"Respiratory Impairment and Pulmonary Complications in Paralyzed States: A Method for Early Detection" by Roy Laver Swank, in Annals of Internal Medicine v. 32 (2) pp. 229-241 (2), 1950 February

This collection encompasses a rich assortment of materials, including drafts, manuscripts, publications, and articles authored by Dr. Swank. It also features audiovisual items such as reel-to-reel films, filmstrips, photographic prints, VHS videotapes, and 35mm, microscopic, and glass lantern slides. Additionally, the collection includes bound volumes of his articles, original publications, and an extensive archive of personal correspondence from Swank’s patients.

Series 1, “Multiple sclerosis work,” spans Swank’s lifetime devotion to multiple sclerosis (MS). This series is divided into three subseries. Subseries A, “Research, clinic, and exhibits” encompasses Swank’s research, his original patients on the low-fat diet he pioneered, and his newsletters of the MS clinic. Subseries B, “The MS diet book,” focuses on Dr. Swank's influential publication The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book: A Low-Fat Diet for the Treatment of M.S. Subseries C “Patient relationships,” highlights Dr. Swank's connections with his patients. This section features memoirs from individuals whose lives were transformed by his work, correspondence from patients, and even a song written by a patient in his honor. Much of this material is restricted for patient privacy.

Series 2, “Correspondence,” features exchanges with fellow multiple sclerosis researchers from around the globe, professional colleagues at OHSU, and personal letters with friends and family.

Series 3, “Career and research materials,” is organized into seven subseries: (A) “Awards, certificates, and memberships” highlights accolades and professional affiliations; (B) “Employment and teaching career” documents Swank’s academic contributions and educational roles; (C) “Research, exhibits, and data” showcases investigative work and professional displays; (D) “Papers and manuscripts” includes articles and drafts of papers Swank authored; (E) “Audiovisual” includes interviews with and about Swank and videos of hamsters used to study blood circulation; (F) “Lantern slides” features a collection of historical glass slides featuring brain scans, blood samples, and graphs of viscosity; and (G) “Microscopic specimen slides” preserves detailed microscopic specimens from Swank's work.

Series 4, “Personal records,” is divided into three subseries. Subseries A, "General personal records,” includes personal musings, high school and college documents, and private medical records. Subseries B, “Images of Swank’s life” showcases an extensive array of family and professional images highlighting international travel experiences. Images here are in multiple formats, including slides, photographs, and 35mm negatives. For the negatives, "P" is used to denote partial strips of negatives and "I" for full individual (single) strips. Lastly, Subseries C, “Financials and real estate,” contains records related to taxes, investments, and Swank’s various private residences and rental properties.

Series 5, “Artifacts,” is the final section of this collection and contains medical tools used by Swank during his career.