Henry Shucksmith, Collection

Box of items acquired by Dr Henry Shucksmith. Includes the books: 'Infections of the Hand' by A B Kanavel (Sixth Edition, 1933), 'Pathology of Tumours' by R A Willis (1948), 'Principles of Pathology' by R A Willis (1950), 'The University of Leeds Review, Volume 24' (1981), 'The University of Leeds Review, Volume 18' (1975), copy of the Yorkshire Evening News paper (19 January 1920), and a box of ephemera, including: General Infirmary Leeds rules for medical staff (1939), rules, memorandum of arrangements and a menu card for the 100th meeting of The Moynihan Chirurgical Club in Leeds (1972), photographs, booklet of medical poems and hymns titled 'Aegophony', invitation cards, application booklets made by Shucksmith for the post of Honorary Assistant Surgeon at Leeds General Infirmary, copy of the journal 'Mayo Clinic Proceedings, July 1966: Volume 41, Number 7', article on the birthplace of Lord Moynihan, correspondence relating to arrangements for a plaque to be erected in Malta marking Lord Moynihan's birthplace, handmade Christmas card referencing Shucksmith's service in the army, reprints of journal articles by Shucksmith including 'Dissecting Aneurysm of the Aorta Simulating Embolism at the Aortic Bifurcation' (British Medical Journal 1949), 'Primary Umbilical Sepsis in the Adult' (The Lancet, 1950), 'Axillary Aneurysm Associated with Neuropathic Shoulder-joint in a Case of Syringomyella' (British Medical Journal 1950), 'The Surgery of Parotid Tumours' (British Medical Journal 1951), 'Tuberculosis of Parotid Adenolymphoma and of Lymph Glands incorporating Salivary Ducts' (Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology, 1953), 'A Single-Stage Method of Freeze-Drying Arteries for Grafting' (The Lancet, 1955), 'Experiences in the Surgical Treatment of Hypertension' (University of Leeds Medical Magazine), and 'Experiences Dans Le Traitement de L'Hypertension' (in French), newspaper articles on Shucksmith's retirement. The file contains a list of papers written by Shucksmith during his career. The box also contains a biography of Shucksmith compiled by the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Henry Samuel Shucksmith was born in Lincolnshire, the third child of Thomas Warth Shucksmith, a farmer of Alvington, Lancashire. He was educated at the Alvington and North Coederington Church of England Elementary School and the King Edward VI Grammar School in Louth. He married Mary Richardson Sykes in 1946 and had two sons - Thomas (born 1947) and William (born 1949).

Shucksmith trained at the University of Leeds Medical School from 1927, beginning at age 17; he received first class honours after spending seven years training and won the Littlewood prize in anatomy which enabled him to take BSc in physiology, for which he also gained first class honours. He also won the Infirmary Scholarship, the McGill and Mayo Robson prizes in surgery, the Hardwick prize in clincial medicine and the William Hey Gold Medal in clinical surgery.

After his studies ended Shucksmith immediately became house surgeon to E R Flint at Leeds General Infirmary. Prior to the Second World War, he and many other junior members of staff at the Infirmary joined the Territorial Army, and was posted to France (where he was evacuated from Dunkirk), Malta and Sicily. After discharge from the forces he became honorary assistant surgeon to the General Infirmary at Leeds and numerous hospitals in the area including St James's and Seacroft. In 1945 Shucksmith was appointed Hunterian Professor, taking as his theme 'abdominal injuries in battle casualties' (his paper on this topic is included in the collection). He wrote numerous articles on the topics of vascular surgery and breast cancer and recruited pathologists, experimental cancer researchers and radiotherapists in order to achieve results. Shucksmith died at St. James's Hospital in 1993.

The collection consists of professional papers authored by Shucksmith during his career, personal papers (including amusing Christmas cards sent to Shucksmith!) and papers relating to Shucksmith's visit to Malta in 1969 to unveil a plaque dedicated to Lord Moynihan.

Parts of the collection are restricted - please contact Collections department for more information.

Not permitted

Not expected