| Description | Minute book of the Aberdeen Medico-Chirurgical Society. Details relating to the state of the Society's funds, books and periodicals added to the library and the election of office-bearers for the forthcoming year are recorded in the annual reports approved at the annual meetings of the Society, held in the November of each year (for example, see pages 34-38). The contents of the volume include:
Extraordinary meeting: 14 December 1854. Copy of resolution noting the Society's approval of measures for a union of King's and Marischal College (page 1).
Society meeting: 1 November 1855. Transcript of letter from Dr.Andrew Smith, Director General of the Army and Ordnance Medical Department in reply to award of Honorary diploma in which he comments at great length on the charges made against him and his department during the Crimean War (pages 10-15).
Society meeting: 1 May 1856. Present: Drs. Laing, Jamieson, Kilgour, Reid, Morison and Messrs. Smith and Fraser. 'Dr. Kilgour exhibited a specimen of a bladder with several large sacculi on its base...'. He also exhibited a specimen of diseased kidney and diseased left lung [case history provided for the latter] (pages 27-28).
Society meeting: 6 November 1856. At this meeting, the details of the discussion which followed the question put forward by the President are recorded: 'What is the extreme point to which the administration of chloroform may be safely carried, and what are the symptoms of danger?'. Also discussed at this meeting was the subject of food for new-born infants: 'The best substitute for the mothers milk is a mixture of cream, warm water and sugar - equal parts of cream and warm water' (pages 32-33).
Society meeting: 1 October 1857. A letter from Provost Webster was read soliciting the support of the Society for the meeting of the British Association in Aberdeen in 1859 (pages 43-44). [See 'Minutes of meetings regarding British Association meeting held in Aberdeen in 1859'.]
Extraordinary meeting: 16 April 1858. The Society adopted resolutions proposed by Dr. Kilgour relating to its response to the news of the death of Sir James McGrigor: '...in the death of Sir James McGrigor...they [the members] feel that it has lost its firmest and best friend, one who took a deep personal interest during his long lifetime in all its affairs, who contributed largely from his own means and by his influence with others to the erection of the present handsome building in which the Society meets...'. [A copy of the letter sent by Lady Mary McGrigor thanking the Society for their expression of sympathy and kind words about her husband is enclosed in the minute of the 5 May 1858.]
Annual meeting: 18 November 1858. List of 54 titles donated to the Society by Dr. Ogilvie.
20 September 1859. Minute of proceedings at breakfast hosted by the Society for the 'medical strangers' attending the meeting of the British Association in Aberdeen. Also includes list of attendees. [See Minutes of meetings regarding British Association meeting held in Aberdeen from the 14-21 September 1859.]
Society meeting: 5 January 1860. A paper was read by Dr. Redfern on the hare-lip [cleft lip] in which he discussed why the usual operation carried out is not always successful and proposing alternative plan (1 page).
1 May 1862. Dr. Carr read a paper on the portraits in the hall, details of which are included in the minute. The name of the painter and history of each portrait are recorded.
20 November 1862: Council meeting. The annual report was approved of, a copy of which is included in the minute. It is noted that there is a deficit in the Ordinary Fund of £6.11.5 (and a half) not including an additional £6 for coals. It is noted that a major reason for this is a fall in the revenue obtained from the Junior Class, 'five guineas only having been collected from them during the past, instead of seventeen, as in the previous year'. It is also recorded that the Library contains more than 4,500 volumes.
4 June 1863: Special meeting held to produce new list of rules for the Junior Class. They included fixing the membership fee at two guineas and allowing the members to 'form themselves into one or more classes for mutual examination on professional subjects'. It was also agreed that 'a collection of bones should be formed and loaned out to the students, and that the students should have unimpeded access to the museum'.
23 April 1864: Meeting of Committee appointed to consider the subject of medical apprenticeships. A copy of their report on this subject is included in the minute in which they note the passing of the old apprenticeship system, the knowledge and skills acquired by today's students in the medical schools and hospitals and the excellence of the current system of examination of students at Aberdeen.
3 July 1864: Society meeting. Dr. Beveridge read a paper on the prevailing typhus epidemic (1 page).
3 November 1864: Society meeting. Discussion of proposal to form a North of Scotland Medical Association.
21 November 1864: Council meeting. Discussion and measures agreed to relating to reduction in expenditure of Society. [A deficit of £20.0.5 is stated in the annual report for 1864. A copy of the Council's report is included in the minute of the Society meeting held on the 1 December 1864.]
Society meeting: 6 April 1865. Dr. Harvey reported that an extract minute of the meeting held on the 2 March 1865 recording the Society's sense of loss following the death of Dr. W. Williamson had been sent to Mrs. Williamson, his mother [a copy of the minute is included]. A copy of a letter from Dr. Rattray enclosing a letter from Dr. Stark of the Registrar General's Office, Edinburgh is also recorded in the minute. In it, Dr. Stark provides a list of the definitions of fever. He requests practitioners 'in giving certificates of the causes of death, to use the first name given to each species:- the name underlined on the paper enclosed', namely 1. Typhus Fever, 2. Enteric Fever, 3. Relapsing Fever, 4. Continued Fever, 5. Febricula, 6. Gastric Fever (pages 169-170).
5 April 1866: Society meeting. Dr. Struthers requested the use of the skeleton of the crocodile in the museum for his teaching. Dr. Paterson read a case of diphtheria by inoculation and Dr. Beveridge exhibited a specimen of fracture of the scapula and of 'horse-shoe kidney'.
19 December 1867: Special meeting held to consider the question of hospital accommodation for fever cases in Aberdeen. Part of the report sent to the Parochial Board of St. Nicholas parish intimating the need for a fever hospital is included in the minute (pages 208-213).
Society meeting: 5 November 1868. Dr. Keith gave notice of a motion regarding the introduction of the practice of homeopathy at the Infirmary: '...the Society beg respectfully to convey to the general body of managers their decided opinion that the system of homeopathy is unsound and delusive; that the practice of it is dangerous to human life; and that if allowed within the walls of the Infirmary, it will lead to grave results as well in respect of the poorer members of the community, as of the funds of the Institution'. Dr. Dyce also gave notice of a motion for the next ordinary meeting: 'That the public profession of homeopathy shall be held to disqualify for being admitted, or remaining a member of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Aberdeen' (page 226). [At Society meeting held on the 3 December 1868 (pages 230-232) there was much discussion and disagreement over the proposed motions, Dr. Dyce postponing and then requesting to withdraw his motion and Dr. Keith altering his motion, which was subsequently carried.]
Society meeting: 7 January 1869. At this meeting, a letter from Dr. Dyce was read, asking permission to withdraw his motion regarding homeopathy, which was granted. At the bottom of page 232 it is recorded in red ink: 'Note. Dr. Dyce was present at this meeting, left for Edinburgh next day, and died on Monday Jan. 11th'.
17 March 1871: Meeting of Committee appointed to consider feasability of Society moving to new premises [printed report of Committee enclosed. Also see minute of Council meeting, 8 February 1872].
31 October 1872: Council meeting. Notice given of Mrs. Cadenhead's bequest with extract of will.
5 March 1874: Society meeting. Notice of death of Dr. Kilgour.
5 November 1874: Society meeting. Dr. Beveridge presented the clinical history of a case of cancer of the small intestine complicated with intussusception (2 pages).
6 January 1876: Society meeting. Dr. Garden gave the history of a case of laryngeal croup occurring in a female patient aged 29 (2 pages).
Inserted between pages 350 and 351 is a note relating the history of the two portraits of David Hutcheon, Advocate, Aberdeen.
5 June 1879: Society meeting. Dr. Beveridge gave the clinical history of a case of tubercular meningitis in a girl aged about 12 years old (1 page).
4 March 1880: Society meeting. Paper presented on 'pauper lunacy' and opinion put forward for its recent increase (1 page).
6 July 1882: Dr. Skeen read a paper on enteric fever occuring in the Transvaal during the occupancy of Pretoria by the British troops from 1879-1881.
18 January 1883: Discussion of fees given to medical men by the Town Council on reporting cases of infectious diseases.
12 April 1883: Special meeting held to discuss the Infectious Diseases Notification Bill.
20 November 1884: Annual meeting. Includes copy of letter presenting skeleton of crocodile to University [also see minute of 4 December 1884].
11 September 1885: Report of breakfast held by Society for medical members of the British Association with list of attendees.
Enclosed between pages 528 and 529 is a statement of the Benevolent and Widows Fund, 1872-1886.
1 July 1886: Society meeting. Apprenticeship agreement presented to Society by Professor Dyce Davidson. |