Papers of: Association of British Ophthalmologists (founded 1937)

Volumes of minutes containing annual alphabetical indexes of ophthalmologists who joined the Association of British Ophthalmologists, together with subject indexes.

The Association was started in 1937 following dissatisfaction amongst ophthalmologists with the current arrangements for charging patients (many hospitals were giving free prescriptions). Also it was felt that the National Ophthalmic Treatment Board needed further support, that women should not be excluded from ophthalmic benefit, that the Ophthalmic Committee of the British Medical Association was inadequate and that ophthalmologists needed to conduct their own medico-political affairs. Inevitably, one of the issues which concerned this body throughout the early 1940s was planning for a National Eye Service. In 1946 the Association amalgamated with the reconstituted Faculty of Ophthalmologists.

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, by prior appointment with the Archivist after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

These two volumes of minutes were given to the Wellcome Institute by Mr B A Pratt, Antiquarian Bookseller, in June 1993. They were purchased by Mr Pratt with other books from the British Medical Association (BMA) at Sotheby's on 31 July 1991 (lot number 1076). (Acc No 474).

Catalogued by Julia Sheppard, CMAC, Wellcome Library, June 1993. Hard-copy catalogue available in Wellcome Library.

Description compiled by Helen Wakely

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

Bound copies of minutes given to the British Medical Association (BMA)library by Dr Grey Turner of the BMA, who presumably received them because of the close links of the Association of British Ophthalmologists and BMA. They are not the top, signed versions, but the carbon copies, with pasted in printed extracts from the rules.