The Bay Area History of Medicine Cub was formally instituted in 1971, making it one of the oldest independent clubs devoted to the history of medicine in the country.

It started in 1966 as the DOB Society: "Dirty Old Books Society", for bibliophiles (not unlike the "bibliomanic" portrayed here in Albrecht Durer's Ship of Fools (1494)) interested in the history of medicine. This is when a group of UCSF physicians--Arthur Lyons, Haskell Norman, Sanford Leeds, Grant Levin, Anthony Petracca, Robert Reed, and Norman Reider--met in each other's homes to admire their collection of rare books, some being early masterpieces in the history of medicine, such as Vesalius's De humani corporis fabrica (1543). Asked if they read them before they would meet, Dr. Lyons commented "Read? Any book over 200 years old is in Latin or Greek, you can't read that."

Soon interest in the meetings grew, and new members brought new insights and research profiles to the group. The neurologist, Dr. Francis Schiller, was conducting his own research into the history of neurology, writing books including the biography Paul Broca: Founder of French Anthropology, Explorer of the Brain (1992) and Founders of Neurology (1970, with Webb Haymaker), as well as contributing frequently to the Bulletin of the History of Medicine. Dr. Herbert Evans, professor and chair of the Department of Anatomy at Berkeley, was an avid collector of books and art, and brought his interests in history of science and medicine to the group before his death in 1971. The cardiologist, Dr. Meyer Friedman (co-theorist of 'Type A personality'), also became involved with the group as did the professor of anatomy (as well as director of History of Health Sciences and Chancellor or UCSF), John B. deC. M. Saunders, who in 1973 published translations of Vesalius in his Illustrations from the works of Andreas Vesalius (with Charles O'Malley).

In 1968, twenty seven people gathered at Sanford Leeds's home to hear Dr. Chauncey Leake speak about "The Old Egyptian Medicial Papyri", and it was at this meeting that the group was given the name "Bay Area History of Medicine Club." In 1971, a critical mass had formed and the group formalized by appointing a president (Dr. Saunders), a president elect (Ilza Veith, Ph.D.), and secretary (Dr. Lyons), and moving the venue of the meetings to a conference room at UCSF's Mount Zion campus. Also in 1971, the Club applied for and received the status of a constituent society to the American Association of the History of Medicine, and after appointing a treasurer and collecting modest fees from its members, the Club was ready to announce its first official lecture. In January 1972, Rosemary Valle gave a talk on the Spanish missionary and Aztec archaeologist, Bernardino de Sahagun (1499-1590).

The Club has enjoyed an uninterrupted history, and over the years has remained in close affiliation with UCSF's faculty. Of the six or seven speakers a year invited to present at the club, many are drawn from the UCSF community, whether from the medical school or the History of Health Sciences program (established in 1930; now part of Anthropology, History & Social Medicine). Chairs of the History of Health Sciences Department, including Dr. Saunders, Dr. Gert Brieger, and Dr. Guenter Risse, have been past presidents of the club and its faculty remain involved with the club's executive council.

- Brian Dolan, Ph.D., History of Health Sciences, UCSF