Philadelphia General Hospital

Overview The Osler Memorial Committee was formed in October 1939. The committee was appointed by David Riesman, President of the Medical Board of the Philadelphia General Hospital. The objective of the committee was to create a museum and memorial to Sir William Osler in the old autopsy house of the Philadelphia General Hospital and to organize a ceremony marking the dedication of the building. After the completion of its duties, the Osler Memorial Committee was discharged in December 1940. At this...

Overview Samuel X Radbill (1901-1987) began his medical career as a general practitioner in 1926 and became a pediatrician in 1938, when he was certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. Radbill was perhaps better known as a medical historian, and collector of bookplates and old and rare medical texts than as a pediatrician. He believed that the study of medicine’s past was useful to its practice, and he encouraged many of his professional colleagues to examine the history of their specialties. The...