The Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds consists of 21 series of textual records documenting the life and work of the pioneering Canadian heart surgeon, medical researcher, and co-developer of the cardiac pacemaker, Dr. Wilfred G. Bigelow:

0094-1 Appointment books
0094-2 Medical textbooks
0094-3 Case histories
0094-4 Medical conference programs
0094-5 Patient/surgery lists
0094-6 General patient files
0094-7 Correspondence
0094-8 Experimental and clinical research files
0094-9 Lectures and speeches
0094-10 Diagnoses and procedures
0094-11 Medical research grants-in-aid
0094-12 Professional Societies, Associations and Committees
0094-13 Toronto General Hospital files
0094-14 Medical insurance accounts
0094-15 University of Toronto files
0094-16 Medical journal publications
0094-17 Meetings
0094-18 Japanese publications on hypothermia research
0094-19 Travel files
0094-20 Medical office expenses
0094-21 Income tax returns

Collectively, the materials comprising this fonds illustrate virtually every aspect of Dr. Bigelow's personal and professional life as a surgeon and hospital division head, academic instructor and researcher, clinical investigator, author, lecturer, medical conference presenter and panellist, and member of numerous medical societies and medical/scientific committees.

In particular the fonds provides information about Dr. Bigelow's contributions to the advancement of cardiac surgery and the treatment of heart disease, especially his central accomplishments in contributing to the innovation and development of the surgical use of hypothermia in open-heart surgery and the electrical artificial cardiac pacemaker.

Fonds consists of correspondence, position papers, photographs and biographical files created or accumulated by Dr. Cowan during his professional and academic career, as a member of various committees and as a result of his interest in the history of medicine. Fonds includes correspondence and position papers relating to the Princess Margaret Hospital’s relocation and the merger between Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital in the 1980s. Fonds also includes correspondence with Dr. O. Harold Warwick, biographical files on key players in the history of cancer care in Ontario including slides from talks given and copies of papers written, and photographs documenting the destruction of the Bell Wing and the construction of the Clinical Services Building at the Toronto General Hospital.

Fonds is arranged into 3 series:

1) Correspondence and position papers
2) Biographical files
3) Bell Wing and Clinical Services Building photographs

Fonds consists of 4 file folders of lecture notes that Mary took while a student at the Toronto Western Hospital Training School for Nurses. While mostly hand-written notes and sketches, some typewritten class handouts, publications, and exam booklets are also included. Each original file folder was annotated on the front to indicate contents or provide personal comments about the course. The portion of the original file folder with Mary’s personal annotations have been included within the contents of the corresponding file. These records are significant as they represent the learning experience of a typical nursing student from the Toronto Western Hospital in the late 1930s.

File 1.2 includes the booklet “Intestinal and Bowel Management” copyright 1928, Deshell Laboratories, Inc., Chicago; The Toronto Family Court Report for the Year 1939; and copies of the Examination for the Registration of Nurses in the Province of Ontario from 1930, 1935, 1937, 1939, and 1940.

File 1.4 includes notes on professional problems, ethics, two case histories and an exam paper.

Fonds consists of minutes from various hospital committees, correspondence, administrative and research reports, memorandums, publicity photographs, and reports and architectural drawings regarding hospital planning and construction. Records relate to the administrative, teaching and research activities of the various divisions of the hospital. Fonds is arranged into two sousfonds and five series:

Sousfonds
1) Board of Trustees of the Ontario Cancer Institute
2) Medical Advisory Committee

Series
1) Division of Hospital Services records
2) Director of the Ontario Cancer Institute records
3) Division of Physics records
4) Division of Biological Research records
5) Division of Clinical Services records

The arrangement of the series reflects the organizational structure as it was in 1957. Since no official policy for records transfer existed, fonds is incomplete.

Fonds consists of letters, cards and photographs documenting the relationship between Dr. O. Harold Warwick and former patient Archibald (Archie) Reid. In addition, fonds also includes two copies of an unpublished memoir by Mr. Reid entitled “Diary of an Illness” which recounts Mr. Reid’s experience of cancer. The second copy of this manuscript includes Dr. Warwick’s editorial comments. A photocopy of the case of A.R. as published in Tilden C. Everson and Warren H. Cole, Spontaneous Regression of Cancer (W. B. Saunders Company, 1966) is also included.

Fonds consists of the records of the administrative office and bodies of the Toronto General Hospital in addition to those of various medical departments. The fonds includes 36 series:

TG 1. Board of Trustees records
TG 2. Office of the President records
TG 3. Office of the Vice President, Medical Affairs records
TG 4. Medical Advisory Board records
TG 5. Ontario Institute of Radiotherapy records
TG 6. Department of Radiology records
TG 7. Public Relations Department records
TG 8. Special Treatment Clinic records
TG 9. Middle Management Group records
TG 10. Medical Staff Association records
TG 11. Department of Microbiology records
TG 12. Office of the Director of Utilization and Special Services records
TG 13. Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine records
TG 14. Interdisciplinary Task Force of Behavioural Sciences and Allied Groups records
TG 15. Medical Records Department records
TG 16. Social Service Department records
TG 17. Nursing Department records
TG 18. Cardiovascular Investigation Unit records
TG 19. TGH Pharmacopoeia
TG 20. Office of the Supervisor, In-Patient Accounts records
TG 21. Vascular Bank records
TG 22. Division of Neurosurgery records
TG 23. Administrative Council records
TG 24. Department of Nutrition Services records
TG 25. Miscellaneous Publications
TG 26. Toronto General Hospital Bowling League records
TG 27. Biochemistry records
TG 28. Office of the Chief Operating Officer records
TG 29. Toronto General Hospital Foundation records
TG 30. Toronto General Hospital Auxiliary records
TG 31. Certificates and Diplomas
TG 32. Finance Department records
TG 33. Plans and Architectural Drawings
TG 34. Toronto Hospitals Steam Corporation records
TG 35. TGH House Staff photographs
TG 36. TGH Photography Department negatives

The fonds includes three sous-fonds:

1.1 Toronto General Hospital School of Nursing sous-fonds
1.2 Atkinson School of Nursing of the Toronto Western Hospital sous-fonds
1.3 Grace Hospital Training School for Nurses sous-fonds.

For details see sous-fonds and series-level descriptions.

The fonds includes one series of minutes:

10.1 Joint Hospital/University Relations Committee Minutes

The fonds includes one series:

11.1 Correspondence & Administration

Fonds consists of minutes from various strategic planning committees and outgoing correspondence from Michael J. McCartney, Corporate Director of Strategic Planning. The minutes were accumulated by McCartney who served on many of the planning committees.

The fonds includes two series:

12.1 Planning Committees
12.2 Correspondence