Notebook of patient case histories at the Leeds General Infirmary, possibly compiled by Richard Farrer, apothecary

Description

Contains approximately 61 cases by an anonymous hand. The volume begins with a list of 'Accidents etc' in date order from 29 Mar 1823, listing the patient name, a summary of the symptoms, the surgeon who treated the case, and notes if the patient was cured. At the back of the volume there is a similar list, but of 'Operations etc', dated between 28 Mar 1823-1 Aug 1824.


The case histories begin on page 35. The notes for each case give the patient details, dates of admittance, symptoms and treatment given, and most are also provided with a case number.


The surgeons treating the cases include William Hey II (1772-1844), Thomas Chorley and Samuel Smith. The pages are numbered in pencil throughout, but the numbering is erratic.

Biography or history

The notebook is believed to have been written by the apothecary of the Leeds General Infirmary, Richard Farrer (fl 1820s). Farrer was the first qualified apothecary to be appointed to the Leeds General Infirmary. He had become MCRS and LSA just before his appointment to the post in 1826. He resigned from his post in August 1829 due to ill health.


Sources:

S.T. Anning, 'The General Infirmary at Leeds Volume I: The First Hundred Years 1767-1869', (E&S Livingstone Ltd, Edinburgh & London: 1963), pp. 44-48;

S.T. Anning, "The practice of surgery in Leeds 1823-1824", Medical history, XXIII (1979), pp. 59-95.

Provenance

Transferred from the University of Leeds Medical Library in 1981. Previously catalogued under the artificial collection SC MS Case notes.


Catalogued as part of the Wellcome Trust-funded Medical Collections Project (2015-2018).

Access and usage

Reproduction

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Physical and technical conditions

180 pp. Covers have red rot, spine cover is missing. Binding is damaged and many text sections are loose. Some water damage staining.


This volume contains manuscript notes in the ‘tête-bêche’ style: where one set of text starts at the front of the volume, and another set starts from the back of the volume, but inverted (upside down). This is between pp.161-176.

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