How to find out about Ohio’s medical history

The Ohio Academy and the Dittrick Medical History Center collaborated several years ago to produce a Bibliography of Ohio’s medical history. This bibliography includes articles and books published through 1996 plus a selection of post-1996 articles. This is an excellent way to find information on a wide range of subjects.

For a casual look at Ohio medical history, check out your local library and museums. Many museums have exhibits about the practice of medicine or dentistry in the area, including doctors’ and dentists’ offices and pharmacies. Local libraries may have biographies of local doctors or town histories that discuss early medicine, as well as more general works on the subject of medical history.

Check online library sources like the OhioLINK catalog, which contains records from 85 libraries in the state. Examples: Search in "Subject Heading" for history of medicine in Ohio for books and historical instruments. You can also search using the "Keyword" search for medical instruments using the name of the instrument.

Several medical schools in the state have medical historical collections, which include archives, books and instruments, public museums, online exhibits, and much more. They are:

               Cincinnati Medical Heritage Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati
               Dittrick Medical History Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland
               Fordham Health Sciences Library, Wright State University, Dayton
               Lloyd Library and Museum, Cincinnati
               The Medical Heritage Center at The Ohio State University
               Melnick Medical Museum at Youngstown State University
               Ohio University Archives and Special Collections, Athens

To begin the study of the general history of medicine (not specific to Ohio) the following will help:

Biographical resources
Guides to the history of medicine
Finding aids and literature bibliographies

This web site is hosted by The Dittrick Medical History Center and Museum at Case Western Reserve University
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