About the centre

The Centre for the History of Medicine, established in the University of Glasgow in 1985, is part of the Department of Economic & Social History, and a member of the School of History and Archaeology. The Centre is a lively and active focus for research in the history of medicine. The research interests and activities of the Centre cover the history of medicine from the early modern period to the 20th century. The fields of major interest include medicine and the Enlightenment in Scotland; women and medicine; the social history of medicine in Scotland and Britain more generally, including hospitals and the development of the medical profession; and the history of diagnostics and of 20th century biomedical science. Recent and current funded projects include: the history of the medical profession and medical education in Scotland; the influence of Listerism in Britain and abroad; the history of medical entrepreneurs and hydropathic establishments in Scotland; the history of diagnostic ultrasound; the History of the Office of the Registrar General in Scotland, and the History of the Royal College of Nursing.

Glasgow holds rich archival material relating to the history of medicine in early modern Europe and in Britain, and particularly Scotland, from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The Archives of the Greater Glasgow Health Board, the Glasgow University Archives, the Glasgow City Archives, and the Special Collections of the Glasgow University Library provide an archival base within Glasgow for dissertation research in the history of medicine, while archives elsewhere in Scotland are also easily accessible. The Centre has a reference library, computing facilities, and other equipment providing excellent support for research. The Centre also runs a series of research seminars and workshops, and an annual research forum, all of which bring speakers from throughout the world.