History of the collections

HISTORY OF THE COLLECTIONS

The Library was created in 1820 at the same time as the Academy in order to register and preserve the works from the Academy.

The Library inherited the archives of the former "Ancien Régime" Companies : the Royal Academy of Surgery (1731-1793), the Royal Company of Medicine (1776-1793), the Medical School Company (1800-1821) and the Central Committee of Vaccine (1803-1823).

The printed books fund, nearly 450000 volumes, is periodically enriched by gifts, legacies, purchases and exchanges with the Bulletin of the Academy.

The library today receives 400 periodicals and approximately, each year, a thousand books covering all fields of current developments in medicine and the history of medicine.

Library of the history of medicine and the medical book:

The 1873 acquisition of the private  library of Charles Daremberg (1817-1872), the Academy’s first librarian, brought to the Library an invaluable fund, ultimate collection of books relative to the XIXth century History of medicine :

-113 incunabula: this collection gives a remarkable account of the 15th century medical editions with works of the most famous physicians in Antiquity and their comments: Hippocrates and Galen, also, of Arabic medicine: Mesué, Rhazès, Abulcasis, Avicenne, Avenzoar, medieval medicine, the School of Salerno, Venetian editions, and the first illustrated anatomy Treaty by John Ketham.

-         a collection of ancient medical periodicals,  nearly 7000 documents, and medical works published between 1501 and 1870: All the eminent doctors, surgeons and precursors of medicine are present : Ambroise Paré, Walter Hermann Ryff, William Harvey, Sydenham, Bidloo, Vicq d' Azyr, Boerhaave…

The high quality of illustrations has to be underlined in works from Gautier d' Agoty or Duchenne of Boulogne….

Other remarkable acquisitions gifts and legacies enriched and, still, contribute to the enrichment of this collection : Dr Antoine Mattei bequeathed on  his death in 1881 an important set  of obstetrical documents (manuscripts, notes, correspondences, lectures, works) dating from the XVth to the XIXth century.

All these works are listed in the General Catalogue of the Library and can be consulted in the Library reading room.

The library also holds an important collection of Academicians’ and scientists’ papers and manuscripts (800 volumes).

The library creates  and develops biographical files on Academy members and, also, famous scientists and physicians : 8000 files containing diverse documents: elements of marital status, biographical articles, correspondence, scientific works, degrees and diplomas, bibliographical references, iconographic documents.

The library has  a collection of 7500 physicians’ portraits.