Medical books: for information or learning? Reflections on the books of three Newfoundland physicians, c.1860 to...

This study describes the medical books of three physicians in rural Newfoundland who followed each other chronologically. Spanning the years c.1860 to c.1970, the nearly 300 books prompt a variety of questions about the physicians themselves, their practices, and their reading habits. These enquiries raise further questions about the extent to which medical books are read for factual information or for contemplating more general issues about the nature of disease and the nature of the individual.