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Wellcome Library

Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0120 WTI/RST

Held at: Wellcome Library

Title: Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Date(s): 1866-2002

Level of description: Collection level

Extent: 24 boxes, 2 outside boxes and 3 outsize folders

Name of creator(s): Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Manson | Sir | Patrick | 1844-1922 | Knight | physician, parasitologist, tropical medicine specialist
Bruce | Sir | David | 1855-1931 | Knight | Major General | pathologist
Bahr | Sir | Philip | Manson- | 1881-1966 | Knight | medical researcher

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Foundation of the Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1907, with Sir Patrick Manson (then Dr) as President and Ronald Ross as Vice-President, by James Cantlie (later Sir James Cantlie) and George Carmichael Low. The objectives of the Society, which have remained vitually unchanged since, were the ' ... study and discussion of diseases met with in tropical [warm] countries involving ... medical men with tropical experience [and] every medical man engaged in the practice of medicine wherever his lot may be cast'; permssion granted by George V for the Society to call itself the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1920; RSTMH moved to its current premises, Manson House, 26 Portland Place (designed by Robert Adam in 1778), 1931; first ordinary meeting held in new building. Jan 1932; formal opening of the new building by HRH the Prince of Wales, March 1932.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Administrative records relating to the foundation of the Society, its premises and individual members, 1906-1979, including correspondence, diaries, notebooks, obituaries and photographs.

Papers of members, formerly held by the Society, including Sir Patrick Manson (1844-1922), Sir David Bruce (1855-1931), and Sir Philip Manson-Bahr (1881-1966).

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Arranged by section as follows: A History, policy and administration; B Premises: Manson House, 26 Portland Place; C Individuals; D Other bodies; E Miscellaneous matters and memorabilia; F Sir Patrick Manson, GCMG, FRS (1844-1922); G Sir David Bruce, KCB, FRS, FRCP (1855-1931) and Mary, Lady Bruce, OBE (d 1931); H Sir Philip Manson-Bahr, CMG, DSO, FRCP(1881-1966).

Conditions governing access:

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

Conditions governing reproduction:

Unknown.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Catalogue on Wellcome Library website.

Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

These archives were inherited by the Contemporary Medical Archives Centre (now the Wellcome Library Archive and Manuscript department) in 1989 from the defunct Wellcome Tropical Institute which had taken deposit of them c. 1985. Besides records of the Society itself the collection includes the papers of several eminent tropical medicine specialists formerly held by the Society: Sir Patrick Manson, Sir David and Lady Bruce and Sir Philip Manson-Bahr.

Several items strayed from the Society's archives were found among the papers of Sir Patrick Manson received from the Society. The volumes of Council minutes are retained by the Society at its premises at Manson House, Portland Place, but even apart from this the archive of the Society does not appear to be comprehensive.

The press-cutting album, WTI/RST/E.28, was received separately in Jun 2002 on its discovery. The files relating to the Chalmers Medal (WTI/RST/E.29) were found by the Society's administrator in October 2003 and handed over then. The file relating to the Medical Entomology Centenary Symposium, 1977 (WTI/RST/E.30), was received from its organiser, Professor Mike W. Service, in October 2003. A file of correspondence relating to Royal patronage of the Society (WTI/RST/A.37) was received in May 2005 from the Society's administrator.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Contemporary Medical Archives Centre

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Photographs of the following are held by Wellcome Images: WTI/RST/E.18/7, Portrait of Charles Wilberforce Daniels, L20883 WTI/RST/E.18/13, Signed photograph of Professor RT Leiper, 1938, L30171.

Related material:

Material retained by the Society: Volumes of Council minutes

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Geoff Browell

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: May 2008


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Boer War (1899-1902) | Wars (events)
Colonialism | Imperialism | Political doctrines
Delivery of health care | Patient care management | Health services administration | Public administration | Government
Filariasis | Diseases | Pathology
Hospitals | Health services
Malaria | Infectious diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Monarchy | Political systems
Societies | Associations | Organizations
Trypanosomiasis | Tropical diseases | Diseases | Pathology
Veterinary medicine | Medical sciences
Medical institutions
Science

Personal names
Bahr | Sir | Philip | Manson- | 1881-1966 | Knight | medical researcher x Manson-Bahr
Bruce | Sir | David | 1855-1931 | Knight | Major General | pathologist
Manson | Sir | Patrick | 1844-1922 | Knight | physician, parasitologist, tropical medicine specialist

Corporate names
Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Places