Rare Books Collection

The Rare Books Collection contains around 66 000 books and periodicals published before 1851. There are over 600 incunabula (books printed before 1501) and more than 5000 books from the 16th century.

All aspects of medical science and practice are represented, including anatomy, physiology, surgery, psychology, dentistry, tropical medicine, public health, hospitals and general hygiene. Veterinary science is also covered, and there are significant holdings in early military and naval medicine. As well as the great names in medical history, such as Galen, Vesalius and Harvey, Rare Books contains publications by ordinary practitioners and a wide range of writings on popular and alternative remedies. There are many lavishly illustrated anatomical and surgical works, as well as herbals and 'coffee-table' volumes of natural history.

Besides medicine, there are wide and varied holdings in allied subjects such as chemistry, pharmacy, alchemy, zoology and botany. There are cookery books, exercise and diet manuals, guides to health resorts, ethnographic works and many travellers' and explorers' tales, as well as books of general history. Early tracts on addictive pleasures such as coffee, tobacco, chocolate and wine are amply covered, as are popular disquisitions on sexual hygiene and behaviour. There is also a good collection of ephemera, from sheet music and bookplates to public health proclamations and quacks' advertisements.

Access

All materials are held on closed access. Items need to be ordered and are produced in the Rare Materials Reading Room. Advance orders, requests for appointments and any other queries should be addressed to the Rare Books department: rarebks@wellcome.ac.uk.