RCSI Heritage Collections

With the bicentenary of Sir William Wilde only around the corner, the RCSI Heritage Collections decided to look at another gifted eye and ear surgeon who lived, worked and taught in Dublin at the same time as Wilde. A major difference between these two characters was their levels of flamboyancy and it's because of this that Arthur Jacob is not as widely known as Wilde. Bust of Arthur Jacob by Joseph Robinson Kirk Arthur Jacob PRCSI 1837 and 1864 Arthur came from a medical family. His father, John, was Surgeon to Queen's County Infirmary and enjoyed a large practice while his grandfather, Michael, was also a surgeon. Arthur started his medical education be becoming indentured to his father in 1808. In 1811 he became a pupil of Abraham Colles in Steevens' Hospital. Like many other surgeons of the time, Arthur travelled to further his surgical knowledge. He went to the University of Edinburgh and graduated with an M.D. in 1814. The it was to London where he stud...

The Robert Smith that springs to a lot of people's minds when the words 'The Cure' are mentioned is probably this chap.... Being the blog of the RCSI Heritage Collections you can imagine that the lead singer of the 1980s gothic rock band is not who pops into our minds. Instead the man being referred to here is Robert William Smith, FRCSI. A surgeon so revered that his obituary from The Lancet on 8 November 1873 begins with the sentence 'Not Dublin only, but every medical school throughout the country has sustained a severe loss by the death of this able and highly accomplished pathologist'.   Robert William Smith was born in Dublin on 12 October 1807. His father died when Smith is still quite young but his mother, Isabella, went to great lengths to ensure her son's education. Smith began his medical studies in Trinity College Dublin graduating with a B.A in 1828 and an M.A in 1832. He continued his studies by being apprenticed to Richard Carmichael ...

Nowadays when you go in for a minor or major operation, there is no question over anaesthetic being used. That wasn't the case for patients until the 1840s, poor devils. Up until then the patient was, in some cases, restrained to stop them thrashing around and putting the surgeon off his work. If lucky the patient was given alcohol or opium to help ease the pain. In other cases a piece of wood or leather was given to bite down on or, if you were a soldier, a bullet. Illustration of a patient ready for surgery in the 16th century Taken from The History of Ophthalmology   On 16th October 1846 John Collins Warren undertook the first surgical operation using ether as an anaesthetic in Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Less than three months later an Irish surgeon would carry out the first amputation under the influence of ether ever preformed in Ireland. John McDonnell, father of Robert McDonnell who has featured previously in this  blog , was born in Belfast o...

It being the day of Samhain the door to the other world slowly creaks open and the desire to visit one of Dublin's oldest and lesser visited cemeteries has struck the RCSI Heritage Collections. Mount Jerome Cemetery was established in 1836 and is the resting place of a number of prominent Irish surgeons. So who has made Mount Jerome there eternal home? Only a man with a name that couldn't be more fitting for Samhain, Mr. Robert Graves . Graves' tombstone in Mount Jerome Robert Graves (1797-1853) Graves was a distinguished scholar who started his studies in Trinity College Dublin under the tutelage of Rev. Ralph Wilde, the brother of the Sir William Wilde. Graves graduated in Arts in 1815 and deciding upon medicine graduated with an M.B in 1818. Graves recognised the importance and promoted the need for post mortem examinations by the pathologist. He studied in a number of European universities (Berlin, Austria, Paris,Italy) and, according to Charles...

Last night the Science Gallery in Trinity College Dublin launched a new exhibition called BLOOD The Gallery approached the RCSI Heritage Collections as they had heard we had a very important blood transfusion apparatus. Indeed we do! So we were delighted to loan them Robert McDonnell's blood transfusion apparatus. If you don't know that story of Robert McDonnell and the first human to human blood transfusion in Ireland find out more  here McDonnell's apparatus is the only historic item to be found in a very interesting, visual and though-provoking exhibition. Where else could you see a video installation of a woman receiving a blood transfusion from a horse, buy blood inspired jewellery, a vampire impaling kit and find out your blood type?? Robert McDonnell's blood transfusion apparatus on display RCSI/MI/224 RCSI/MI/224 - Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy

In April 1865 Mary Anne Dooley, a 14 year old girl, was brought to Jervis St. Hospital after an accident in the paper mill where she worked had left her right hand lacerated and torn. On duty was a respected and learned medical man who decided that in one last attempt to save the girl's life he would attempt the first ever human to human blood transfusion in Ireland. This man was Robert McDonnell. Robert McDonnell (1828-1889) McDonnell was a confident surgeon who came from a prominent medical family. His father, John McDonnell, had carried out the first amputation using ether as an inhalation anaesthetic in Ireland on New Years Day 1847 in the Richmond Hospital. So you can say Robert was definitely following in his father's first steps! Robert was born in 1828 in Dublin. He entered Trinity College Dublin in 1844 and was apprenticed to Richard Carmichael in November 1845. He graduated with B.A and M.B in 1850 and obtained his Licence from the RCSI in February 1851. Robert...

' He [Sir Thomas Myles] attained enormous strength and was a  sufficiently skilled boxer to fight a few rounds with the  heavy-weight champion, John L. Sullivan. ' John L. Sullivan , aka the Boston Strong Boy, was quite the formidable opponent for a surgeon to step into the ring with. But Sir Thomas Myles was no ordinary surgeon.   Myles was born in Limerick on 20th April 1857 to a family long associated with that city. He began his school life in Limerick which with time took him to Trinity College Dublin, Vienna and the Richmond Hospital. Myles graduated from Trinity in 1881 with his M.B. and B.Ch. That same year he was chosen to be Resident Surgeon in Dr. Steevens' Hospital. Widdess tells us 'His magnificent physique and attainments as an amateur heavy-weight boxer were to sustain his in an arduous duty, which in addition to the other more usual ones, was imposed upon him by the Governors - to keep order amongst the resident pupils.'  Sir Tho...

The surgical skills needed to remove, rebuild and reconstruct a persons face after major surgery have been perfected over the centuries. When these surgical techniques and skills were being discovered there were no small incisions, cameras or keyhole surgery! To see the before and after of major surgery is something we can easily do now through magazines, the internet, newspapers etc. What about in 1869? Enter:  Maurice Henry Collis Maurice Henry Collis presented a photograph album to the RCSI in 1869 which contains before and after photographs of numerous surgical reconstructions carried out by Collis. In 1867 Collis successfully removed an enormous ossified enchondroma from the left side of Mr. Battersby's face. Mr. Battersby was a well known individual in Dublin whose tumour had been growing for 20 years. Mr. Battersby before his surgery (RCSI/IP/Collis/1) Mr. Battersby after his surgery (RCSI/IP/Collis/1) It is not known what year Collis wa...

With the approach of International Women's Day (8th March) we at the RCSI Heritage Collections decided to look into the archives and tell the stories of two remarkable women whose collections are housed here. Victoria Coffey (1911-1999) Victoria P. Coffey (1911-1999) was an outstanding expert in the field of congenital abnormalities. A Dubliner who studied medicine in the RCSI receiving her license in 1936. Coffey gained experience in obstetrics and children's diseases in the Meath and St. Kevin's Hospitals. She received her DPH Diploma from the RCSI in 1943. She held numerous positions such as Extern Assistant in Harcourt Street Children's Hospital, Dublin; Consultant Paediatrician in St. Patrick's Home, Navan Road, Dublin; past president of the Irish Paediatric Association, Biological Society (RCSI) and the Irish and American Paediatric Society 1974-1976 among others. Coffey along with Prof. Patrick Moore were among the pioneers in Ireland in the study of...

James Apjohn (1796-1886) was a renowned and respected chemist and physicist who lived and worked in Dublin during the 1800s. He was known internationally for his work on hygrometry and the Apjohn dewpoint. A mineral from Algoa Bay, South Africa, which proved to be an effloresced manganese alum was analysed and described by Apjohn to great acclaim. Subsequently it was named 'Apjohnite' in his honour. James Apjohn (1796-1886) Apjohn was born on 1st September 1796 at his father's property, Sunville, in Pallasgrean, Co. Limerick. He attended the Tipperary Grammar School for four years before entering Trinity College Dublin in 1814 under the tutorship of Rev. Dr. Wall. Apjohn graduated with a B.A in 1817 and took his degree of M.B in 1821. His debút as a lecturer on science took place in the Cork Institution in 1824. He continued lecturing throughout his career and was popular for his lucid style and well devised experiments. In some cases his lectures were so well at...

On Friday 29 th November the College was delighted to receive a donation of three Colles portraits (two of Abraham Colles, one of Sophia Colles) from Mr. Michael Brooke and family in Australia. Abraham Colles (1773-1843) Mr. Brooke’s family are descendants of Abraham’s fifth son, Richard. Richard was born in Dublin in 1818 and received his BA from Trinity College Dublin in 1841. After a decade at the English Bar he migrated to Australia taking up residence in Castlemaine, Victoria in 1852. Richard became Sheriff of Castlemaine and held that position for 35 years. He was close friends with the famous Australian explorer Robert Burke O’Hara (1820-1861). On his explorations of the Australian outback O’Hara named a mountain in the north-eastern corner of Queensland ‘Mt. Collis’ after his friend. O’Hara died in the outback near Cooper Creek in South Australia in 1861. Richard laid the foundation stone of the O’Hara memorial in Castlemaine 1862.  Sophia Colles, wife of A...