Fonds consists of correspondence, reports, course materials, minutes and agendas, published materials, photographs, and audiovisual materials. It is arranged in fifteen series: Personal Material (1943-1986); Correspondence (1958- 1982); Articles, Speeches, and Reports by Detwiller (1952-1982); Courses Taught (1953-1980); Conferences, Seminars, and Workshops (1964-1984); Greater Vancouver Regional Hospital District (1953-1984); UBC Health Sciences Centre (1946-1986); Hospital Equipment Mission (1967-1980); Study Tour of Australian Health Systems (1972-1979); Publications, Speeches, and Conferences (1953-1984); UBC (1974-1985); B.C. Hospital Insurance Service (1949-1973); Miscellaneous Organizations (1968-1986); Research Collection (1943-1985); and Tapes and Photographs series (1964-1984).

The fonds consists of the following series: correspondence (1966-1978); publications (1960-1977); subject files, including the Faculty of Medicine (1977-1979), British Columbia Medical Centre (1974-1975), Shaughnessy Hospital (1954-1979),Department of Veteran's Affairs (1951-1959); research materials (1956-1977); and miscellaneous newspaper clippings.

The collection consists of records documenting John MacDermot’s proposed History of Medicine in British Columbia, and includes correspondence, written notes, minutes, clippings, completed survey forms, and written and typed manuscripts.