Preserving the early medical archives in the University of Aberdeen. (360G-Wellcome-081617_Z_06_Z)

In June 2005, the University of Aberdeen was notified of a successful application to the Wellcome Trust's Research Resources in Medical History scheme to catalogue its early medical archives, dating from the 15th century to 1860. These unique records include medical lecture notes, treatises, prescriptions, herbals, patients' case notes, dispensary records, records of medical societies and individuals, including correspondence, diaries and journals. In all, some 100 collections, comprising some 200 volumes and 20 boxes of papers, will be listed in detail and the subsequent catalogue made available for the public to search via the Internet. Cataloguing began in May 2006. A subsequent Wellcome-funded conservation survey was carried out on these collections, and as a result of the report recommendations, the University of Aberdeen now seeks funding to employ a paper/book conservator for one year to carry out the recommendations of the survey. The Project Conservator would carry out the work in-house, with cleaning and treatment carried out in the internationally respected conservation laboratory of the University's Marischal Museum, before re-housing the volumes in custom-made archive boxes or conservation grade folders as appropriate. The Project Conservator would work in close consultation with the Project Archivist and the Project Manager to develop a programme of cleaning and repair that complemented and supported the cataloguing activity. It will take one year to carry out the treatment proposals recommended in the report.