History of Medicine Collections
The various collections of the History and Special Collections Division support the study of the history of medicine and biology. Collections consist of books, journals, manuscripts, prints, portraits, and medical artifacts. For further assistance in locating manuscripts, prints, portraits, or other artifacts, please inquire in the division.
Our goal is to have an online record for every book, journal, manuscript, manuscript collection, artifact, print, and portrait in the collection and where appropriate, to make selected content available on the web.
Books and Journals in the History of Medicine and Biology
Visit UC Search. Almost all of the books and journals (this includes rare books, and journals, reference works, and histories and biographies) held by the History and Special Collections Division may be found using UC Search. A few special collections of books are described below.
UCLA Library Acquires Historical Collection of Medical Texts
The UCLA Library has acquired a historical collection of books and journals from Germany, primarily medical texts in the field of otorhinolaryngology. The materials were originally in the private library of Dr. Cäsar Hirsch, a specialist in the field, who was forced to leave all his belongings behind when he and his family fled Germany in 1933.
Prints, Portraits, and Artifacts
Currently, detailed information about these collections is available only in the History Division. Many of the images are recorded in a card catalog located in the Division.
Museum Artifacts
Although small, the Division's museum collection contains artifacts that provide insight into the practice of medicine in different eras. Surgeon's instrument cases, microscopes, scarifiers, thumb lancets, anesthesia masks, phrenological heads, cupping instruments, and glass eyes all bear witness to ideas and practices of the past.