Series consists of materials pursuant to experimental and clinical research in cardiovascular medicine and surgery conducted or consulted by Dr. Bigelow and his colleagues and research assistants. Included are correspondence; statistics and summary reports of success/mortality rates relating to particular surgeries at the Toronto General Hospital; reprints and abstracts of pertinent articles; research papers presented at medical conferences and association meetings and other venues; documents relating to proposals for funding of research studies either prepared by Dr. Bigelow and/or his colleagues, or appraised by Dr. Bigelow; prospectuses for clinical studies and experiments; and case study reports.
File 0094-8-0-2 contains correspondence supporting Bills 73 and 194, introduced in the Ontario Legislature in 1969, and which provided that unwanted animals be sold to research laboratories; and correspondence from and about an anti-vivisectionist.
File 0094-8-0-5 contains data and summary reports of a clinical post-operative study (conducted in 1966) of aortic valve replacements with the Starr-Edwards Prosthetic Heart Valve, and documents pertaining to a proposed prosthetic valve replacement follow-up clinic and computerized patient registry at the Toronto General Hospital, 1973-1974. See also Series 0094-9, File 0094-9-0-2 for a lecture and research paper, "Aortic Valve Replacement 1963-1972: Long Term Results".
Files 0094-8-0-11 to 0094-8-0-15 contain correspondence relating to the administration of the cardiovascular laboratory in the Banting Research Institute, with information pertaining to staffing, budgets, equipment, space allocation and renovation.
File 0094-8-0-27 contains material relating to the First International Roundtable Conference on Fascia Lata Heart Valves, held at Toronto in October 1970 and co-organized by Dr. Bigelow.
File 0094-8-0-34 contains correspondence relating to the supply and maintenance of subject animals (groundhogs) for hibernation research conducted by Dr. Bigelow and his colleagues in the Cardiovascular Unit of the Banting Research Institute.
File 0094-8-0-42 contains correspondence and data relating to the identification, extraction, analysis and clinical-surgical use of Hibernin, an extract of the hibernating gland of hibernal animals.
Files 0094-8-0-49 to 0094-8-0-58 contain materials relating to hypothermia research conducted by Dr. Bigelow and his colleagues and research assistants. Several theses produced by various research assistants and containing detailed experimental data have been retained by Dr. Bigelow but are expected to be donated to the Toronto Hospital Archives. Related material is filed in Series 0094-12, File 0094-12-0-107.
File 0094-8-0-59 contains annual reports of hypothermia and hibernation research prepared by Dr. Bigelow and his colleagues for various funding agencies, including the Defence Research Board, National Research Council, Ontario Heart Foundation, and the McLean Foundation.
Files 0094-8-0-67 to 0094-8-0-71 contain, among other matter, reviews/appraisals of applications for research grants conducted by Dr. Bigelow, in particular for the Department of National Health and Welfare.
File 0094-8-0-97 contains annual reports prepared by members of the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto (including Dr. Bigelow) for the Dean of Medicine. These reports summarize research in progress and other significant achievements including publications and grants received.