏书，被公认为全球医学史研究中心。
这里采用的方法是检查威廉·奥斯勒遗赠给麦吉尔医学系的书籍中的题词，以更多地了解这个人。
通过检查题词，了解了奥斯勒如何与他的朋友、病人以及他的书籍互动。
可以说，这些题词不仅具有启发性，而且很有意义。它们揭示了奥斯勒的优先事项以及他的个人和职业关系的信息；未来的学者可能会发现更广泛地检查题词很有用，可以深入了解书籍交易和世界大事等主题。
