LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION OUTLINE 

CLASS R - MEDICINE

(Click each subclass for details) 

Subclass R Medicine (General)

Subclass RA Public aspects of medicine

Subclass RB Pathology

Subclass RC Internal medicine

Subclass RD Surgery

Subclass RE Ophthalmology

Subclass RF Otorhinolaryngology

Subclass RG Gynecology and obstetrics

Subclass RJ Pediatrics

Subclass RK Dentistry

Subclass RL Dermatology

Subclass RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology

Subclass RS Pharmacy and materia medica

Subclass RT Nursing

Subclass RV Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine

Subclass RX Homeopathy

Subclass RZ Other systems of medicine
Subclass R 

R5-920 Medicine (General)

R5-130.5 General works

R131-687 History of medicine. Medical expeditions

R690-697 Medicine as a profession. Physicians

R702-703 Medicine and the humanities. Medicine and disease in relation to

history, literature, etc. 

R711-713.97 Directories 

R722-722.32 Missionary medicine. Medical missionaries 

R723-726 Medical philosophy. Medical ethics 

R726.5-726.8 Medicine and disease in relation to psychology. Terminal care. Dying 

R727-727.5 Medical personnel and the public. Physician and the public 

R728-733 Practice of medicine. Medical practice economics 

R735-854 Medical education. Medical schools. Research 

R855-855.5 Medical technology 

R856-857 Biomedical engineering. Electronics. Instrumentation 

R858-859.7 Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics 

R864 Medical records 

R895-920 Medical physics. Medical radiology. Nuclear medicine 
Subclass RA 

RA1-1270 Public aspects of medicine

RA1-418.5 Medicine and the state

RA396 Regulation of medical education. Licensure

RA398 Registration of physicians, pharmacists, etc.

RA399 Regulation of medical practice. Evaluation and quality control

of medical care. Medical audit 

RA405 Death certification 

RA407-409.5 Health status indicators. Medical statistics and surveys 

RA410-410.9 Medical economics. Economics of medical care. Employment 

RA411-415 Provisions for personal medical care. Medical care plans 

RA418-418.5 Medicine and society. Social medicine. Medical sociology 

RA421-790.95 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive medicine 

RA428-428.5 Public health laboratories, institutes, etc. 

RA440-440.87 Study and teaching. Research 

RA565-600 Environmental health 

Including sewage disposal, air pollution, nuisances, 

water supply 

RA601-602 Food and food supply in relation to public health 

RA604-618 Parks, public baths, public carriers, buildings, etc. 

RA619-637 Disposal of the dead. Undertaking. Burial. Cremation. 

Cemeteries 

RA638 Immunity and immunization in relation to public health 

RA639-642 Transmission of disease 

RA643-645 Disease (Communicable and noninfectious) and public health 

RA645.3-645.37 Home health care services 

RA645.5-645.9 Emergency medical services 

RA646-648.3 War and public health 

RA648.5-767 Epidemics. Epidemiology. Quarantine. Disinfection 

RA771-771.7 Rural health and hygiene. Rural health services 

RA773-788 Personal health and hygiene 

Including clothing, bathing, exercise, travel, nutrition, 

sleep, sex hygiene 

RA790-790.95 Mental health. Mental illness prevention 

RA791-954 Medical geography. Climatology. Meteorology 

RA960-1000.5 Medical centers. Hospitals. Dispensaries. Clinics 

Including ambulance service, nursing homes, hospices 

RA1001-1171 Forensic medicine. Medical jurisprudence. Legal medicine 

RA1190-1270 Toxicology. Poisons 
Subclass RB 

RB1-214 Pathology

RB1-17 General works

RB24-33 Pathological anatomy and histology

RB37-56.5 Clinical pathology. Laboratory technique

RB57 Post-mortem examination. Autopsies

RB127-150 Manifestations of disease

RB151-214 Theories of disease. Etiology. Pathogenesis
Subclass RC 

RC31-1245 Internal medicine

RC49-52 Psychosomatic medicine

RC71-78.7 Examination. Diagnosis

Including raiography 

RC81-82 Popular medicine 

RC86-88.9 Medical emergencies. Critical care. Intensive care. First aid 

RC91-103 Disease due to physical and chemical agents 

RC109-216 Infectious and parasitic diseases 

RC251 Constitutional diseases (General) 

RC254-282 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology 

Including cancer and carcinogens 

RC306-320.5 Tuberculosis 

RC321-571 Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry 

RC346-429 Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system 

Including speech disorders 

RC435-571 Psychiatry 

RC475-489 Therapeutics. Psychotherapy 

RC490-499 Hypnotism and hypnosis. Suggestion therapy 

RC500-510 Psychoanalysis 

RC512-569.5 Psychopathology 

RC512-528 Psychoses 

RC530-552 Neuroses 

RC554-569.5 Personality disorders. Behavior problems 

Including sexual problems, drug abuse, 

suicide, child abuse 

RC569.7-571 Mental retardation. Developmental disabilities 

RC581-951 Specialties of internal medicine 

RC581-607 Immunologic diseases. Allergy 

RC620-627 Nutritional diseases. Deficiency diseases 

RC627.5-632 Metabolic diseases 

RC633-647.5 Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs 

RC648-665 Diseases of the endocrine glands. Clinical endocrinology 

RC666-701 Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system 

RC705-779 Diseases of the respiratory system 

RC799-869 Diseases of the digestive system. Gastroenterology 

RC870-923 Diseases of the genitourinary system. Urology 

RC924-924.5 Diseases of the connective tissues 

RC925-935 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system 

RC952-1245 Special situations and conditions 

RC952-954.6 Geriatrics 

RC955-962 Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine 

RC963-969 Industrial medicine. Industrial hygiene 

RC970-986 Military medicine. Naval medicine 

RC1000-1020 Submarine medicine 

RC1030-1160 Transportation medicine 

Including automotive, aviation, and space medicine 

RC1200-1245 Sports medicine 
Subclass RD 

RD1-811 Surgery

RD1-31.7 General works

RD32-33.9 Operative surgery. Technique of surgical operations

RD49-52 Surgical therapeutics. Preoperative and postoperative care

RD57 Surgical pathology

RD58 Reparative processes after operations (Physiological)

RD59 Surgical shock. Traumatic shock

RD63-76 Operating rooms and theaters. Instruments, apparatus, and

appliances 

RD78.3-87.3 Anesthesiology 

RD91-91.5 Asepsis and antisepsis. Sterilization (Operative) 

RD92-97.8 Emergency surgery. Wounds and injuries 

RD98-98.4 Surgical complications 

RD99-99.35 Surgical nursing 

RD101-104 Fractures (General) 

RD118-120.5 Plastic surgery. Reparative surgery 

RD120.6-129.8 Transplantation of organs, tissues, etc. 

RD130 Prosthesis. Artificial organs 

RD137-145 Surgery in childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, old age 

RD151-498 Military and naval surgery 

RD520-599.5 Surgery by region, system, or organ 

RD651-678 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology 

RD680-688 Diseases of the locomotor system (Surgical treatment) 

RD701-811 Orthopedic surgery 

RD792-811 Physical rehabilitation 
Subclass RE 

RE1-994 Ophthalmology

RE75-79 Examination. Diagnosis

RE80-87 Eye surgery

RE88 Ophthalmic nursing

RE89 Eye banks

RE91-912 Particular diseases of the eye

RE918-921 Color vision tests, charts, etc.

RE925-939 Refraction and errors of refraction and accommodation

RE939.2-981 Optometry. Opticians. Eyeglasses

RE986-988 Artificial eyes and other prostheses

RE991-992 Ocular therapeutics
Subclass RF 

RF1-547 Otorhinolaryngology

RF110-320 Otology. Diseases of the ear

RF341-437 Rhinology. Diseases of the nose, accessory sinuses, and nasopharynx

RF460-547 Laryngology. Diseases of the throat
Subclass RG 

RG1-991 Gynecology and obstetrics

RG104-104.7 Operative gynecology

RG133-137.6 Conception. Artificial insemination. Contraception

RG138 Sterilization of women

RG159-208 Functional and systemic disorders. Endocrine gynecology

RG211-483 Abnormalities and diseases of the female genital organs

RG484-485 Urogynecology and obstetric urology. Urogynecologic surgery

RG491-499 Diseases of the breast

RG500-991 Obstetrics

RG551-591 Pregnancy

RG600-650 The embryo and fetus

RG648 Spontaneous abortion. Miscarriage

RG651-721 Labor. Parturition

RG725-791 Obstetric operations. Operative obstetrics

RG801-871 Puerperal state

RG940-991 Maternal care. Prenatal care services
Subclass RJ 

RJ1-570 Pediatrics

RJ47.3-47.4 Genetic aspects

RJ50-51 Examination. Diagnosis

RJ52-53 Therapeutics

RJ59-60 Infant and neonatal morbidity and mortality

RJ91 Supposed prenatal influence. Prenatal culture. Stirpiculture

RJ101-103 Child health. Child health services

RJ125-145 Physiology of children and adolescents

RJ206-235 Nutrition and feeding of children and adolescents

RJ240 Immunization of children (General)

RJ242-243 Hospital care

RJ245-247 Nursing of children. Pediatric nursing

RJ250-250.3 Premature infants

RJ251-325 Newborn infants

Including physiology, care, treatment, diseases 

RJ370-550 Diseases of children and adolescents 

RJ499-507 Mental disorders. Child psychiatry 
Subclass RK 

RK1-715 Dentistry

RK58-59.3 Practice of dentistry. Dental economics

RK60.7-60.8 Preventive dentistry

RK280 Oral and dental anatomy and physiology

RK301-493 Oral and dental medicine. Pathology. Diseases

RK501-519 Operative dentistry. Restorative dentistry

RK520-528 Orthodontics

RK529-535 Oral surgery

RK641-667 Prosthetic dentistry. Prosthodontics
Subclass RL 

RL1-803 Dermatology

RL87-94 Care and hygiene

RL95 Pathological anatomy

RL110-120 Therapeutics

RL130-169 Diseases of the glands, hair, nails

RL201-331 Hyperemias, inflammations, and infections of the skin

RL391-489 Atrophies. Hypertrophies

RL675 Chronic ulcer of the skin. Bedsores

RL701-751 Diseases due to psychosomatic and nerve disorders.

Dermatoneuroses 

RL760-785 Diseases due to parasites 

RL790 Pigmentations. Albinism 

RL793 Congenital disorders of the skin. Nevi. Moles 
Subclass RM 

RM1-950 Therapeutics. Pharmacology

RM138 Drug prescribing

RM139 Prescription writing

RM146-146.7 Misuse of therapeutic drugs. Medication errors

RM147-180 Administration of drugs and other therapeutic agents

RM182-190 Other therapeutic procedures

Including acupuncture, pneumatic aspiration, spinal 

puncture, pericardial puncture 

RM214-258 Diet therapy. Dietary cookbooks 

RM259 Vitamin therapy 

RM260-263 Chemotherapy 

RM265-267 Antibiotic therapy. Antibiotics 

RM270-282 Immunotherapy. Serotherapy 

RM283-298 Endocrinotherapy. Organotherapy 

RM300-666 Drugs and their actions 

RM671-671.5 Nonprescription drugs. Patent medicines 

RM695-893 Physical medicine. Physical therapy 

Including massage, exercise, occupational therapy, 

hydrotherapy, phototherapy, radiotherapy, 

thermotherapy, electrotherapy 

RM930-931 Rehabilitation therapy 

RM950 Rehabilitation technology 
Subclass RS 

RS1-441 Pharmacy and materia medica

RS125-131.9 Formularies. Collected prescriptions

RS139-141.9 Pharmacopoeias

RS151.2-151.9 Dispensatories

RS153-441 Materia medica

RS160-167 Pharmacognosy. Pharmaceutical substances (Plant, animal, and

inorganic) 

RS189-190 Assay methods. Standardization. Analysis 

RS192-199 Pharmaceutical technology 

RS200-201 Pharmaceutical dosage forms 

RS250-252 Commercial preparations. Patent medicines 

RS355-356 Pharmaceutical supplies 

RS400-431 Pharmaceutical chemistry 

RS441 Microscopical examination of drugs 
Subclass RT 

RT1-120 Nursing 

RT89-120 Specialties in nursing 
Subclass RV 

RV1-431 Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine 
Subclass RX 

RX1-681 Homeopathy

RX211-581 Diseases, treatment, etc.

RX601-675 Materia medica and therapeutics 
Subclass RZ 

RZ201-999 Other systems of medicine

RZ201-275 Chiropractic

RZ301-397.5 Osteopathy

RZ399 Osteo-magnetics, neuropathy, etc., A-Z

RZ400-408 Mental healing

RZ409.7-999 Miscellaneous systems and treatments

Including magnetotherapy, mesmerism, naturopathy, 

organomic medicine, phrenology, radiesthesia