The History of Medicine Society of the RSM is hosting a webinar entitled Historical Perspectives in Clinical Neurology
on Wednesday 27th February 2021 from 6pm to 7.35pm
For further details and to register click here.

In this autobiographical memoir, Dr Clyne Shepherd, a longstanding member of the society, describes a fascinating and varied medical career.
From undergraduate days in the 1940s through junior hospital posts and National Service in the 1950s, Clyne Shepherd paints a picture of life as a young doctor in the fledgling NHS.
His further training was geared toward a career as a missionary doctor in Africa and he describes his experience as a surgeon through war and peace in Nigeria. On return to Scotland he embarked on a very different career as a community medicine specialist in Lothian. Here he reflects on the changing pattern of health care which he experienced at first hand through a remarkable and wide-ranging medical career.
Read Dr Shepherd’s memoir here

Members may be interested in reviews of recently published books with a history of medicine theme.

These can be viewed at the BSHM website book review page

In June 1949 the Society made a ‘pilgrimage’  to Lanarkshire to visit the birthplaces of William and John Hunter and of William Smellie (1697-1763).

This included a talk on Smellie by Professor S J Cameron.

Smellie, having worked as a surgeon-apothecary and man-midwife in Lanarkshire for 15 years, went to London where he became a widely acclaimed teacher of obstetrics.

This portrait, thought to be a self-portrait, hangs in the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.