DEP/ABJ/4/1/287 | Letter from James Macgibbon, South Lodge by Stirling, Scotland to John Abercrombie | Case of his sister, previously attended by Dr Dinsmore, with fluor albus, a cough and perspiration. | 16 Jun 1825 |
DEP/AWP/1/6/4 | Lecture notes taken by William Pulteney Alison from lectures on materia medica by Professor James... | A list at the rear gives the contents as: rubefacients and vesicants; errhines; sialogogues; expectorants; emetics; cathartics; diuretics; diaphoretics; stimulants; sedatives; arrangements of dietetics; and history of medicine. The page numbering is from pp 1-3, 270-368 and103-314. | 1808 - 1809 |
DEP/AWP/5/1/200 | Essays on therapeutics by William Pulteney Alison | Essays titled 'Diaphoretics and Sudorifics', 'Effects of Heat', 'Cathartics', 'Emetics', 'Cold as a Sedative', 'Counter Irritants' and 'Arrangement of Therapeutics'. Draft copies. | 1820s - 1850s |
DEP/AWP/7/5 | Letter from J Watson, 28 Dundas Street, Edinburgh to John Duncan, 52 New Buildings, North Bridge... | From the collection of William Pulteney Alison. He describes a sudatory designed by Mr Hodge to encourage sweat and its possible use with cholera patients and encloses a diagram. | 11 Nov 1831 |
DEP/BOH/2 | 'De Lue Venerea', Volume 5 by Herman Boerhaave | The chapters are: 'Curatio Luis Venereia Secundi et Tertii Generis', 'Prima Methodus Hami Luem Veneream Curandi Sci [?] Per Emaciationem', 'Secunda Methodus Curandi Luem VenereaM Secundi et Tertii Generis Per Purgantia', 'Tertia Methodus Curandi Luem Veneream Secundi et Tertii Generis Sci [?] per Sudores','Directio Curationis', 'Quarta Methodus Curandi Luem Veneream 2di et 3ii Generis Per Ptyalismum', 'Ipsa Ptyalismi Operatio', 'Signa Ptyalismi Instantis' and 'Signa Prasentis Ptyalismi'. Although this is Volume 5, any previous or subsequent volumes are wanting. This volume has the same engraved title page as ACH/3, BOH/4, PLA/2, STA/1, MOA/1-4, RJO/1 and VAG/1.
Wording on bookplate:
This Collection of Manuscript Lectures, by the Founders of the Medical College at Edinburgh, viz. Dr Monro primus, Drs Rutherford, Alston, St Clair and Plummer, consisting of Seventy Volumes, was purchased by Dr [Andrew] Duncan sen. in the year 1772, from Mr John Murray, bookseller in London, England, for seven guineas.
Dr Duncan has given directions, that after his death, these Manuscript Lectures, together with One Hundred Volumes of Practical Observations on Medicine, in his own handwriting, and which he has employed as notes for Clinical Lectures, shall be presented to the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh, to be deposited in their Library.
His intention is, that this Collection of Manuscripts, may convey to Posterity, a testimony of his own Industry, and of the Abilities of some of his Medical Preceptors, whose Characters, as long as Medicine continues to be cultivated as a Science, will do honour to the College of Physicians and University of Edinburgh. June 4 1812. | c1735 |
DEP/COJ/2/1/8 | [Untitled set of lecture notes] of John Dixon Comrie | Notes on leprosy, syphilis, (tuberculosis); plague; sweating sickness; history of hospitals and nursing; Illustration of [William] Harvey's experimental method; biographical notes including alchemists; Developments in Medicine and Surgery in eighteenth & 19th century; Galen on the spinal cord; outlines of lectures and what may be lists of slides or illustrations; and list of lectures 1926-27. | 1930s |
DEP/DUA/3/2 | 'History of the Continued Fevers That Occurred in the Clinical Wards of the Royal Infirmary Under... | Report discussing the 17 cases of continued fever treated in the clinical wards of the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Scotland, between 1 May 1810 and 1 August 1810. Titley outlines the types of fever treated, the course the disease took in several of the patients, and the various treatments administered. These include: emetics, cathartics, cold and warm affusions, tepid washing, pediluvium, bloodletting, blisters, wine and other stimulants (such as aether sulph, ammonia aromas and cinchona), opium tinctures and enemas, submuriate of mercury, acid drinks, lavender and peppermint water, effervescing draughts, diaphoretics, and refrigerants. This report was discussed by Dr Andrew Duncan in his 'Report Presented to the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Respecting the Contagious Epidemic Diseases Which Have Prevailed, in That City and Its Neighbourhood, During the Year 1810'. | 1 May 1810-1 August 1810 |
DEP/MAK/1/8 | [Photograph and caption for xerosis] | Part of series illustrating 'Some Cutaneous Manifestations of Dietary Deficiencies seen in rural Ceylon [Sri Lanka]' from the collection of Dr K Mahadeva. Photograph of a child's face with the caption 'The head of a school girl showing dry, staring hair. The hair lacks lustre and is harsh to the touch. Note dryness of skin of face (xerosis). There is diminution or absence of sebaceous secretion, sometimes also of sweat'. Vitamin A deficiency is written on the reverse. | 1949 |
DEP/MOA/1/1 | Lectures on physiology by Alexander Monro primus, volume 1 | The titles of the chapters are: Of Manducation, Of Deglutition, Of Digestion, Of Chylification, Of Sanguification and the Circulation of the Blood, Of Glandular Secretion, Of the Brain, Of the Omentum, Of the Liver and Spleen, Of the Kidneys, Of Muscular Motion, Of Perspiration and Of Nourishment. | c1737 |
DEP/PRJ/1/5 | Medical Annotations Volume 5 by Sir John Pringle | The volume is divided into short chapters including the headings: encampment in the Isle of Wight, England and expedition to the Rade des Basques, France in the year 1757; a general account of the diseases of the British troops during the expeditions to the coast of France and after their return to the Isle of Wight in the year 1758; diseases of the heart, palpitation, polypus etc including a diagram of the heart; fibres, muscles, muscular motion; fungus vesic [?]; stone, gravel, nephritis, heady water, diseases of the kidneys and bladder; native and expressed oils and mucilages; sulphur; myrrh; hydrocele; copper; lead; tin; observations upon drowning and recovering life; diet and digestion; diseases of old age and the regimen proper for that time of life; goat whey; poysons [poisons]; haemorrhoids; pestilential, jayl [jail] or hospital fever; yellow fever and black vomit of the West Indies; sublimate; diseases of infants and children; insensible perspiration, obstructions of it, sweating (as a remedy) sudorifics and diaphordics; rheumatism, lumbago, sciatica; diseases of the urethra, testicles, scrotum and of the hernia in the scrotum; angina gangraenosa sive maligna; angina maligna; squills; rachitis; diseases of the teeth; testacea and other absorbents; croup; parotids and other glands affected by acritical deposition; and air, respiration, the lungs.
Inserted at p203 is a letter to the London Chronicle on a case of children poisoned by eating deadly nightshade. Attached to p433 is a letter from Mr Strachey and another insert on goats' milk. Pages 144-149, 257-264 have been cut out. The volume is a draft copy with numerous amendments. There is an extra index to additional articles at the front and the index of names and places is at the rear. Dated from an entry on p506. | c1765 |
DEP/RMS/1 | [Papers read to the Royal Medical Society] | The volume contains the following papers: 'Observations on the Fever which prevailed among the Soldiers of the South Fencible Regiment while quartered in Edinburgh Castle' by Dr Bell (pp1-36); 'What objections may be made to the doctrine of morbific matter; of the rationality of the Soul making efforts to remove morbid states; of the properties of the blood and fluids, as thick or thin, acid or bland, constituting the sound or morbid states and to that of spasm either with or without debility affords proper fundamental principles for medical reasoning and practice' by Mr Campbell, titled 'Brunonianism' in the index; 'On Ulcers' by Mr Lister; 'Has Sea Bathing any other effects on the constitution than the common Bath of an equal temperature? In what diseases ought it to be used in what avoided' by Dr John Young (pp1-30); 'Of some accidents from blood letting' by Mr J [John] Young, 14th April 1779 (pp1-32); 'What are the uses of perspiration and how far may the diminution of it be supplied by other evacuations?' by L Nihell, question proposed by H Slaughter; 'What are the diseases induced by a sedentary and literary life?' by Mr Fenwick (pp1-47); 'On chronic rheumatism' by Jacob Pattisson; 'De Fermentatione' by G Lister (in Latin); 'Is Mercury to be reckoned specific in the small pox?' by Dr Willan, read to the Medical Society of Edinburgh January 1780 (pp1-27); 'Excerpts from Experiments on the nerves of living animals' by Mr Cruickshank; 'Barometer' from De Luc (Jean-André Deluc, 1727-1817, Swiss geologist and meterologist. Not all the papers have authors but the index at the front gives their names.
The reference to the Medical Society of Edinburgh at the head of Dr Willan's essay has led to confusion with the earlier Edinburgh Medical Society (1731-1737). However, the Royal Medical Society was originally constituted as the Medical Society which presumably remained its name until the granting of the Royal Charter in 1778 and might explain Willan's term. The volume dating from shortly after the charter may explain why there is no reference to the name 'Royal Medical Society' in the volume. A note in the volume from the eminent American medical historian Guenter Risse reads 'Edinburgh Medical Society = Royal Medical Society. This volume unique. 1.9.72'. | 1779-1780 |
DEP/SJY/4/7 | [Pathology notebook of James Young Simpson] | Notes on diseased joints; double breasts and double womb; circulation; sweating on half of body; otalgia; abdominal symptoms in pneumonia; bleeding in dropsy; and erysipelas. Only part of book used. No annotations. Date approximate. | c1840 |
DEP/SMS/1/1/42 | Letter from Alan Moritz, Harvard University Medical School, United States of America to Sydney Smith | He replies to a letter of Smith concerning identifying sweat as a specific substance and gives details of how to test samples. The letter is undated but in a later letter Moritz writes that he left Harvard in 1949. | 1940s |
DEP/SRA/4/6 | 'The Use of Camphoric Acid in Excessive Sweating' by Ralph Stockman | From the Edinburgh Medical Journal. | 1897 |
DEP/STA/1/9 | Notes from lectures of Andrew St Clair titled 'Praelection. Medicinae Theore', volume 9 | The chapters are: 'Sudoris Excretio', 'Sanctoriana Perspiratio', 'Nutritio Incrementum Decrementum', 'De Tactu', 'De Gustu', 'De Olfactu' and 'De Visu'. | c1735 |
DEP/STA/2/2 | Student notes taken by unknown individual from lectures by Andrew St Clair on Herman Boerhaave's... | Original title of this volume is 'Praelectiones in Institutiones Boerhaavii a Andreo St Claire MD'. The chapters are: 'Actio in Chylum', 'De Fabrica Arteriae et Venae', 'De Circulatione Sanguinis', 'Cordis Fabrica Vis Actio', 'Pulmonis Fabrica Vis Actio', 'Arteria Vis Et Actio In Humores', 'Sanguinis Natura Partes Phaenomena', 'Arteriarum ad Cerebrum et Cerebellum Euntium Indoles et Vis', 'Cortex Cerebri', 'Fabrica Diversa Glandulae','Medulla Cerebri', 'Spiritus Cerebri', 'Nervi', 'Humor Venosus Encephali', 'Nervorum Propago', 'Dura Mater', 'Circuitus Sanguinis', 'Actio Lienis', 'Omenti Actio', 'Actio Hepatis', 'Actio Renum', 'Vesicae Urinaria Actio', 'Musculorum Actio', 'Functio Cutis', 'Sudoris Excretio', 'Sanctoriana Perspiratio' and 'Nutritio Incrementum Decrementum'. The flyleaf is inscribed 'Edward Lyne's Book AD 1740'. | 1740 |
DEP/STA/3 | Student notes taken by unknown individual from lectures by Andrew St Clair on Herman Boerhaave's... | The original title of this volume is 'Theoria Medicinae'. The volume contains a series of lectures on different aspects of medicine. The chapters are: 'Actio Lienis', 'Omenti Actio', 'Actio Hepatis', 'Actio Renum', 'Vesicae Urinaria Actio', 'Musculorum Actio', 'Functio Cutis', 'Sudoris Excretio', 'Sanctoriana Rerspiratio', 'Nutritio Incrementum Decrementum', 'De Tactu', 'De Gustu', 'De Olfactu', 'De Visu', 'De Auditu', 'De Sensibus Internis', 'De Vigilia', 'De Somno', 'De Respiratione', 'De Voce Loquela Cantu Risu Tussi etc', 'Seminis Masculini Ortus', 'De Menstruis' and 'De Conceptu'. The content is the same as STA/2/2-3. This volume was originally in the Boerhaave collection but was moved to the St Clair collection because of its content. It does however probably share the same provenance as BOH/1 and is in the same handwriting.
Volume signed by Dr James Hamilton junior who presumably owned the volume. | c1739 |
OBJ/OBJ/10/11 | Pressed Rosmarinus officianalis | Commonly known as rosemary. It was once burnt along with juniper berries in hospitals to purify the air and prevent infection. Used in the past as a tonic, astringent, stimulant and diaphoretic. | [2010] |