Papers of Robert Charles Muirhead-Thomson, 1914-2000, medical entomologist, University of Glasgow, Scotland

Scope and Content

  • Copy of Muirhead-Thomson's Book entitled Assam Valley - Beliefs and Customs of the Assamese Hindus ,1948;
  • Photographs of Muirhead-Thomson at work, 1944-1971;
  • Scrapbook containing newspaper articles and photographs, 1950-c1981.

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Administrative / Biographical History

A world-renowned medical entomologist, Robert Charles Muirhead-Thomson was born in Kilmaurs, Scotland on 2 May 1914  , the son of a parish minister. Educated at the Edinburgh Academy and Kelvinside Academy, he graduated from the University of Glasgow with a first-class honours BSc degree in Zoology in 1936  , and went on to obtain his DSc in May 1942  .

Muirhead-Thomson began his career in medical entomology, later broadening his horizons to study the effects of pesticides on macroinvertibrates. He was, for most of his life, funded by various research organisations, beginning with a grant from the Royal Society in 1937 to conduct research on mosquitoes at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He went on to gain experience in mosquito biology all over the world, in Jamaica, Trinidad ,and western Africa. He also worked for the World Health Organisation in India, Zimbabwe and at their headquarters in Geneva, from 1957- 1966  .

Muirhead-Thomson was the author of 54 papers (mainly in British entomological journals), and seven books, spanning over six decades. His first publication came in 1937, when he wrote on myiasis in sheep in south-west Scotland, with Alexander John Haddow as senior author. His last publication, in the Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parisitology , was in 1998  , where he argued that xenodiagnosis of malaria cases had many advantages over taking blood films. An enthusiastic photographer, his articles would frequently be accompanied by several of his own photographs.

Arrangement

The arrangement of this material reflects the original order in which it was received

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Gift : Mr Mike W Service, University of Liverpool : 2001

Other Finding Aids

Digital file level list available in searchroom

Alternative Form Available

No known copies

Physical Characteristics and/or Technical Requirements

None which affect the use of this material

Conditions Governing Use

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the Archivist.

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents

Appraisal Information

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 0248 procedures

Custodial History

Unknown

Accruals

None expected

Related Material

No related material.

Location of Originals

This material is original

Bibliography

No known publications using this material

Additional Information

Description compiled in line with the following international standards: International Council on Archives,ISAD(G) Second Edition, September 1999 and National Council on Archives,Rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate names

Scotland is the location of all place names in the administrative/biographical history element, unless otherwise stated.

Fonds level description compiled by Andrew Thomson, Hub Project Archivist, 20 May 2004. Lower level description compiled by Peter Monteith, November 2008.

Geographical Names

Glasgow, Scotland