4499 Medical Drive #225,
San An#tonio, Texas 78229 210.616.0836
"A
Way of Life"
Sir William
Osler 1913
Dr. Christian has several collectable out of print versions of this
address given by Sir William Osler M.D. in 1913. There are few illustrations other than a picture of Dr. Osler in several different
poses.
The medical field like other professions has
it's hero's and Dr. William Osler, a Canadian Physician and one of the
Founding Professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital is one of them. He
started the first residency program for specialty training of physicians
and has been described as the "Father of Modern Medicine". Osler
was well known for his love of literature, especially the Bible, and
probably had read and studied every important work printed. He
frequently wrote essays and gave lectures and one of my favorite of all
time is his Address delivered to Yale Students, Sunday Evening, April
20th 1913. It was published that year and I have one of the First
Edition Copies in my collection of his works.
There is much interest lately in the topic of
Mindfulness, focusing
one's awareness on the present moment. No one has more eloquently
described this than Dr. Osler. A short excerpt describes what he means
by "Day-Tight Compartments" and why we need to live this way.
"Each day needs that shalt thou ask, Each day will set it's proper
task." Goethe
" Now the way of life that I preach is a
habit to be acquired gradually by long and steady
repetition.
It is the practice of living for the
day only, and for the day's work, Life
in Day-Tight Compartments...
Touch a button and hear, at every level
of your life,
the iron doors shutting out
The Past...the dead yesterdays.
Touch another and shut off, with a
metal curtain,
The Future...the unborn tomorrows.
Then you are safe for today.
The load of tomorrow added to that of
yesterday, carried today makes the strongest falter."
Take a break sometime during one of those
days when you are relaxed, your mind rested and "in the
moment" and read the entire address. It's
Magical Advice and you will be changed.....
There are many references and metaphors
to Biblical and historical works, so if you want more
explanation, please get a copy of a current book "Osler's A Way of Life and Other Addresses, with
Commentary and Annotations" by eminent Oslerians, Shigeaki Hinohara M.D. and Hisae
Niki, M.A., Duke University Press. (See
Below)
The American Osler Society is a history of medicine
organization dedicated to perpetuating the life, teachings
and ethical example of Sir William Osler.
1913 "What Men Live by" William Osler,
Rare First Edition,
Constable & Company Ltd., London,
Publishers.
Original ribbed cloth, gilt title tiles and spine border
decorations. A small book measuring only 4.5X6".
Published soon after the address was given. From
Patrick McGahern
Books, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
1928 "A Way of Life" William Osler,
Oxford University Press, American Branch, New York,
Publisher. Gilded Cover and Spine. From
AbeBooks.com. Contains portrait of Osler and text
of "The Salutation of the Dawn". No references to source of
this Sanskrit Poem, generally credited to
Kalidasa, is
given.
1932 "A Way of Life" William Osler,
Remington-Putnam Book Company, Norman Remington,
Baltimore, Publisher. Contains
Introduction (A great little read!) by
John Rathbone Oliver, Medical Historian and member of
Johns Hopkins Staff. "The Salutation of the Dawn" does
have a footnote regarding it's inclusion in the book. It
mentions that the poem was sent to Osler by
de Haviland Hall, ?ENT Specialist or his father. Nice
Dust
Jacket, in good condition.
1937 "A Way of Life" William Osler,
Paul B. Hoeber, Inc, Medical Book Department of Harper &
Brothers, Publisher. This was a popular version of the work
and I have several versions of the Marbled Cover. One of
them has a portrait of Osler
tipped in. The volume was hand-set in
Goudy Medieval type by Authur and Edna Rushmore at the
Golden Hind Press in Madison, New Jersey, for Paul B.
Hoeber, Inc in New York City. There is a very nice
Forward by Medical Historian,
Francis R.
Packard who explains in more detail why "The Salutation
of the Dawn" is included. He writes in his forward, "Cushing
(Harvey Cushing, Pulitzer Prize for Osler Biography &
Father of Neurosurgery) says that in a copy of the address
in Osler's Library the author had inscribed the following
poem (The Salutation of the Dawn)". Beneath the poem was
written, "If another reprint is called for, put this on this
page". Therefore the poem was included in future versions. From
AbeBooks.com.
1951 "A Way of Life and Selected Writings of Sir
William Osler" William Osler,
Dover Publications Inc., New York, Collection of
Selected Writings 12 Jul 1949 to 29 Dec 2019. Introduction
by G. L. Keynes. Edited as a Centenary Tribute to Osler. From
AbeBooks.com.
1969 "A Way of LIfe" William Osler,
Charles C. Thomas
Publisher, Springfield, Illinois.
Forward by
John P. McGovern. a Co-Founder of the
American Osler
Society. Published in Commemoration of the
Fiftieth Anniversary of Osler's Death December 29, 1919. From
AbeBooks.com. This version is also still in print
from
Amazon as a hardcover, but probably won't have the nice Dust
Jacket.
2001 "Osler's A Way of Life and Other
Addresses, with Commentary and Annotations" by
eminent Oslerians, Shigeaki Hinohara M.D. and Hisae
Niki, M.A., Duke University Press. The
forward is again by
John P. McGovern M.D., a Co-Founder of the
American
Osler Society.
This wonderful collection is very special because
the authors have created footnotes and commentaries
which enable the reader to better follow the many
references and metaphors used by Osler in his
Address's and Essays. This volume of course
contains the famous
"Aequanimitas"! This is to date probably
the best collection of Osler's work, especially
because of the commentaries. It is a large book and
it makes a
great ~$40 gift for that special person in your life!
We give a copy of this to our guests at the going
away luncheon for our
UTSA Interns at Aldo's each semester. This
would also make a great gift for that new Medical
Student! At the back of the book is a list of
books Osler felt all Medical Students should have on
their bed side table. The first one is the Bible. From
Amazon,
2010 "A Way of Life" William Osler,
PaperBack Version. A nice small version is
also available in Hardcover and Kindle. Makes a nice,
reasonably priced
gift $7 for the PaperBack, for a group also! Buy
a batch for a group of new graduates. From
Amazon.
2012 onward. From Repressed Publishing. They will print
and create on demand a nice hardcover reprint of the
original 1913 edition, beautifully bound in brown
cloth covers with titles and spine stamped in gold. It is
larger (6x9") than the small 1913 original first
edition version above. $24 From
Repressed Publishing,
