Records of the Nottingham Medico-Chirurgical Society, a medical society, 1828-1996

• Minute books including minutes of annual general meetings and council meetings. 1851-1996 (MCH 1);
• Printed reports. 1945/46-1992/1993 (MCH 2);
• Printed rules for the society. 1846-1993 (MCH 3);
• Registers of members and attendance at meetings. 1952-1979 (MCH 4);
• Administrative records. c. 1945-c.1995 (MCH 5);
• Records relating to the administration of the society's library comprising: manuscript and printed catalogues, 1828-1955 (MCH 6/1); suggestion books for the Society's library and Lewis's library giving the names of titles proposed by members, 1885-1910 (MCH 6/2); transcription of the library's 1836-1878 suggestion book and 1828-1831 catalogue, 1971 (MCh 6/3); issue books for the Society's library recording loans of particular books to members, 1832-1964 (MCH 6/4); signing-in book for the library, 1903-1907 (MCH 6/5); assorted printed signs and leaflets that would have been displayed, produced or received by the Society and its library including sets of library rules and agenda for Society meetings, 1888-1950 (MCH 6/6); and a volume recording books from Lewis's library requested by members, 1910-1948 (MCH 6/7);
• Printed works and research papers relating to the society's history; including a proof copy of the 150th anniversary history and copies of photographs used in that publication. This series also contains two published works that do not relate to the society. They are a bicentenary history of Aberdeen Medico-Chirurgical Society and an autobiography of R.G. Hogworth about his time at Nottingham General Hospital. 1928-1989 (MCH 7);
• Photographic negatives and prints of former presidents of the Society, the old General Hospital and its staff and associated hospitals, undated (MCH 6/8 and MCH 8).

The Nottingham Medico-Chirurgical Society was founded in 1828 as a book society. It became the Nottingham Medico-Chirurgical Book Society in 1843 with the intention of establishing a medical lending library. It is believed to be the second oldest medical society in the country. In the 19th century, it met at Nottingham General Hospital and the General Dispensary. From 1910 to 1972, the society occupied premises at 64, St. James Street, Nottingham. The society is still in existence and has an active programme. It meets in the board room of the Postgraduate Centre at Nottingham City Hospital. Its thousand members are drawn from general practice, academia, industrial medicine and the community. The society was established as a registered charity by trust deed in 1977.

The Society's library, the bulk of which came to be only of historical interest, fell into neglect and was practically lost in 1911 when the society moved to new premises. A substantial proportion, some 1160 volumes, was bought by The University of Nottingham in 1971 with the assistance of a gift by Mrs. Miriam Kaplowitch OBE. Another considerable part of the collection was acquired in 1973. The volumes remained physically in the University's Medical Library until 1994 when they were transferred to the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections.

The collection has been divided into 8 series. Within these series, items have been arranged chronologically where possible.

ACCESS: Pending full cataloguing, access to the collection is limited and is only possible after advance notice and agreement.

LANGUAGE: English

This description is the only finding aid available for this collection. Copyright in the description belongs to The University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishing to publish.

Manuscript items from the society's library were acquired by The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections on a number of separate occasions between 1996 and 2003.

• The University of Nottingham; Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections: Printed medical treatises collected by the Medico-Chirurgical Book Society, 16th-19th centuries. Books in the collection are recorded on the university's library catalogue, UNLOC.