Sir William Osler Medicine

Best-known physician in the English-speaking world around 1900

The Story

Osler trained in medicine at the University of Toronto and McGill University, Montreal (MD, 1872), and began his teaching career at McGill. In 1889 he became the founding professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He was particularly expert in diagnosis of diseases of the heart, lungs and blood. His book, The Principles and Practice of Medicine, published in1892 and frequently revised, was the preeminent medical textbook for more than 30 years. He helped create the system of postgraduate training for physicians that is followed today. His description of the inadequacy of treatment methods for most disorders was a major factor leading to the creation of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York City. He moved to Oxford, England in 1905, and was created a baronet in 1911. His ashes rest in the Osler Library, Montréal.

Sources: The Canadian Encyclopedia 1988

The Person

Birthdate
July 12, 1849
Birthplace
Bond Head, Ontario
Date of Death
December 29, 1919
Place of Death
Oxford, England
Title
Physician, professor of medicine
Office
Johns Hopkins University
Status
Deceased
Last Updated
October 15, 2001
Popularity
28938

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