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Orthopedics and Beyond:

Highlights from the H. Winnett Orr Collection

Dr. Orr loved books, especially those that told the history of medicine. He began collecting as a medical student and purchased his first rare book in 1904 while in Chicago for orthopedic surgery training. Over 30 years of collecting, Dr. Orr amassed more than 2,600 books.

Scan of Orr/ACS bookplate
H. Winnett Orr, MD’s bookplate

Courtesy of the H. Winnett Orr Collection, on loan from the American College of Surgeons

The collection consists of works in three distinct categories:

  • General Reference - dictionaries, encyclopedias, periodicals and transactions
  • Healing Arts - anatomy, physiology, medicine, military medicine, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, physical medicine and therapeutics, medical history and organizations and institutions
    • Military medicine and surgery greatly interested Dr. Orr because of his service during WWI. The collection includes books from the American Civil War and Napoleonic era French surgeon Dominique Jean Larrey.
    • Dr. Orr entered the medical specialty of orthopedic surgery during a time of growth and international recognition. He studied and worked with individuals who were influential in its ascendency. Interest in his chosen field led Dr. Orr to collect books related to the history of orthopedic surgery, including books by Nicolas Andry de Bois-Regard, Hugh Owen Thomas and Sir Robert Jones.
  • Life and Literature - biographies, books on women, travel and exploration, general history and literature
    • Dr. Mary McKibbin-Harper, a University of Michigan Medical School classmate, inspired titles within the “Life and Literature” section. She had a particular interest in Charles Dickens and travel, having written the book The Doctor Takes a Holiday. Those interests are reflected in the donations she both inspired and added to the Orr Collection. Dr. McKibbin-Harper also inspired the many books in the Orr Collection about women in medicine. She later endowed a fund for the proper care and preservation of the collection.
Photograph of WHC rare book gallery
Rare Book Gallery Case

The American College of Surgeons Rare Book Gallery in the Wigton Heritage Center features books from the H. Winnett Orr collection.

The importance of Dr. Orr’s book collection is evidenced by the inclusion of the American College of Surgeons Rare Book Gallery in the Wigton Heritage Center. Located on Level 5, the rare book gallery highlights four books from Orr’s collection and the ongoing collaboration with UNMC, the Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library and the American College of Surgeons.

 

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Highlights from the Collection

American Civil War

American Civil War

American Civil War medicine encompassed books pertaining to the unique challenges and changes wrought by the conflict as well as personal narratives, including those of female nurses.

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Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

Books of the literary genre were inspired by Dr. Orr’s friend and medical school classmate, Mary McKibbin-Harper, MD. One of Dr. McKibbin-Harper’s literary interests was the works of Charles Dickens. She founded the Chicago, Pittsburgh and Berkeley branches of the Charles Dickens Fellowship.

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Female Historical Perspectives on Life and Medicine

Female Historical Perspectives on Life and Medicine

Dr. Orr's collection contains books emphasizing the contributions of women to the history of medicine. His friend and medical school classmate, Mary McKibbin-Harper, MD, inspired this collecting area. Some titles in Dr. Orr’s collection were purchased by him with her in mind and some titles were donated by Dr. McKibbin-Harper during Dr. Orr’s lifetime.

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Joseph Lister

Joseph Lister

Hiram Winnett Orr, MD, greatly admired the work of surgeon Joseph Lister and his innovation in antiseptics which improved surgical outcomes. Dr. Orr continually promoted Lister’s work in his own writings.

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William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

Scholars recognize that the study of humanities subjects such as art, literature and history offer health science professionals skills important for their practices, such as listening and observation skills, acceptance of ambiguity and empathy. The field of health humanities did not exist during Dr. Orr’s time; however, it seems by his book collecting, that he still understood the power of the humanities for the health sciences professional.

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The Study of Orthopedics

The Study of Orthopedics

As an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Orr collected many works related to the history of his chosen field. In his collection, Dr. Orr also included many publications about his contributions to orthopedics.

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Taking Time Off: Physicians on Holiday

Taking Time Off: Physicians on Holiday

Dr Orr's rare book collection includes works not directly related to medicine, including travelogs. Physicians are keen observers of the world around them. Their travel narratives showcase culture, art and human experiences.

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World War I

World War I

Dr. Orr was commissioned a captain on May 18, 1917, and served two years in England, Wales and France. He was discharged at the rank of lieutenant colonel on June 1, 1919. Dr. Orr’s use of plaster to reinforce immobilization and rest fractures became known as the “Orr Method.”

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