Nature in Seclusion. The Monastic Republic of Letters in Southern Germany.

Monasteries were famous for their extensive libraries and richly decorated churches. Less well known are their observatories and their mathematical-physical collections with telescopes, air pumps, and friction machines. But how did the way of life in the monastery and scientific practices influence each other? This paper examines the interaction of scientific practices and religious way of life using the example of southern German monasteries in the second half of the eighteenth century. It shows how the monks pragmatically linked monastic life and research practice, thereby forming their own specific scientific culture. This closes an important gap in the understanding of scholarship in the eighteenth century by foregrounding the monasteries as places of knowledge production, which have so far received little attention alongside universities and academies.

Fungi in archives, libraries, and museums: a review on paper conservation and human health.

The action of fungi on books, documents, maps, and works of art on paper can result in inestimable cultural losses. Plus, some of the fungi present in paper documents, surfaces and air from archives, libraries and museums are also a threat to human health. This work aims to review the literature on the most important and frequent microfungal populations found in paper-based collections all over the world, and correlate these data with human health risks. A total of 71 studies, dating between 1997 and 2018 were reviewed and organized. From 27 different countries, 207 fungal genera and 580 species were reported. Chaetomium sp. and Fusarium sp. were found to be special contaminants in the air of archives and have been associated with paper biodeterioration. The most common fungi reported (e.g. Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Alternaria species) have an impact on paper conservation but can also cause adverse human health effects. The most frequent fungal species retrieved from discoloured paper materials are discussed in greater detail. Considerations on methods of identification and quantification of fungal contamination are also presented. Finally, the authors acknowledge an urgent need for standardizing research in this area and further studies are proposed.

Osler Centenary Papers: Osler, inscribed.

BACKGROUND: As the centenary of Sir William Osler's death approaches on 29 December 2019, it is worth pausing to reflect on the relationship between the Osler Library of the History of Medicine at McGill University and the image of William Osler, for the two are arguably inextricable. When Osler died he had not yet completed his library, yet his donation to McGill included nearly 8000 volumes that represented the foundations of western medicine. The Osler Library now boasts over 100 000 titles and is recognised globally as a centre for the study of medical history. METHODS: The approach taken here was to examine inscriptions in the books that William Osler bequeathed to the McGill Medical Facultyin order to learn more about William Osler, the man. RESULTS: By examining inscriptions William Osler and others made in his books, it was possible to learn more about how Osler interacted with his friends, his patients, and also his books. CONCLUSION: It is argued that these inscriptions are as instructive as they are enriching. They reveal information about Osler's priorities and his personal and professional relationships; future scholars will likely find it useful to examine inscriptions more broadly, to gain insight into such topics as the book trade and world events.

"Los libros y la noche", perspectiva neurológica de la ceguera de Jorge Luis Borges.

The works of Argentinian scholar Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) have captivated physicians. An assiduous reader, he was given, with magnificent irony, "books and the night". Borges suffered from chronic and irreversible blindness, which influenced much of his work and has been the subject of different literary and diagnostic analyses from the ophthalmological point of view. However, the characteristics of his visual impairment have escaped the neurological approach, which is why we reviewed his work looking for data suggesting a concomitant brain injury. On his autobiography, he recounts how, during an episode of septicemia, he suffered hallucinations and loss of speech; in addition, in some poems and essays he describes data that suggest "phantom chromatopsia", a lesion of cortical origin. After that accident, Borges survived with a radical change in literary style. Although a precise diagnosis is impossible, his literary work allows recognizing some elements in favor of concomitant brain involvement.

La obra del erudito argentino Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) ha cautivado a los médicos. Asiduo lector con magnífica ironía, le fueron dados "los libros y la noche". Borges padeció una ceguera crónica e irreversible que impulsó gran parte de su obra y ha sido objeto de distintos análisis literarios y diagnósticos desde el punto de vista oftalmológico. Sin embargo, las características de su ceguera han escapado al abordaje neurológico, por lo cual revisamos su obra en busca de datos que sugieran una lesión cerebral concomitante. En su autobiografía relata cómo durante un episodio de septicemia padeció alucinaciones y pérdida del habla; además, en algunos poemas y ensayos describe datos que sugieren "cromatopsia fantasma", lesión de origen cortical. Tras dicho accidente, Borges sobrevivió con un cambio radical en su estilo literario. Aunque un diagnóstico preciso es imposible, su obra literaria nos permite reconocer algunos elementos que sugieren involucramiento cerebral concomitante.

The beginnings of health libraries of the Czech Brothers Hospitallers in the 18th century.

During some 150 years in the 17th and 18th centuries the network of convents with hospitals and pharmacies run by the Brothers Hospitallers was established in the Czech Lands. At that time the members of the Order made use of quite a large amount of early modern European health literature. Although the need of those books was closely connected with the main mission of the Order, their position in convents was marginal at the beginning and depended on the personality of individual friars. For a long time, the Czech Brothers Hospitallers were forced to use second-hand literature (even from the 16th century) which was not replaced by new volumes until the moment when the convents overcame the "birth pangs" of the founding years (end of the 18th century). The study deals with the facts that are mentioned above on the basis of the hitherto ignored archive sources coming from Prague, Kuks, Nové Město nad Metují, Prostějov, and Vizovice. Key words: brothers hospitallers pharmaceutical literature medical literature 17th century 18th century history of libraries pharmaceutical history.

[Pharmaceutical History of the Capuchin Monastery in Prague-Hradcany Part I. Monastic Pharmacy]. / Farmaceutická historie kapucínského klástera v Praze na Hradcanech Cást I. Klásterní lékárna.

Based on a profound examination and thorough evaluation of archival materials and preserved equipment, the article provides a unique perspective on the unknown history of pharmacy at the capuchin monastery in Prague-Hradcany. The intramural pharmacy was established around the year 1680, and was practised to 1822. The article identifies the capuchin pharmacists and their line of succession. Pharmaceutical literature from the monastic library is listed and described, including rare manuscripts. The preserved high baroque equipment of the pharmacy is described in detail, and an iconography analysis of the hidden meaning of its unique decoration is offered.Key words: pharmaceutical history capuchins monastic pharmacies baroque.

[Military Knowledge: War Sciences and Army Libraries in France in the 19th Century (c. 1800-c. 1900)]. / Le rôle du savoir au sein de l'armée: sciences de la guerre et bibliothèques militaires en France au XIXe siècle (c. 1800-c. 1900).

This article analyses the development of military knowledge in France in the 19th century, both in terms of production of knowledge (especially through the Dépôt de la Guerre) and of transmission through a network of army libraries. The strategic dimension of this form of knowledge required a direct intervention of the state, to control or restrict the publication of sensitive data. State intervention was also necessary to coordinate and generate a unified, applied military knowledge using data submitted by members of different army branches, or by civilians. The work of military librarians and bibliologists was all the more difficult because of the very wide range of sciences which could be used by the army. Growing state intervention and public funding were thus essential for the production and transmission of military knowledge.

[The presence of charity books in the inventory of the College of Pharmacy]. / Présence d'ouvrages charitables dans l'inventaire de la bibliothèque du Collège de pharmacie de Paris.

The inventory of the Library of the College of Pharmacy was redacted in 1781-1782 and was completed in 1787. It contained seven charity books : Toutes les CEuvres Charitables by Philibert Guybert, Les Secrets touchant la Medecine, Le Medecin et le Chirurgien des Pauvres by Paul Dubé, La medecine abbreggée en faveur des Pauvres by the same Paul Dubé, Le Traité des-Maladies les plus fréquentes by Helvetius, Les Remedes faciles & domestiques by Mrs Fouquet, and the Manuel des Dames de Charité by Arnaut de Nobleville and his co-authors. If these seven books were representative of the charity books in France, they only represented 2 percents of the total amount of books mentioned in the inventory. That is not surprising because this kind of books were not redacted for pharmacists but for not educated people. All these books had been published before the middle of the 18th century and the charity books recently published were not present. That comforted the hypothesis that the books of the Library came only from gifts by members of the College at the end of their Professional life.

[History of trichinellosis in the history of the catalog of the French National Library]. / Quelques aspects de l'histoire de la trichinellose à travers le catalogue de la BNF.

The Open Line public access catalogue of the French National Library was consulted for the following key-words: trichine, trichinose, Trichina, trichinellose. Around 50 monographs in French were published during three periods: 1860-1869, 1880-1889 and 1970-1979. The 1970-1979 wave was linked with the emergence in Paris and its region of an outbreak related to horse-meat consumption. The 1880-1889 wave is explained by an economical war between Europe and the United States of America. The 1860-1870 wave occurred when the parasite cycle and the human disease were identified in Germany by Virchow and Zenker. In addition, some political and economic events could have increased the fear of the disease.

[The treasure of the American Society of Anesthesiologists: Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology].

The origin of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Wood Library of Museum (WLM) can be traced back to the early 1930s when Dr. Paul Meyer Wood donated his collection of books and medical devices to the New York Society of Anesthetists. The WLM's current activities go beyond collection and preservation of the historical materials and publication and sale of history-related books. The WLM publishes and sells history-related books, and provides anesthesia related materials and information to the society members, as well as the public in general. The on-going programs initiated by the WLM encourage one to study history (WLM Fellowship in Anesthesiology) and honor the established anesthesia historians (WLM Laureate of History of Anesthesia). At the annual ASA meeting, the WLM has also its own lectures and symposium sessions, such as 'Patrick Sim Forum on the History of Anesthesiology' 'Lewis H. Wright Memorial Lecture' and 'History Panel'. These activities are partly supported by a group of anesthesiologist-historians (Friends of WLM). The Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists' Museum was founded in 2011 and it is still in its infancy. In order for the museum to be fully functional, Japanese anesthesiologists will be able to learn from the well-established anesthesiology museum/libraries, such as the WLM.

[Dr. Joseph Chazanowicz (1844-1919) and the National Library in Jerusalem].

Dr. Joseph Chazanowicz (1844-1919), was a Russian physician, and founder of the Jewish National Library in JerusaLem. After completing his studies at the Jewish school and at the gymnasium of Grodno, Chazanowicz went to Königsberg, Germany to study medicine and finished his studies in 1872. Returning to Russia, he began to practice at Byelostok's Jewish hospital. Chazanowicz founded the Hovevei Ziyyon ["Lovers of Zion"] society and also the Linat Ha-Zedek ("Hospice for the Poor")--caring for the poor. In 1890 he visited Palestine and conceived the idea of founding a library in Jerusalem, together with the B'nai B'rith organization. In 1896 he sent his large collection of books, amounting to nearly 10,000 volumes, to Jerusalem as the beginning of the Abarbanel library. The enlargement of this library and the collection of funds to erect a special building for it became the life-work of Chazanowicz.

Magic, Mind Control, and the Body Electric: "Materia Medica" in Sir Walter Scott's Library at Abbotsford.

This chapter examines the medical texts, or "Materia Medica", held by Sir Walter Scott in his library at Abbotsford. While the vast majority of Scott's medical texts are antiquarian, his library also contains rare tracts and ephemera relating to the medical practice of the infamous quack, Dr James Graham (1745-94), and the Burke and Hare controversy of 1828 and its aftermath. Examining Scott's holdings of medical texts in relation to his own health and that of his family and friends, it is argued that the lack of contemporary medical self-help texts in his library is striking and indicative of his stoical attitude towards health, despite his clear interest in medical culture.

[Vesalius and the flat of Daremberg]. / Vésale et le bémol de Daremberg.

Who was Charles Daremberg? Why and how did he become interested in Vesalius? Why was he unable to really understand his work? Why did he tone down the general tune of praise?

Translating Forbidden Authors: New Evidence on the Alchemical Library of Don Antonio de' Medici.

Research into the history of alchemy and Paracelsianism in Italy has highlighted the role of Italian courts in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as centres of elaboration and diffusion of alchemical knowledge. Among these, one of the best known is the Medici court which already dedicated spaces in the ducal foundry to the alchemical arts in the time of Cosimo I. This interest would remain alive with Francesco I and his son, Don Antonio de' Medici, one of the greatest supporters of Paracelsian medicine in Italy. This contribution presents previously unpublished sources, now preserved in the Archivio di Stato di Firenze and in the collection of the Biblioteca degli Intronati in Siena, that can help us reconstruct in greater detail some significant aspects of Medici alchemical engagement and can, above all, help further determine Paracelsus's influence in seventeenth century Florence.

[Jing Xiao Chan Bao collected by the Waseda university library].

The current version of Jing Xiao Chan Bao is believed to be the earliest medical book on gynecology remaining in China. It has three problems: formulae missing, lack of fluency in the text, and thus difficulties in proofreading and editing. These problems are still there because there are very few versions of Jing Xiao Chan Bao left in China and so it is difficult to do further studies to make comparisons. The Waseda University Library announced that the version they held was a handwritten. It provides a new version for further research of this book. This version was believed to be compiled and edited by Japanese scholars based on Medical Prescription Analogues (Yi Fang Lei Ju) and therefore appears to be similar to the South Song Dynasty version. Using archival research, it was found that in the version at Waseda University Library, the content organisation, the number of formulas, and the use of taboo words is different from those in the current version in China. In this sense, it is believed that this version is valuable and meaningful for archival and clinical research for traditional Chinese medicine.

The journey of discovering skull base anatomy in ancient Egypt and the special influence of Alexandria.

The field of anatomy, one of the most ancient sciences, first evolved in Egypt. From the Early Dynastic Period (3100 BC) until the time of Galen at the end of the 2nd century ad, Egypt was the center of anatomical knowledge, including neuroanatomy. Knowledge of neuroanatomy first became important so that sacred rituals could be performed by ancient Egyptian embalmers during mummification procedures. Later, neuroanatomy became a science to be studied by wise men at the ancient temple of Memphis. As religious conflicts developed, the study of the human body became restricted. Myths started to replace scientific research, squelching further exploration of the human body until Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria. This period witnessed a revolution in the study of anatomy and functional anatomy. Herophilus of Chalcedon, Erasistratus of Chios, Rufus of Ephesus, and Galen of Pergamon were prominent physicians who studied at the medical school of Alexandria and contributed greatly to knowledge about the anatomy of the skull base. After the Royal Library of Alexandria was burned and laws were passed prohibiting human dissections based on religious and cultural factors, knowledge of human skull base anatomy plateaued for almost 1500 years. In this article the authors consider the beginning of this journey, from the earliest descriptions of skull base anatomy to the establishment of basic skull base anatomy in ancient Egypt.

[Looking at several fleeting hygiene journals from the 19th Century kept at the National Library of France]. / Regards sur quelques journaux éphémères d'hygiène du XIXème siècle conservés a la Bibliothèque nationale de France.

The authors investigate some ephemeral reviews of private and public hygiene of the 19th century in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF). They examine the general context of their publication, describe them according to the usual bibliographic criteria, analyse their aims and content, and try to understand why they were so ephemeral. These reviews are in a very poor state and computerisation, they hope, might give them a new life.