Greenock Medical and Chirurgical Association

Laws and regulations, 1820-1821; minute books (1840-1851; 1865-1897;1911-1973), which includes lists of library books, 1840-1851; notes of John Blair on Aristotle’s physics, 1654-1656; notes taken by William Rae on Alexander Monro’s surgery lectures, University of Edinburgh, 1790.

The Association was formed in 1818 for the purpose of “promoting professional intercourse and improvement.” It possessed a library for the use of its members. One of the activities of the Association was the provision of vaccinations within the local community but this service was discontinued by 1831. Around 1850-1851 the Association was reduced to a membership of six and the decision was taken to divide the library collection of over 400 books between the members for safe-keeping, on a temporary basis.

The Association was reconvened on the 20th October 1865 under a new name, the Greenock Medical Association. The objective of the Association was “to receive communications on Medicine and Surgery and the Collateral Sciences, to converse on medical topics, to advance the interests of the Medical Profession, and generally to promote professional improvement and amicable feelings”.

A special meeting was held on 11th November 1896 to discuss what could be done “to stimulate an interest among the members of the medical profession in Greenock and District with reference to the society and to endeavour to increase membership”. Dr Wilson gave an account of the usefulness of the society in the past and this was followed by a discussion of how to “infuse new life into it”.

At some point between 1897 and 1911 the society changed its name to the Greenock and District Faculty of Medicine, perhaps in a bid to stimulate new interest in the society. In 1935 it was decided that the Faculty should be continued despite concerns over poor attendance and lack of members. There is no record of when the Faculty ceased to officially exist.

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Descriptive list available in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. See also NRAS Survey 1909.