The College Library and Archive contain about 40,000 books, dating from the 1460s to present, and documents, and many thousands of manuscript items, photographs and reports, covering the history of medicine and surgery, past membership, the College’s architecture, portraits, silver and furniture. Donations and long-term loans form an important and much appreciated part of the holdings. Casebooks and student notes of the lectures of such notable teachers as the Monros, William Cullen and James Syme are primary source treasure troves to researchers who regularly carry out projects here. Here too are the papers of such medical figures as Sir Henry Wade, Joseph Lister, Joseph Bell, Sir John Struthers, George Mackay, William James Stuart, John Chiene and Sir Walter Mercer, amongst others. The historical pamphlets and probationary essays of Fellows in the 1800s are an as yet un-tapped resource. This institution’s minutes and records, business papers and legal charters date from 1504 - and the collection is not static; constantly added are the modern business records such as archived schedules of successful examination candidates.
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