Monthly Archives: March 2011

Noise in the library due to building works

The first phase of a re-wiring project has begun in the Wellcome Unit and unfortunately this means there may be quite a bit of noise and disruption for library users in the next few weeks. There may also be some days when the library will need to remain closed so look out for further announcements. Many apologies for any inconvenience caused.

New sites saved on our delicious page

The Medical Heritage Libray

The MHL is a collaboration of major research libraries in the United States, including the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, the National Library of Medicine, the Columbia Library of Health Sciences, and the College of Physicians in Philadelphia.

They digitize and make available through the Internet Archive a wide range of materials pertaining to the history of medicine, including texts on military medicine, general surgery and surgical history, spiritualism, sanitation, hygiene, tropical medicine, medical jurisprudence, psychology, gynecology, phrenology, crimes, criminology, electrotherapeutics, climatology, and homeopathy.

There is also a very interesting companion blog about the MHL.

History of Vaccines – A Project of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia

The College has created The History of Vaccines to provide a living, changing chronicle of the compelling history of vaccination, from pre-Jennerian variolation practices, to the defeat of polio in the Western Hemisphere, to cutting-edge approaches to novel vaccines and vaccine delivery. The site aims to increase public knowledge and understanding of the ways in which vaccines, toxoids, and passive immunization work, how they have been developed, and the role they have played in the improvement of human health.

The site also discusses some of the controversies about vaccination and some of the challenges, difficulties, and tragic events that have occurred in the use of vaccines.

Much of the historical material that appears on The History of Vaccines comes from The College’s Historical Medical Library and its wealth of rare books, medical journals, manuscripts, and archives.

See our delicious page for more useful websites.

Medical School records moved to University Archives

Recent announcement that may be of interest to you:

‘On 16 February the University Archives received an accession of records from the Medical Sciences Division based at the John Radcliffe Hospital. The records, comprising administrative records of the Medical School (and, from 2000, Medical Sciences Division) from the 1920s to the 2000s, are the first records of the Medical School to be transferred to the Archives. They comprise personal files of clinical students; minutes and related papers of committees of the Medical School and Medicine Faculty Board; correspondence of the School and Division; and other records including indexes of students and photographs.  The Archives already holds central University correspondence concerning the Medical School but has not, until now, held any records created by the School itself.  The accession, and appraisals which Archives staff carried out at the John Radcliffe, marks the beginning of a relationship with the Divisional office which we hope will lead to regular transfers of material in the future.’

Mental Hygiene, Social Hygiene collection on Scientifica

The Scientifica project places online, French language works from the Old Books Collection of the Library for Science and Industry, published from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th.
The most recently digitised collection on Scientifica is:

“Mental Hygiene, Social Hygiene”
One hundred and twenty-six holdings – this selection expands online materials in the fields of psychology and psychiatry in the following categories: “Phrenology,” “The Theory of Degenerescene” and “Women and Sexuality in the 19th century.”

Scientifica also prospectively announces: “The Children’s Corner” scientific books and albums for children, and “The Curiosity Cabinet” a representative anthology of the library’s diverse sources on science and technology.