The HS/HSL recently acquired a few interesting manuscript items dating from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. There are two volumes of class lecture notes transcribed by Dr. William D. Cawley, a 1902 graduate of our School of Medicine. The first volume comprises notes derived from lectures on Surgery, and the second is his collected transcriptions relating to various topics in Dermatology, including eczema, liver spots, psoriasis, scabies, shingles, and others. These notes afford a fascinating illustration of the scope of these branches of medicine as they were known and taught in our institution at that time in history.

Accompanying those two pieces are a manuscript volume of professor’s notes dated 1898, pertinent to the study of the female generative organs, and of embryology. These originated from Dr. Jose L. Hirsh, who taught Histology, Embryology, Pathology, and Bacteriology in our School of Medicine. His Preface states that Professor Hirsh compiled these study guide notes from various learned sources and reproduced them in mass quantity for the benefit of his students. As with the other two volumes, this item also was the property of William Cawley.

These valuable pieces are welcome additions to our Historical Collections. They represent a unique glimpse into the nature of medical teaching concepts and methods in an era well before digital files in Blackboard content modules.