Sir William Osler (1849-1919 )
- best-known physician in the English-speaking world at the turn of the century, called the "most influential physician in history"
- born on July 12,1849 at Bond Head, Canada West (now Ontario)
- died on Dec 29, 1919, Oxford, England
- raised in Dundas, Canada West
- trained in medicine at the Univeristy of Toronto and McGill
- obtained an MD at McGill in1872
- postgraduate training in England and Europe
began teaching medicine and pathology at McGill
- in 1889 he became the first professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University
- expert in diagnosis of diseases of the heart, lungs and blood
- wrote the textbook The Principles and Practice of Medicine in 1892 (and frequently revised); it was considered authoritative for more than 30 years
- combined physiological and psychological treatment of patients
- emphasized the importance of the patients state of mind in acheiving a cure
- called the father of psychosomatic medicine
- helped create the system of postgraduate training for physicians that is followed to this day
- emphasized the need for medical students to spend time with patients
- published extensively and built international reputation as an astute and humane clinician
- made contributions to knowledge in a wide spectrum of clinical fields
- stimulated students who later became leaders of the medical profession
- 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
- moved to England in 1905 to take up the Regius Chair of Medicine, which he held until his death
- was made a baronet in 1911.
- for more information see:
- info from the Medical Library Association
- The Canadian Encyclopedia (1988) article by Charles G. Roland
- for more information see Canada firsts (1992) by Ralph Nader, Nadia Milleron, and Duff Conacher
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