Papers of Dr Archibald L Goodall

Notes taken as a student, 1932 - 1939; diagrams of blood cells, 1949; notes, correspondence, slides and other material relating to his researches into the history of the Faculty including a bound MS copy of the Finlayson Memorial lecture and an article on the subject printed by the Glasgow Medical Journal, 1948–1953; notes and articles, 1949 -1963, including those relating to exhibitions on the ‘History of War Medicine’ and ‘Medicine in History,’ notes on a talk entitled ‘Glasgow, City of Commerce?,’ and printed articles entitled Burns and the Medical Profession and Robert Watt: Physician and Bibliographer amongst others; photographs and slides including case studies, lecture slides and personal travel.

Archibald Lamont Goodall was born on 15 March 1915 and received his medical education at Glasgow University where he graduated Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MB, ChB) with commendation in 1937. He took the Diploma in Public Health in 1939. He became attached to the Department of Surgery in the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow where he remained throughout his career. He became a Fellow of the Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 1940. He graduated Doctor of Medicine (MD) with commendation in 1944 and took the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1946. He loved books and was a member of the Glasgow Bibliographical Society. He was also a founder member and later President of the Scottish Society for the History of Medicine.

Archibald Goodall became the Honorary Librarian of the Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow in 1946, a position he held until his death. In November 1949 he gave the Finlayson Memorial lecture with the subject ‘The History of the Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow’ (see RCPSG 1). In this lecture he set out to solve two of the mysteries of the Faculty: what “Arellian” meant (Peter Lowe,(c1550-c1623) founder of the Faculty in 1599, added this to his name) and where the foundation charter of King James VI (1566-1625) was. Although he drew a blank on both accounts, the lecture was considered a memorable success. He died in 1963 at the age of 48.

For an obituary of Dr Archibald Goodall, see the British Medical Journal, 1963 (Volume 1).

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Descriptive list available at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.