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Overview
William Osler, who was a brilliant, innovative teacher and a scholar of the natural history of disease, revolutionized the art of practicing medicine at the bedside of his patients. He was idolized by two generations of medical students and practitioners for whom he came to personify the ideal doctor. But much more than a physician, Osler was a fiercely intelligent humanist.
In both his writings and his personal life--and through the prism of the tragedy of the Great War--he embodied the art of living. Indeed, this is a book not only about the evolution of modern medicine, the training of doctors, holism in medical thought, and the doctor-patient relationship, but also about humanism, Victorianism, the Great War, and much else. Meticulously researched and accessibly written, William Osler: A Life in Medicine brings to life both a fascinating man and the formative age of twentieth-century medicine.
The book contains black-and-white illustrations.
Synopsis
Osler rose from obscurity to become the greatest medical teacher and writer in three countries, revered as a major figure in the advent of 20th-century medicine. The first full-scale biography of Osler since 1925.
New England Journal of Medicine
...certain to generate a new appreciation of the man and his remarkably diverse achievements.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"A dutiful social historian, Bliss inquires into Osler's sensitivity to issues of ethnicity, class, and gender." -- Ronald L. Numbers, Science
"A well-told, enjoyable, enlightening--and much needed-- biography of a giant of medical practice and education...A first-rate biography of a towering medical figure." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Medical historian Bliss has written the authoritative modern biography of the 19-century Canadian physician William Osler...This volume replaces Harvey Cushing's two volume tribute, The Life of William Osler (1956) as the definitive text in the field. Highly recommended...essential."--Library Journal (starred review)
"An excellent, readable biography written by a true scholar of medical history who knows his man and his material intimately."--Journal of the American Medical Association
New England Journal of Medicine
...certain to generate a new appreciation of the man and his remarkably diverse achievements.Journal of the American Medical Association
[W]ith the publication of this new book by Professor Michael Bliss of the University of Toronto, [Osler] now has an excellent, readable biography written by a true scholar of medical history who knows his man and material intimately.Library Journal
Medical historian Bliss (The Discovery of Insulin) has written the authoritative modern biography of 19th-century Canadian physician William Osler. Idolized by many as one of the greatest of all modern physicians, Osler emerges from this critical text as a brilliant, influential physician and teacher, full of compassion for his profession and patients. Bliss offers a glimpse of the rise of modern medicine and medical education as it unfolded around Osler and provides a view of the time as well as of the man. This volume replaces Harvey Cushing's two-volume tribute, The Life of Sir William Osler (1956), as the definitive text in the field. Highly recommended for history collections in all academic libraries and essential for medical collections.--Eric D. Albright, Duke Medical Ctr. Lib., Durham, NC Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.Booknews
Bliss tells the story of Osler (1849-1919) who was born in backwoods Canada, taught and wrote about medicine at McGill University, Johns Hopkins University in the US, and at Oxford in Britain. He was a scholar of the natural history of disease and revolutionized the bedside practice of medicine. He was also a noted humanist. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)William Gavin
Medical historian Michael Bliss' William Osler is a big, sturdy, readable account of Osler's life and the medical advances that were made in his lifetime, a period the author calls "the age of bacteriology"....Mr. Bliss tells his story remarkably well, varying his style with little ventures into present-tense storytelling. The author has a firm grasp of medical esoteria, and possesses a sly wit.—Washington Times