The book collection of Aleksander Antoni Le Brun, the medical doctor in Warsaw in the 19th century

Abstract

Aleksander Antoni Le Brun (1803-1868) was an outstanding and respected Warsaw physician. He was born in Warsaw in a French family, studied in Poland and abroad, had medical practice in Warsaw, was a scientist and a social worker as well as a professor in the Main School. We know the inventory of his book collection in which 379 items (739 volumes) are registered, as well as numerous periodicals, manuscripts and maps. The collection was not of great value in money terms (about 170 rubels, that is less than 1% of inheritance he left), the books, however, were finely selected which testified well about the owner's intellect. The collection consisted of so called ”home library” which was made up of non-medical books (about 50% of the whole collection), and medical part. The home part included Polish and French belleslettres books, which was very rare in physicians' libraries in those times. Besides Le Brun collected carefully selected book in the field of history, philosophy, law, economy, geography, and other areas, as well as reference publications such as encyclopaedias and dictionaries. The medical collection was varied, too. It consisted of books in anatomy, histology, physiology, pathology, hygiene, epidemiology, internal disease, surgery, obstetrics, gynaceology, pediatrics, dermatology, venereal diseases, ophthalmology, neurology, psychiatry, as well as forensic and social medicine and the organization of sanitary service.The collection was on a good level, particularly in its professional part, which can be seen in the topicality of books and good selection of works, mostly foreign. Le Brun’s collection was an excellent workshop of an outstanding physician as well as the proof of his wide interests, the interests of educated and sensitive man not locked in his professional routine.