Medical case book of H. J. Orford, surgeon

Detailed manuscript case notes, with diagrams, kept by Orford relating to his work in the Surgical Division at No. 3 General Hospital, Kroonstad, South Africa towards the end of the Second Boer War in 1902. Orford's patients included soldiers, prisoners of war and natives and many presented with gun shot wounds (abbreviated by Orford to GSW).The notes are certified by the Principal Medical Officer at the hospital to indicate that the cases 'whose histories are commemorated', 27 September 1902

These notes are compiled in a regulation issued army book produced by stationers Waterlow Bros & Dayton Ltd. London bearing the title 'Hospital Diary, Prescription or Ward Book and Daily Record of Extras & Medical Comforts issued to Patients in Field Hospitals'

At the end of the volume there are lists of types of surgical procedures which presumably Orford performed, some of which are annotated to show the numbers of operation; there are also lists of names of patients with type of procedure performed. These notes appear to cover the period 1902-04.

Pasted at the front of volume is a presscutting in Afrikaans entitled '50 Jaar Gelede' which appears to be a 50th anniversary article relating to the military hospital at Kroonstad. It includes an illustration of a group of men and Orford is mentioned in the text of the article

The volume includes, loosely inserted, initialled notes in Orford's own hand made in January 1955 which highlight cases he felt to be of particular importance. These notes are contemporary with the date of his gift to the University. The loose inserts embossed with Orford's home address, Bosworth Farm, Klerksdorp in South Africa.

Herbert John Orford was educated at Bosworth Grammar School and Mason College, graduating from the University of Birmingham in 1901 with MB, ChB. He then went out to South Africa and appears to have initially been attached to the General Hospital, Kroonstad which seems to have served as a military hospital. He subsequently became District Surgeon and then Medical Superintendent of Klerksdorp Hospital in Transvaal. He became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps, twice mentioned in despatches during the First World War and awarded the OBE

Source: University of Birmingham Register of Graduates, 3rd edition 1932

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

Transferred from the Barnes Library to the Special Collections Department in 1999

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible in identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Former location: Barnes MSS 5.
A letter from Frank Barnes, The Briars, 138 Monyhull Hall Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham addressed to [Sir Arthur Peregrine] Thomson, then Dean of the Faculty of Medicine indicates that the volume was presented to the Faculty of Medicine for its library, 25 February 1955. It was subsequently found in the Librarian's Office in 1976.