History of Medicine
Rare Books & Publications
The History of Medicine Collection includes rare and early print books, bulletins, reports, periodicals, and other publications on various topics and in multiple languages ranging in date from 1542 to the present.
All of the following collection statistics were current as of July 2020.
Publications By Subject (Using National Library of Medicine/Library of Congress Subject Headings)
Publications By Country of Origin
Publications By Date (Century)
Artifacts
The History of Medicine Collection includes a significant number of medical instruments including microscopes, stethoscopes, surgical kits, and other artifacts documenting the history of medical practice from the 18th century to the present.
The majority of these artifacts can be found in two collections:
Some of these artifacts have been digitized using 3D scanning technology and can be viewed in the History of Medicine 3D Exhibit Gallery.
Archival Records and Manuscripts
The History of Medicine Collection his home to a variety of primary sources including archival records, manuscripts, and personal papers created by Indiana University School of Medicine faculty and alumni, researchers, professional organizations, advocates, and practitioners in the medical and health care professions.
The finding aids (collection guides) describing the contents of these collections can be viewed in Indiana University's Archives Online database.
To view a brief video tutorial on how to search IU Archives Online, visit: https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_z9vuocg3
Select archival materials from the History of Medicine Collection have been digitized and made available online in Indiana University's Digital Collections repository.
Audio and Video Recordings (Digital)
The majority of audiovisual recordings in the History of Medicine Collection have been digitized and made available for online streaming. Due to copyright restrictions, some resources may require users to log in with their Indiana University credentials to view the content.
Video recordings of dissections and surgical procedures intended for medical student education from the Ruth Lilly Medical Library's History of Medicine Collection and other units within the library. Some of the videos in this collection contain material that may be harmful or traumatizing to some audiences.
Contains historical audio and video recordings from the Ruth Lilly Medical Library's History of Medicine Collection and other units within the library.
Contains recordings of lectures and other presentations on history of medicine and medical humanities topics hosted and/or sponsored by the Ruth Lilly Medical Library and its partner organizations including the John Shaw Billings History of Medicine Society, IUPUI Medical Humanities and Health Studies Program, and the Indiana University School of Medicine's History of Medicine Student Interest Group.
Contains recordings of lectures and other presentations on history of medicine and medical humanities topics hosted and/or sponsored by the Ruth Lilly Medical Library and its partner organizations including the John Shaw Billings History of Medicine Society, IUPUI Medical Humanities and Health Studies Program, and the Indiana University School of Medicine's History of Medicine Student Interest Group.
Program, and the Indiana University School of Medicine's History of Medicine Student Interest Group.
Contains Recordings of lectures and other presentations sponsored by the Indiana University School of Medicine.
History of Medicine Journals (Print & Digital)
- AAHM Newsletter (2000-Present)The AAHM Newsletter is published three times a year by the American Association for the History of Medicine (open access).
- Bibliography of the History of Medicine (1964-1993)Published by the National Library of Medicine. Print journal.
- Bulletin of the History of Medicine (1996-Present)Bulletin of the History of Medicine is the official publication of the American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM) and the Johns Hopkins Institute of the History of Medicine.
- Caduceus: A Museum Quarterly for the Health Sciences (1985-1997)Published from 1985 to 1997 by the Department of Medical Humanities of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Print journal (digital copies available in the Internet Archive).
- Clio Medica: Acta Academiae Internationalis Historiae Medicinae (1965-2009)Published by the International Academy of the History of Medicine. Articles in English, French, and German. Print journal.
- Current Work in the History of Medicine: An International Bibliography (1954-1999)Published by the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London, UK). Print journal.
- Journal of Medical Biography (1996-2008)The Journal of Medical Biography is a peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1993 covering the lives of people in or associated with medicine, including medical figures and well-known characters from history and their afflictions. It is published by Sage Publications on behalf of the Royal Society of Medicine. Print: 1996-2008, Digital: 2003-2006.
- Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences (1946-Present)Published by Oxford University Press, this covers a broad range of topics in medical history and related subjects. While recognizing the value of medical history as historically conceptualized, JHMAS also aims to publish papers that cross disciplines, traditional international boundaries, and historiographic categories.
- Medical History (1957-Present)Medical History is a refereed journal devoted to all aspects of the history of medicine, health and related sciences, with the goal of broadening and deepening the understanding of the field, in the widest sense, by historical studies of the highest quality. It is associated with the European Association for the History of Medicine and Health, the Asian Society for the History of Medicine, and the World Health Organization's Global Health Histories initiative.
- The Naldecon Gallery of Medical History (1982-1985)The photographs used in this journal came from the noted collection of Stanley B. Burns, M.D., who also served as the editor. Each issue contains reproductions of nineteenth century photographs of unusual medical conditions. Naldecon is also the trade name for an antihistamine/decongestant produced by Bristol Laboratories, a division of Bristol Myers Company. Print journal.
- Notebook (1990-1992)Published by the Indiana University Center for the History of Medicine (Bloomington, Ind.). Print journal.
- Social History of Medicine: The Journal of the Society for the Social History of Medicine (1988-Present)Established in 1970 as the Bulletin for the Social History of Medicine, Social History of Medicine publishes research on the history of all aspects of health, illness and medical treatment in the past, from antiquity to the present.
Locating History of Medicine Materials in IUCat
To locate books, journals, artifacts, and audiovisual recordings from the History of Medicine Collection in IUCat, use the Advanced Catalog Search feature and limit the results by selecting "Ruth Lilly Medical Library (IUPUI) - History of Medicine" under Collection on the left side of the screen.
Locating History of Medicine-Related Articles in PubMed
PubMed contains citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books (1946-present). To locate articles, reviews, and other resources on history of medicine topics, include the MeSH subject heading "History of Medicine" along with your search term (e.g., "psychiatry") in the query.
Alternatively, to retrieve additional results, you can include the MeSH subheading "History" along with your search term (e.g., "psychiatry") in the query.
