Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-15

Tie best equipped and largest library
in the world devoted to one particular
subject is the medical library of the sur
geon general of the United States Army.
This is located in the building with the
Army Medical Museum. in Washington.
Most Of the important medical libraries
of the world are older. and even dec
ade ago the Library of the Faculty OF
Medicine, in Paris and the medical de-
partment Of the Imperial Library of St.
Petersburg, in Russia. contained great
err number of volumes, but now the sur
geon generals library leads. In addition
to it's large book collection this library
has a superior equipment IN every de-
partment. making it, in the opinion of
no less an authority than Dr.. Osler. the
greatest medical library in the world.
The beginning of this great medical liz
| brary was q collection OF books accumu-
lated by Surgeon General Lowell prior to
| 1885 This collection was augmented by
several other surgeons general. until in
tration Of DIR. John Billings, who is now
in charge of the new Public Library Of
| New York city, and who had been an
| army surgeon during the civil war. He
great national medical library, and this
| institution today stands as a monument
to his painstaking energy. So fully has
this been appreciated that there lately
| has been placed in the library reading
room portrait of DR.. Billings, painted
by Cecilia Beaux. which was paid for
by contributions from go physicians Of
| the United States and Europe, in recog-
| milton Of the benefit this library has been
to the medical progress Of the world.
The portrait represents Dr. Billings in
the Uniform of q United States Army
surgeon. over which he wears the scar
let hood and gown Of d doctor of civil
law of Oxford University, England, this
upon DR.. Billings in appreciation of the
value Of his work in the establishment
Of this library.
Since the newest medical discoveries
appear first in some periodical before
being published
Each Article in book form,
Carefully Indexed. the , aPess e ras
lection Of medical periodicals in the
world over a thousand Of them being
received regularly. Each important article
in these periodicals is carefully indexed
so as to be easily accessible.
This library has a special system of
classification designed for q medical IL
brary. which is flexible enough to cope
with the changes constantly arising on
account Of new discoveries. The resources
Of the library are now known throughout
the world and many physicians from
abroad have crossed the ocean to avail
themselves Of its advantages.
The medical libraries of the United
States are more liberal than In any other
country. The Boston Medical Library is
the oldest and is still kept we'll up-to-
date, although there are several other
medical libraries in Boston. The library
phia is also rich in medical literature,
while in connection with the John Crerar
Library of Chicago there Is a medical
department Of great value In Baltimore
there is very large medical library
the Medico- Chirurgical Society Of Mary
land.
\
The largest law library of the United
States, and one that compares favvorably
with every other
Largest Law Library in the world. is
in United States. , wats a sna Lei.
brary of Congress. Part Of this library
american and English common law and
legal periodically is kept in the Capitol
building, where it is easily accessible to
the justices Of the Supreme Court. In
the library building proper are works on
foreign law, international law and nearly
complete duplicate sets Of American law
reports, as well as a selection Of treatises.
Under the direction Of the librarian Of
this department, acting under special au-
thorization from Congress. an index of
all the federal statutes has been COM
piled and its publication completed this
year. The law library Of the Library Of
Congress numbers near'y 10000 volumes
and additions are being made constantly.
Each Of the departments of the United
States government has a library which
is well in line with the subjects connect
ed with the work Of that department
The library Of the War Department Is
one Of the most important. 1t was es-
tablished nearly ten years before the
Library Of Congress. the first ofi1ctal ref
of tho acting secretary Of war in 1901. on
the destruction Of the books and papers
of the war office November 8. 1900" At
that time 1t contained an extensive coll
lection Of celebrated military works
brought together in Philadelphia in the
eighteenth century.
This library now numbers nearly 5000
volumes, including large collections Of
printed rosters and reports OF early
American wars. official and unof-
fetal war photographs of interest and
value, large folio volumes Of carefully
selected newspaper clippings on the
Standardization war. official gazettes
of Madrid, Manila, Havana and Porto
Rico for the last thirty years Of the
nineteenth century, perfect set OF
original journals of both houses during
the first fourteen Congresses, and many
other historic publications not easily
found elsewhere. 1t has also a valuable
general reference department, and its
classification system is such as to make
it's resources easily available.
The library Of the Navy Department
is now being reclassified and the cata-
1ogue revised.
Best Collection The classes in
on Naval Affairs. in s s .asesr
| science, voyages. naval and military
| history. general history. travel and adj
| venture, biography. naval and military
sciehce and reference books. The sys-
| tenn of cataloguing Is practically the