Bruce Peel Special Collections

Since ancient times, medical texts have helped to inform the treatment of diseases and injuries and the care of the human body. They showcase evolving ideas about the world, the role of religion and spiritual beliefs, and the development of scientific thought over centuries. The Dr. Herbert E. Rawlinson Medical Collection at the University of Alberta Library was donated by Dr Herbert E. Rawlinson, Dr Heber H. Moshier, Dr Heber C. Jamieson, Dr Allan C. Rankin, and the Mewburn family, among others. In addition to some of the seminal medical titles, the Rawlinson collection has local significance as it showcases the medical practices and beliefs that shaped local life over the past 150 years, and offers a record of significant historical events in Western Canadian healthcare. It consists of approximately 2,000 volumes–on topics such as anatomy, herbal medicine, and obstetrics–approximately 250 of which are rare books that are housed in Bruce Peel Special Collections. Dagmara Chojecki’s The Rawlinson Rare Medical Book Collection: History and Highlights provides a more complete description of the collection.

Access: Search “Dr. Herbert E. Rawlinson Medical Collection” in the U of A library catalogue to identify those included in this collection.

Collection Formats: 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century, Books -- click to see other collections with this format