Colchester Medical Society
Since 1774
ARCHIVE
Scroll to view some of our treasures
The Colchester Medical Society are custodians of a substantial collection of papers, photographs and
artefacts from over 200 years of Colchester's medical and social history.
Key items include :
· Five minute books from 2nd April 1833 to the present day.
· Two lending library ledgers from 1854 to 1872 and 1902 to1913.
· Three albums of images /photographs of all Presidents of CMS.
· Biographical notes of members of the Society since its inception.
· Extensive notes and photographs of Essex County Hospital.
· A collection of vintage medical equipment, a selection of which
is displayed in the Post Graduate Centre at Colchester General.
I would be pleased to furnish further details or personally show items of interest to Members
and accept items of memorabilia of the Society or old medical equipment.
Dr Fabrizio Casale Archivist (click name to e mail)
Colchester Medical Society Library
This collection comprises approximately 500 historical books placed on permanent deposit by the Society in April 2008. The books, colloquially known as the Penfold Collection, were previously housed at Essex County Hospital and at the Postgraduate Medical Centre at Colchester General Hospital. The volumes include early treatises on surgery, anatomy, illness and disease, and are likely to be of major interest to scholars of both the history and sociology of medicine. The collection has been catalogued, and individual works are searchable in the Library catalogue. In addition, the Minutes books and other manuscript volumes were deposited by the Society in August 2012. In 2014 documents relating to Colchester General Hospital were similarly acquired.
To find the Colchester Medical Society Library Special Collection Online follow this link:-
http://libwww.essex.ac.uk/speccol.htm#Colchester
The Colchester Medical Society Library Special Collection is held in the Special Collections Room in the Albert Sloman Library. This currently holds some 60 named collections of books, manuscripts and contemporary archives, together with a general sequence which is arranged by subject. In all, holdings amount to over 34,200 printed works and 547 m. of archives and "grey literature", most of which has been acquired by way of donation or through grant-aided purchase. Most of these are currently being made available from this web page and can be accessed by clicking on the title of the particular collection. For further information, or to arrange a visit, please contact Nigel Cochrane or Sandy Macmillen 24 hours' notice may be required, and consultation of such works may be possible only between 9 am and 5 pm on Monday to Friday.
To find The Albert Sloman Library Online follow this link :-
http://libwww.essex.ac.uk
This collection comprises approximately 500 historical books placed on permanent deposit by the Society in April 2008. The books, colloquially known as the Penfold Collection, were previously housed at Essex County Hospital and at the Postgraduate Medical Centre at Colchester General Hospital. The volumes include early treatises on surgery, anatomy, illness and disease, and are likely to be of major interest to scholars of both the history and sociology of medicine. The collection has been catalogued, and individual works are searchable in the Library catalogue. In addition, the Minutes books and other manuscript volumes were deposited by the Society in August 2012. In 2014 documents relating to Colchester General Hospital were similarly acquired.
To find the Colchester Medical Society Library Special Collection Online follow this link:-
http://libwww.essex.ac.uk/speccol.htm#Colchester
The Colchester Medical Society Library Special Collection is held in the Special Collections Room in the Albert Sloman Library. This currently holds some 60 named collections of books, manuscripts and contemporary archives, together with a general sequence which is arranged by subject. In all, holdings amount to over 34,200 printed works and 547 m. of archives and "grey literature", most of which has been acquired by way of donation or through grant-aided purchase. Most of these are currently being made available from this web page and can be accessed by clicking on the title of the particular collection. For further information, or to arrange a visit, please contact Nigel Cochrane or Sandy Macmillen 24 hours' notice may be required, and consultation of such works may be possible only between 9 am and 5 pm on Monday to Friday.
To find The Albert Sloman Library Online follow this link :-
http://libwww.essex.ac.uk
Information and items from the archive
TWO LOCAL MEMORIALS
Rev Jefferson was the founder of Essex County Hospital.
The plaque is in St Nicholas Church, Witham.
Dr Jane walker is remembered with a plaque in Wissington Church.
The Rhinoceros print hangs in Seminar Room 5 at the Post Graduate Medical Centre CGH
The archive holds the booklet produced for the anniversary of William Gilberd
William Gilberd, Chief Physician to Queen Elizabeth I
Scientist on magnetism and 'electrics'. Born at Tymperleys in Colchester, studied at Cambridge and elected Fellow of St John's College 1569. Elected Fellow of the College of Physicians in 1573 and became its President in 1600. He published De Magnete on his experimental work in 1600. He is buried in Holy Trinity Church, Colchester.
EDWARD JENNER LETTER
In one of our old library books was a letter that appeared to be from Edward Jenner.
We had this examined by Sotheby’s Manuscript Department.
It sadly turned out to be a 19th Century copy worth only £1.
We reproduce below for general interest and because there is a Jenner – Colchester connection.
In one of our old library books was a letter that appeared to be from Edward Jenner.
We had this examined by Sotheby’s Manuscript Department.
It sadly turned out to be a 19th Century copy worth only £1.
We reproduce below for general interest and because there is a Jenner – Colchester connection.
Dr Edward Jenner 1749 - 1823 Letter written on January 16th 1807 to his printer Richard Phillips. Complains of opposition to vaccination versus variolation, using Smallpox instead of Cowpox to inoculate. Mentions I have made peace with Spain and adore her philanthropic Monarch - because although Britain and Spain were at war at the time, King Carlos IV of Spain sent his physician Dr Francis Xavier Balmis on a ship with 22 healthy children to England to be vaccinated and on their return to Lisbon in August 1806 it enabled over 200,000 people to be vaccinated. Edward Jenner came in person to Colchester in June 1800 to vaccinate the 85th Foot Regiment at the request of its Commander the Duke of York. The 'speckled monster' was Smallpox. |