LibGuides: History of Medicine: Finding Primary Sources

Google for Primary Sources

You can use Google (or any other search engine) to find primary sources!

There are thousands of archives that have digitized primary sources that you to use. Search using the same keywords you are using in primary source databases, but add "primary sources" or "digital collections" to your search terms, and see what you find!

Keep the following in mind:

Not everything you find in a Google search result will be free! Don't pay for access to primary sources - instead, check the databases below (many of which we subscribe to so you don't have to pay for them) or contact a librarian for help.
Make sure that you are getting your primary sources from reputable places - universities, professional organizations, and research libraries are generally good places to find primary sources, but primary sources from random non-academic websites should be used with caution

Finding Primary Sources

You can find primary sources (first-hand historical accounts from people who experienced it) in the history of medicine using these databases. Each database will contain different primary sources, so be sure to search multiple databases to find what you need!

Adam Matthew Digital Explorer This link opens in a new window
Millions of pages of primary source content from the 15th-21st centuries.
British History Online This link opens in a new window
Digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles. Created by the Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust, it aims to support academic and personal users around the world in their learning, teaching and research.
Defining Gender This link opens in a new window
Primary sources including ephemera, pamphlets, diaries, periodicals and conduct literature. Section I: Conduct and Politeness; Section II: Domesticity and the Family; Section III: Consumption and Leisure; Section IV: Education and Sensibility; Section V: The Body.
Digital Archive of Latin American and Caribbean Ephemera This link opens in a new window
Digital Public Library of America ( DPLA ) This link opens in a new window
Contains more than 40 million images, texts, sounds, and multimedia objects form libraries, archives and museums in the United States. Copyright status of items vary; however, many items are public domain or available for re-use. Check the "rights" field for each item.
Hathi Trust This link opens in a new window
Millions of digitized items from libraries around the world.
Library of Congress Digital Collections This link opens in a new window
Provides free and open access to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.
Medical Heritage Library ( from the Internet Archive ) This link opens in a new window
Digitized materials from medical history archives from the United States and beyond, including publications, illustrations, ephemera, and more.
Medical Historical Library - Digital Collections This link opens in a new window
Digital collections from Yale University's Cushing/Whitney Medical Library's historical collections.
Medical Services and Warfare This link opens in a new window
Featuring Handwritten Text Recognition. Module 1: 1850-1927.
MEDSpace at Duke University This link opens in a new window
Digital repository for Duke University Medical School, including historical materials.
Popular Medicine in America, 1800-1900 This link opens in a new window
Sources from The Library Company of Philadelphia with additional material from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Umbra Search This link opens in a new window
Brings together hundreds of thousands digitized materials from over 1,000 libraries and archives across the United States. Celebrates the vital efforts of the individuals and institutions that have helped to preserve and make accessible online hundreds of thousands of pieces of African American history and culture. The Umbra Society of the early 1960s was a renegade group of Black writers and poets who helped create the Black Arts Movement.
US National Library of Medicine - Digital Collections This link opens in a new window
Digital collections from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the world's largest biomedical library.
Wellcome Images This link opens in a new window
Providing access to the visual collections of the Wellcome Library, which documents "2000 years of human culture" with a focus on biomedical imagery. Most images are open access, with others available for paid licensing.