Records of the Scottish Society for the History of Medicine

Scope and Content

The collection consists of research papers and printed international reports, files etc.

Administrative / Biographical History

The Scottish Society of the History of Medicine was founded in 1948 at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The medical historian, Dr Douglas Guthrie, author of A History of Medicine (London, 1945), was elected as first President. The aims of the Society are to further the general history of medicine, with particular attention to Scottish Medicine. The Society is registered as a Scottish Charity and holds three ordinary meetings each year on Saturday afternoons in different centres throughout Scotland, with occasional visits to places of special interest. There is also an annual lecture and dinner in honour of Dr Haldane P Tait, a former President and long-serving Secretary to the Society. Meetings are social events with lunch normally followed by two papers on various aspects of medical history. The Society's published Proceedings and newsletters are distributed free to members, and are requested by kindred societies and archives worldwide. A bequest by the late Dr Guthrie enables the Society to support new work on the history of Scottish Medicine, by making financial contributions towards research and/or publishing costs. The Society is affiliated to the British Society of the History of Medicine and has hosted international congresses in 1986 and 1994. It has links with many other kindred societies in Britain and abroad.Source: Website of the Society.

Access Information

By appointment with the Archivist. Access to unpublished records less than 30 years old and other records containing confidential information may be restricted. Special conditions apply to photographs.

Acquisition Information

Deposited on permanent loan with the Library in 1995.

Note

Description compiled by Rachel Hart, Archives Hub Project.

Other Finding Aids

The collection is unlisted.

Conditions Governing Use

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist. Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents.