Rare books and subject-relevant books

The Legacy Center maintains a book collection of rare, subject-specific, and reference books on the history of medicine, women in medicine, women’s health, and on early homeopathy medicine. All are non-circulating volumes and available for reading room use only.

Women in medicine and women’s health

The women in medicine collection includes autobiographies, biographies, histories, reference works, and medical textbooks.

Many but not all titles can be searched through the University Libraries’ main catalog.

Early homeopathic medicine

Historical homeopathy books stem from the early 1800s and cover theory and practice, and comprise works by many of the early homeopathic practitioners and preparers including Samuel Hahnemann and Constantine Hering; Materia Medica of Hahnemann, Hering, Adolph Lippe, William Boericke, and others.

Titles are not fully catalogued, but please email us about your interests: com_archives@drexel.edu

Constantine Hering’s Paracelsus collection

Constantine Hering, M.D. collected the works of Philippus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim Paracelsus (1493-1541), building a collection of over 200 volumes dating from 1502. In addition to the original works of Paracelsus, the collections includes early works on the philosopher's stone, alchemy, botany, and a first edition of Robert Browning's poem, Paracelsus.

In 1881, a catalogue documenting the collection was published by Globe Publishing House and in 1932, Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital produced a second catalogue of the Constantine Hering Paracelsus Collection housed at the College. 1932 catalog listing [PDF]

History of medicine

Secondary sources in the history of medicine 18th century and forward, including significant anatomy works:

• William Hunter's Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus (1774)
• Jenner's Inquiry on... the Cow Pox (1800)
• 1632 edition of Vesalius' Epitome