History of the Health Sciences Collection

The collection contains both primary and secondary resource books.

Primary resource books are those which—through their content or the prestige of their authors--have influenced the growth and development of medicine and health care. These cover specialties within the health sciences, such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and popular health care. Special strengths of the UT Southwestern collection include pioneering studies in the field of epidemiology, fevers, smallpox, plagues and Texas medicine, as well as the collected writings of noted physicians and biomedical scientists such as Hippocrates, John Hunter and Charles Darwin. Primary resource books are housed in the Rare Book Room and the History area on the Library’s Middle Floor, and accessed through Library Administration. Contact the staff named above between 8 AM and 5 PM weekdays if you wish to use these collections. Evenings and weekends, Information Desk staff can retrieve History books (but not Rare Books) for clients.

Secondary resource books are those which describe and discuss societies, individuals, institutions, and events of the past which have had an influence on the evolution of the heath sciences. The secondary sources offer a summary overview of many areas within the history of the health sciences, with special emphasis in the UT Southwestern collection on military medicine, contagious diseases, biographies of noted physicians and biomedical scientists, and surveys of progress in American medicine. Coverage is international, including many nations present and past, world-wide. The secondary book resources are split between the History area on Middle Floor (containing most pre-1950 books) and the regular book area on the Top Floor.

The collection includes a number of historically important medical journals, which are located in the History area. For assistance in using these, contact Bill Maina at 214-648-2629, Helen Mayo at 214-648-2528, or Library Administration at 214-648-2626.

A variety of files are part of the History collection. The content of these files includes:

• Clippings on Dallas & Texas medical history
• Clippings on general medical history
• Illustrations of medical instruments

For assistance in using these, contact Bill Maina at 214-648-2629, Helen Mayo at 214-648-2528, or Library Administration at 214-648-2626.

The collection includes a relatively small number of artifacts that have historical importance, such as:

• Apothecary jars
• Medical instruments
• Mortar & pestle sets
• Autographs of notable physicians and scientists
• A collection of postage stamps on medical topics

For assistance in using these, contact Bill Maina at 214-648-2629, Helen Mayo at 214-648-2528, or Library Administration at 214-648-2626.

• Texas Physicians Historical Biographical Database