The library holds the Edwin Smith Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical text and the oldest known surgical treatise on trauma. In 1928, the New York Academy of Medicine purchased the collection of incunable manuscripts of E.C. Streeter which was exhibited during the History of Science Society's meeting held in New York on 28th and 29th December. There were at least 130 books printed before 1501 which had strongly influenced the history of medicine at the time of their publication. Contents to be exhibited were mainly selected by Arnold C. Klebs.