March 25, 2016

Library Exhibits Medical Curiosities

Jane Kelly | Research & Discovery

Old medicine cabinet with old bottles of medicine

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Special collections libraries are home to the crème de la crème of library possessions. The University of Virginia’s Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library is known for its Declaration of Independence collection, Thomas Jefferson’s papers and William Faulkner’s major manuscripts.

While less known, UVA’s Claude Moore Health Sciences Library houses some amazing medical artifacts.

The home medicine kit pictured above was used in Charlottesville around 1900. “We know it’s from Charlottesville because it has prescriptions from Chancellor’s Pharmacy,” said Dan Cavanaugh, acting head of historical collection services. “If you’ve ever been to Qdoba on The Corner, that’s where it would be located.”

Join UVA Today and Cavanaugh for a visual tour of some of the library’s more valuable and unusual items.