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Archival description
Appointment books
CA ON00343 0094-1 · Series · 1952-1977
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

This series consists of Dr. Bigelow's personal appointment diaries for the years 1952-1977. Two appointment books exist for each of the years 1966 and 1967: these books contain parallel but not identical information - it is necessary to consult both books for a comprehensive account of Dr. Bigelow's activities during these years. The series lacks an appointment book for 1976.

The appointment books document Dr. Bigelow's personal and professional activities, including patient consultations; surgeries performed; meetings with medical colleagues; surgical rounds; committee and professional association meetings attended; medical conferences attended; lectures and speeches delivered; dates of patients' admission to hospital and surgery, often with notes attached detailing their condition, treatment, prognosis etc.; and personal social and travel schedules.

Medical textbooks
CA ON00343 0094-2 · Series · 1932-1987
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

This series consists of four medical textbooks annotated by Dr. Bigelow in the course of his research, surgical, teaching and reviewing activities.

File 0094-2-0-4 contains, affixed to the inside front cover, a presentation card from the author addressed to Dr. Bigelow. Dr. Bigelow has annotated the card: "1994 - I was asked to write the book review by Anne [?] Sabaston - Annals Surg."

Medical conference programs
CA ON00343 0094-4 · Series · 1960-1977
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

Series consists of programs of annual clinical, research, and scientific meetings of various medical associations and societies. The programs contain meeting agendas, names of participants, and the titles, and in some instances, abstracts of papers presented at the meeting.

Several of the programs have been annotated by Dr. Bigelow with critical notes pursuant to papers presented at the meeting. The programs are useful as evidence of Dr. Bigelow's participation in continuing education activities and in the affairs of various professional medical associations and societies, and the annotations provide evidence of his opinion of research conducted by medical colleagues.

Programs for some years are missing from the range indicated by file titles.

File 0094-4-0-13 includes material from:

  1. International Medical Assembly of Southwest Texas, 24th Annual Meeting, 1960.
  2. Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the Association of Surgeons of India & the Final Joint Session of the Indian Society of Anaesthetists, 1964.
  3. American College of Chest Physicians, 33rd Annual Meeting, 1967.
  4. 2nd Henry Ford Hospital International Symposium on Cardiac Surgery, 1975.
Patient/surgery lists
CA ON00343 0094-5 · Series · [1952?]-1977
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

The files in this series contain chronological lists of patients on whom surgery was performed by Dr. Bigelow (WGB) and (in the case of files 0094-5-0-4, -9, -10, -12, -13, and -37) other surgeons at the Toronto General Hospital (TGH) between 1949 and 1977. The lists were compiled between [1952?] and 1977.

With the exception of files 0094-5-0-1 (a comprehensive list of all surgeries performed by Dr. Bigelow between 1975 and 1977) and 0094-5-0-19, the files are specific to a particular type of surgery.

The files contain patient names and file numbers, dates of operation, dates of death (if applicable), and in some instances notes on particular problems encountered during surgery and/or the patient's post-operative results/ prognosis.

Information in files sometimes post-dates the date range in the file titles.

General patient files
CA ON00343 0094-6 · Series · 1948-1978
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

This series consists of a 10% selection of Dr. Bigelow's general patient case files. These files contain predominantly correspondence and standard medical records pursuant to Dr. Bigelow's examination of, or consultation with, patients referred by other physicians. The files do contain some examples of surgical cases, but surgical case files are predominantly collected in Series 0094-3, Case histories.

Files typically contain correspondence between Dr. Bigelow and a referring physician, and standard medical documents including operation records, consultation records, clinical histories, discharge summary reports, cardiovascular rounds reports, pathology reports, radiology reports, heart catheterization reports, angiograms, and electrocardiograms. The files also contain documents relating to patients' medical insurance and bills for service.

Patient case numbers have been omitted from file titles to ensure compliance with Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), but the original order has been retained.

Correspondence
CA ON00343 0094-7 · Series · 1947-1977
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

Series consists of general professional and personal correspondence sent and received by Dr. Bigelow between 1947 and 1977. The arrangement of these files preserves the division of Dr. Bigelow's correspondence into three categories by various medical secretaries under Dr. Bigelow's general direction.

Files 0094-7-0-1 to 0094-7-0-5 contain personal correspondence between Dr. Bigelow and his friends and family. Files 0094-7-0-6 to 0094-7-0-10 contain correspondence between Dr. Bigelow and medical colleagues and others on professional matters, including consultations about specific patients, their medical problems and treatment. Files 0094-7-0-11 to 0094-7-0-18 contain correspondence of a more personal, casual nature between Dr. Bigelow and various professional friends, and correspondence pertaining to Dr. Bigelow's personal professional career.

File 0094-7-0-19 contains correspondence generally concerning Dr. Bigelow's philosophical interest in metaphysics and in particular relating to an article published in the Montreal Gazette, December 18, 1970, regarding Dr. Bigelow's thoughts on the nature of the human soul.

CA ON00343 0094-8 · Series · [194-?]-1977
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

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.

Lectures and speeches
CA ON00343 0094-9 · Series · [195-?]-1976
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

Series consists of correspondence, manuscript and printed texts, drafts, outlines and notes of lectures and speeches delivered by Dr. Bigelow, principally to medical and nursing students at the University of Toronto and to medical colleagues at various conferences and association meetings.

Diagnoses and procedures
CA ON00343 0094-10 · Series · 1947-1964
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

Series consists principally of operation records and discharge summaries for a selection of Dr. Bigelow's surgical cases, organized by medical problem/ surgical procedure, and used as an aid for diagnosis and the determination of appropriate surgical procedures for use with new patients. These files were also used for research purposes in preparing case study reports and statistical analyses of specific surgeries. Some of the files are subdivided by facets of the medical problem/ surgical procedure exemplified: for example, File 0094-10-0-10 subdivides records exemplifying patent ductus arteriosus surgery into sections devoted to "division" and "ligation".

CA ON00343 0094-11 · Series · 1953-1977
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

Series consists of materials relating to the application for and expenditure of cardiovascular research grants-in-aid presented to and/or funded by various public and private agencies and foundations. The files comprising this series are arranged by sponsoring agency and typically include correspondence, research proposals, formal applications for funding, budget estimates and statements of expenditure, and research progress reports.

Included are funding applications prepared and presented and funded research conducted, in whole or in part, by Dr. Bigelow (WGB); sponsored by Dr. Bigelow; or prepared, presented, and conducted by Dr. Bigelow's research associates at the Toronto General Hospital and the Banting Research Institute Cardiovascular Laboratories. Also included are materials relating to the use of special contingency funds dedicated to cardiovascular research and administered by Dr. Bigelow in his capacities as Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto and Head, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Toronto General Hospital (see Files 0094-11-0-56 to 0094-11-0-62).

The files comprising this series have been divided into five groups, consisting respectively of files pertaining to research funded by or applications for grants-in-aid presented to the Ontario Heart Foundation (Group A: Files 0094-11-0-1 to 0094-11-0-30), the Medical Research Council of the National Research Council of Canada (Group B: Files 0094-11-0-31 to 0094-11-0-43), the Department of National Health and Welfare (Canada) (Group C: Files 0094-11-0-44 to 0094-11-0-45), the Ontario Department of Health (Group D: Files 0094-11-0-46 to 0094-11-0-47), and various miscellaneous funding bodies (Group E: Files 0094-11-0-48 to 0094-11-0-65).

CA ON00343 0094-12 · Series · 1947-1981
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

The files comprising this series document Dr. Bigelow's involvement with various professional medical associations, societies and committees. The files typically include correspondence; agendas, programmes and minutes of meetings; reports, and abstracts of papers presented at meetings; financial statements; constitutions/by-laws; and lists of members and prospective members, and applications for membership. The files are arranged by name of organization and, where necessary, by organizational subdivisions such as committees, or type of material, such as correspondence. Dr. Bigelow was an active member of most, but not all of these organizations, as outlined in the following list (dates are truncated and indicate the year in which WGB was elected or appointed to membership or to a particular committee or board):

• American Association for Thoracic Surgery Associate Member 61; Active Member 62; Membership Committee 63; Evarts A. Graham Travelling Fellowship Committee 67 (Chair 69); Council 70; President 74
• American College of Surgeons Member 55
• American Heart Association Program Committee, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery; Executive Committee, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery
• American Surgical Association Member 53; Membership Committee 63
• Canada. Department of National Defence. Defence Research Board Member 67-72
• Canada. Department of National Health and Welfare. Public Health Research Advisory Committee. Subcommittee on Cardiology Member 62-65
• Canadian Association of Clinical Surgeons Member 51
• Canadian Federation of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons Charter Member and First President 67
• Canadian Cardiovascular Society Vice-President 69; Chairman, Nomenclature Committee 71; President 70-72; Programme Chairman for 1972 Annual Meeting; Chairman, Nominating Committee 74
• Canadian Heart Association Charter Member 48
• Canadian Heart Foundation Board of Directors 70
• Canadian Medical Protective Association Member 56
• Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation Honourary Member 67
• Cardiovascular Surgeons' Club Charter Member 53
• Central Surgical Association Member 50
• International Cardiovascular Society Vice-President 56, 71
• James IV Association of Surgeons, Inc. Member 59; Board of Directors 67
• Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (American Association for Thoracic Surgery) Editorial Board 62
• Medico-Legal Society of Toronto Council 52; President 68
• National Research Council of Canada. Medical Research Council. Surgical Research Assessment Group Member 67-68
• Nu Sigma Nu Fraternity Board of Directors 53
• Ontario. Department of Health. Ontario Council of Health. Subcommittee on Highly Specialized Services (Hilliard Committee) Member 69
• Ontario Heart Foundation Medical Members Committee 57-59, 76-77
• Ontario Medical Association Honourary Member 67
• Pan-Pacific Surgical Association Member 69
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Fellow 47
• Society for Vascular Surgery Member 49; President 68-69
• Society of Thoracic Surgeons Honourary Member 93
• Society of Thoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland Honourary Member 61
• Society of University Surgeons Member 53

Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds
CA ON00343 0094 · Fonds · 1932-1993

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.

Bigelow, W. G. (Wilfred Gordon)
CA ON00343 0094-13 · Series · 1951-1977
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

The files comprising this series document Dr. Bigelow's professional activities as a member of the medical staff of the Toronto General Hospital, including his service on various institutional committees, particularly within the Department of Surgery and the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery. The materials comprising the series include correspondence, notices and minutes of meetings, surgical statistics, and committee reports. File 0094-13-0-23 includes a brief memorandum (1971?) by WGB on the history of the Cardiovascular Service at TGH. File 0094-13-0-24 includes documents on the planning and establishment of the Cardiovascular Investigative Unit at TGH. File 0094-13-0-26 includes in-training evaluations of surgical residents. File 0094-13-0-28 includes protocols for diagnosis and surgical treatment of various cardiovascular conditions.

Medical insurance accounts
CA ON00343 0094-14 · Series · 1970-1978
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

The materials comprising this series consist of remittance advices and account statements issued by various medical insurance agencies pursuant to medical services provided by Dr. Bigelow, and correspondence between these agencies and Dr. Bigelow's office.

University of Toronto files
CA ON00343 0094-15 · Series · 1948-1976
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

The files comprising this series document Dr. Bigelow's professional academic activities as a member of the Faculty of Medicine and Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto, including his service on various institutional committees. The materials comprising the series include lecture schedules, academic curricula, correspondence, notices and minutes of meetings, and committee reports. File 0094-15-0-29 includes a list of medical staff titles and correspondence from other centres describing their academic conventions. File 0094-15-0-30 includes the terms of reference for the UofT Department of Surgery’s Personnel Committee.

Medical journal publications
CA ON00343 0094-16 · Series · 1942-1993
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

This series consists of reprints, and in some case photocopies, of articles published by Dr. Bigelow, alone and in collaboration with colleagues, in various medical journals.

Meetings
CA ON00343 0094-17 · Series · 1949-1975
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

This series consists of materials (predominantly correspondence and conference/symposia programs) documenting Dr. Bigelow's invitation to participate in (as a lecturer, panellist, moderator or presenter) and attendance/ non-attendance at various medical-scientific meetings, conferences, symposia, and post-graduate medical courses, as well as his invitation to contribute to various publications.

The materials comprising this series are predominantly, but not exclusively related to meetings sponsored or invitations issued by organizations of which Dr. Bigelow was not a member at the time the invitation to attend, present, lecture, or publish was received.

Travel files
CA ON00343 0094-19 · Series · 1956-1977
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

This series consists of correspondence, itineraries, expense accounts, receipts etc. relating to Dr. Bigelow's professional and personal travel activities. Most of the materials in this series document Dr. Bigelow's travel to participate in various professional medical/scientific meetings. Files 0094-19-0-3 to 0094-19-0-5 consists of materials documenting Dr. Bigelow's trip to participate in the 27th All-Union Congress of Surgeons of the U.S.S.R. in Moscow, May 23-28 1960, as well as preliminary correspondence and post-Congress correspondence with Soviet/Russian medical colleagues and associates. File 0094-19-0-8b includes an International Certificates of Vaccination booklet issued to Dr. Bigelow by the Department of National Health and Welfare (Canada) which includes records of vaccinations received by Dr. Bigelow between 1959 and 1964.

Medical office expenses
CA ON00343 0094-20 · Series · 1947-1978
Part of Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds

This series consists of one file which includes correspondence, suppliers' invoices and receipts, equipment maintenance agreements, and tax assessments documenting the equipment and operation of Dr. Bigelow's medical office.