Whither Sir William?

Abstract

There are times when something is simply so familiar that we can no longer see it at all. It can be a story, or a concept, or even a flesh-and-blood person. Familiarity breeds not only contempt, but a kind of invisibility as well. For too many of us, such is the case with Sir William Osler. In his time (1849–1919), many considered him to be one of the greatest practitioners, teachers, and writers ever in the field of medicine. He was instrumental in the founding of the Medical Library Association (MLA) and was elected its second president.