Posted: June 19th, 2013 by Linda Lohr
In May 2013, the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection added a 19th century portable pedal driven dental drill to the Edgar R. McGuire Historical Medical Instrument Collection. Part of the Elli Buk Collection that was auctioned in Dedham, MA, the drill came with its original case containing the handpiece, drill bits and the cords used to operate the mechanism. Elli Buk was a self-made, prolific collector and curator whose collection contained over 2,000 pieces in 30 collecting categories including medicine and science
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The Robert L. Brown History
of Medicine Collection was established as a separate
entity in 1972. The collection
was named in 1985 for Robert L. Brown, MD, former Associate Dean of the School of Medicine, in recognition of his strong support of the Health Sciences Library for more than twenty-five years. 



"The Tools of Medicine" exhibit, which opened on November 19, 2003, features images of selected instruments contained in the the Edgar R. McGuire Historical Medical Instrument Collection. The exhibit features 6 enlarged, framed images mounted in the main staircase area on the first floor of HSL.