RCSI Heritage Collections

Look closely and you will see that Heritage Collections has installed a display of microscopes in the '1784' restaurant! At various times in the mid 19th century, Dublin was home to two trailblazing microscopical groups: the Microscopical Society of Dublin and the Dublin Microscopical Club. The former was founded in 1840 and lasted for only 15 years, and was attended by John Barker (1818-1879), Curator of the Museum in RCSI. The latter, however, ran for around 70 years until c.1926.   The microscope became an important tool for studying nature, using preparations of animals, plants, blood and tissue. Both a leisure activity for the middle class and an emerging field in the leading institutions, club membership began to see an increase of professionals and the microscopical activity on the Dublin scene in this era was distinguished. Several societies in Dublin were involved in natural history, including the Royal Zoological Society, Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, and the Ro...

As we approach the anniversary of Sir Charles Cameron's birth on 16 July 1830, RCSI Heritage Collections is pleased to announce an award of Heritage Council funding to digitise and make publicly available for the first time selected material from Cameron's private papers. Portrait of Sir Charles Cameron Sir Charles Cameron (1830-1921) was at various points in his lifetime a Fellow, Professor, President and historian of RCSI, but is best remembered today for his contribution to improving standards of public health in Ireland in his capacity as Medical Superintendent Officer of Health for Dublin Corporation from 1879 to 1921. Cameron’s research, publications, and campaigning during this period led to dramatic improvements in living conditions, life expectancy, and general population health in Dublin at a time when disease was rife in the city. The Heritage Council’s Heritage Stewardship Fund was instituted in 2022 to support staff in local authorities, state agencies, and third l...

To commemorate the centenary of the death of Sir Charles Alexander Cameron, which occurred on Saturday 27 February 2021, the RCSI Library team is delighted to announce the launch of www.rcsi.com/Cameron a new commemorative website highlighting his life, work and legacy. Sir Charles A Cameron,  RCSI Heritage Collections The Corporation of Dublin appointed Cameron as Public Analyst in 1862 (as did Limerick, Waterford and most other boroughs and counties in Ireland). He qualified in medicine in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in 1868 and was appointed Professor of Hygiene at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He was also a Member of the Royal Irish Academy from 1860. As Medical Officer of Health for Dublin from 1874, Cameron was a tireless campaigner for better hygiene, health and welfare for the city and its people. His discoveries, innovations, research, publications and campaigning led to improved public health. The Dublin death rate between 1901 and 1911 reduced...

Heritage Week starts next week and RCSI Heritage Collections are delighted to be running tours and talks on Monday 24th, Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th August. Tours will take place at 11am, 2pm and 6pm each day and will be followed by a talk entitled Dublin in the Rare Ol' Times The talk will look at what it was like to live in Dublin in the decades leading up to the 1916 Easter Rising with a particular focus on the living, health, sanitation and hospital conditions during those years.  Advertisements taken from the Medical Directory  of the time show what new medical devices were being sold, what courses were available and the latest waterproofers in fashion! You will notice some of these establishments are still around in Dublin today.  The horrendous living conditions endured by those in the tenements and the diseases Dubliners battled on a daily basis will also be touched upon. Tenement in Kilmainham in 1914 Sir Charles Cameron's...

During the American Civil War (1861-1865) military surgeons carried a book with them through the battlefields and army hospitals. This book was adopted by the Surgeon-General of the United States Army soon after it's publication in Dublin in 1860. It was a 'bible' to army surgeons. The book was Anatomy of the Arteries of the Human Body, Descriptive and Surgical with the Descriptive Anatomy of the Heart by one John Hatch Power FRCSI. Power's Anatomy of the Arteries of the Human Body published in 1860 John Hatch Power was born on 24 November 1806 in Dublin. From a young age he showed an interest and aptitude in surgery. So after receiving some instruction in surgery he was apprenticed to Robert Adams at the age of 19. On 7 May 1831 Power received his licence from the College and soon afterwards became Demonstrator in the Richmond Medical School. In 1838 he graduated M.D. from Glasgow University and in December 1844 Power became a Fellow of the College. Powe...

On Monday 6 th April O’Connell Street will be transported back in time to 1915 when Dubliners were fighting a war in foreign lands and another was soon to erupt on their streets. What were the living conditions like for these city dwellers a century ago? What medical instruments were being used to carry out surgical procedures? RSCI Heritage Collections will be on hand at RTÉ’s Road to the Rising event to shed some light on these and other medical archive questions.  Advertisements from the Medical Directory of 1915 Advertisements from the Medical Directory of 1915 Advertisements from the  Medical Directory of 1915 Copies of the Medical Directory will be available to consult, advertisements from the early 1900s will be on view and medical instruments will be on display. Sir Charles Cameron, President of RCSI 1885-1886, was Public Health Officer for Dublin in the early 1900s. He published meticulous annual reports on the sanitation, housing and public...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the RCSI Heritage Collections Photo of a snow covered St Stephens Green taken in the winter of 1910.  The College can just about be seen in the background.  (RCSI/News/01)

As it is the Day of Love the Heritage Collections felt it right to tell you the tale of Robert (Robin) Adair. Adair was made one of the first Honorary Fellows of this College on 11 December 1784. Adair is believed to have been a native of Ballymena, Co. Antrim, and was studying medicine in Dublin in the late 1700s. While studying he got into some sort of a scrape. But with very little money and few friends Adair decided that his only option was to flee Dublin and head towards London. Adair arrived in Holyhead with no money to pay for passage to London so he began to walk. Robert (Robin) Adair He had not walked far when he came across a carriage that had been overturned on the bad road. The owner and occupier of the carriage was a well known society lady who had been slightly injured in the accident. Adair offered to help the lady and soon had the carriage righted and road-worthy again. Adair explained that he was a surgeon and offered to inspect the lady's injuries whic...