The History of Medicine artifacts collection includes medical instruments, pharmaceutical cases, anatomical models and figurines; and other objects such as apothecary jars, cupping glasses, infant feeders, a bas-relief memento mori, and fetish figures. There are many models of microscopes and stethoscopes, dating from the 17th to the 20th century.
Durham, NC and Duke University have a rich history in the area of medicine and science. This LibGuide is a small sample of resources related to the history of medicine in Durham, NC and Duke University.
The Duke University History of Medicine Collection acquires, preserves, interprets, and makes available for research and instruction, materials documenting the history of medicine, biomedical science, health and disease in the global context of the Western medical tradition. The collection seeks to bring historical perspectives to bear on contemporary health issues and to facilitate an interdisciplinary understanding of the history of medicine.
The History of Medicine Collections contains over 20,000 rare print items including books and journals. Please use the online catalog to search for items related to *Duke Nursing students studying in a library room.(MedSpace) your research topic or interest. You may search by:
Also housed within the Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library are many other collections that will appeal to those interesrted in studying the history of medicine. Be sure to view research guides availalbe from the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture, the Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History, the John Hope Franklin Research Center, and the Human Rights Archive as these all have potentially relevant collection items for history of medicine scholars.
The following are just a few examples of manuscript collections pertaining to the history of medicine. You can search the catalog for manuscripts or search our collection guides by keyword.
