History of Medicine ephemera collection, 1747-1981
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Summary
- Abstract:
- Collection contains a wide variety of material documenting different medical topics, specialties, institutions, education, and people throughout history, and it is largely but not entirely focused on Western, Euro-centric medicine as practiced by white men. Women, people with physical and mental disabilities, and non-Western medical practices are represented in select materials. The collection consists mostly of publications (article reprints, theses, dissertations, and journal issues), speeches, histories, and profiles of medical professionals and organizations. Acquired as part of the History of Medicine Collection at Duke University.
- Extent:
- 2.5 Linear Feet
- Language:
- Materials in English, French, German, and Spanish.
- Collection ID:
- RL.13005
Background
- Scope and content:
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Collection contains a wide variety of material documenting different medical topics, specialties, institutions, education, and people throughout history, and it is largely but not entirely focused on Western, Euro-centric medicine as practiced by white men. The collection includes publications (article reprints, theses, dissertations, and journal issues), speeches, histories, and profiles and memorials of medical professionals and documents the history of different medical fields, as well as the contributions of particular doctors to the advancement of medical knowledge and treatment. Also included are materials that partially document the history of select medical institutions and libraries, such as Massachusetts General Hospital and the Transylvania Library's medical collection. Other items address or endorse the use of particular technologies (e.g., electricity), medications and chemical products, or supplements (e.g., evaporated milk), to enhance procedures, provide nutrition, and/or cure illness. Materials focus on adult and pediatric medicine.
Some materials document the role of women in medicine, both as patients and as medical professionals. These materials focus mostly on women as nurses, or on the care and treatment of conditions specific to women, such as pregnancy and menopause. An illustration accompanying a profile of Dr. Francois Prevost depicts a white woman enslaver allowing him to perform a C-section on a Black enslaved woman.
Materials that focus on non-Western or alternative medicine include articles about folk medicine in North Carolina, surgeries performed by the Mayans, Indigenous medicine in Oklahoma and Georgia, and the three founding figures of Ayurvedic medicine in India (Sushruta, Charaka, and Vāgbhaṭa).
Materials that address physical and mental disabilities may use outdated language and include articles about tuberculosis sanatoriums and organizations, the impact of glands upon "mental deficiency," and delirium in people classified as "insane."
- Acquisition information:
- The History of Medicine Ephemera Collection was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a transfer from the Duke Medical Center Library in 2011; as purchases from Deborah Coltham Rare Books, Caroliniana Rare Books, and Linda Lacy in 2023-2024; and as a gift from Ann Stringfield in 2024.
- Processing information:
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Processed by Leah Tams, May 2023.
Updated by Leah Tams, September 2023, June 2024.
Accessions described in this collection guide: 2023-0005, 2023-0064, 2023-0179, 2024-0053.
- Arrangement:
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Materials arranged in the order in which they were received.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
Contents
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- Restrictions:
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Access restricted. Some materials in this collection contain potentially sensitive information. Contact Research Services for access. https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8fblaT2NbgbQujj .
- Terms of access:
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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.
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- Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.
- Preferred citation:
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[Identification of item], History of Medicine Ephemera Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
- Permalink:
- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1j15g