Discover the ancient works of Hippocrates in a new library collection at the University of York
Posted on 4 May 2004
William Hunter's Anatomia uteri humani gravidi tabulis illustrate (published in Birmingham in 1774) is part of the library of the York Medical Society (YMS), which has recently been deposited in the Raymond Burton Humanities Research Library at the University of York.
The collection of around 3,000 books was until recently housed in the Society's library in Stonegate in York city centre. YMS has decided to deposit the library in the new state of the art Raymond Burton Library in full, although it still retains ownership.
The YMS library contains many rare and valuable items including a two-volume edition of the works of Hippocrates (Basle, 1564) with clasped binding and annotations in Greek, which fill the margins in this Latin edition, and a first edition of the collected works of Gabriello Fallopio (Frankfurt, 1584), after whom the Fallopian tube is named.
There are also many twentieth-century works and runs of various journals, including an almost complete series of the British Medical Journal from 1855 to 1950.
Elizabeth Heaps, University Librarian said: "We are delighted to be able to provide a home to the library of York Medical Society, and make it more widely available. The Library provides a splendid resource for research into the history of medicine which will be of interest to historians and to the staff and students of the Hull York Medical School among others."
The Raymond Burton Humanities Research Library, which was opened in September 2003, is home to a number of Special Collections held in a secure and environmentally controlled store.
Professor John Cookson, Director of Medical Education at the Hull York Medical School (HYMS) said; "the collection will be of interest to HYMS students for special study modules, which give students an opportunity to study outside the core curriculum." For instance, a student could choose to study particular elements of medical history with the aid of this special collection.
The York Medical Society was founded in 1832 with the object of promoting and diffusing medical knowledge. It was not until 1890 when suitable premises were acquired in Low Ousegate, York, that the Society was able to house its own library.
David Roberts, Past President of York Medical Society, who has been overseeing the move, said that the York Medical Society were pleased with the outcome of negotiations to transfer the contents of their library to the new Raymond Burton Library at the University: "It has enabled the extensive collection to be much more user friendly to the researchers who wish to avail themselves of the wealth of information and history contained in the collection. Up to now it has remained under fierce lock and key for so many years, making access most difficult." He added, " The Society retains possession of the library but can now be reassured that it is in safe hands and can be so much more widely used."
Books from the YMS library may be consulted in the Samuel Storey Reading Room, a secure room for the rare and valuable materials in this and other library collections.
Cataloguing of the collection has just begun and will be completed towards the end of the year. Readers who wish to consult the books should contact David Griffiths (Special Collections Librarian).