Countway Library of Medicine, Rare Books Collection

John Warren Harvard Medical School, 1783-1785 In the fall of 1782, Warren was charged by the Corporation of Harvard College with the formation of a plan for medical instruction and subsequently appointed to the professorship of anatomy and surgery. Dr...

Avicenna Naples, Italy, 1463 The Canon medicinae, a compendium of medical knowledge and a guide to clinical teaching, was derived from Galenic writings and infused by Avicenna with Arabic medical lore. The first three books were printed in Latin in 1472...

Benjamin Waterhouse Oxford, England; Harvard Medical School, 1772 The flyleaves and end papers of Bibles were often used to note the births, deaths, and marriages of family members. But this Bible, belonging to the Waterhouse family, was used to record...

Philip Drinker Harvard Medical School, 1927-1928 Although a pioneer in public health research on the hazards of exposure to lead and dust, Philip Drinker is best remembered for his development of a machine to induce artificial respiration—the Drinker...