RT Journal A1 Howard R T1 WIlliam osler and bartholomaeus anglicus' de proprietatibus rerum JF JAMA JO JAMA YR 1969 FD December 22 VO 210 IS 12 SP 2251 OP 2256 DO 10.1001/jama.1969.03160380065015 UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1969.03160380065015 AB William Osler (1849-1919) was the beloved physician of his age. He inspired his associates, students, patients, and friends wherever he encountered them. The bonds were lasting through his lifetime and those of his acquaintances too. His influence on members of the medical profession and many allied fields was indeed a "potent ferment" and burned deeply into the hearts of those who knew him1 (the author's grandfather used the phrase "potent ferment" in a letter to Osler in 1884). Through their spoken tributes and his own deeds and writings, Osler's name is engraved with honor on the minds of untold numbers in the succeeding generations of men and women.Osler's fame today may be ascribed to many things, among which are his writings and his love of books. The Principles and Practice of Medicine in 1892 established his preeminence as a talented medical writer.2 It rapidly became the standard