THE THOMSON FAMILY PAPERS THE BENCH A Wellcome Trust Funded Project

The Thomson Family papers comprise medi- The Library was cal papers, lecture notes, drawings and cor- awarded a grant from the Wellcome Trust to respondence of an eminent medical family: conserve and make these papers available biological scientist Allen Thomson (1809- to the public. 1884), his father John (1765-1846), a physi- cian and surgeon and his half brother Wil- The collection includes manuscript ink and liam (1802-1852). All three men held univer- printed papers, bound volumes, notebooks, sity posts in Glasgow or . There is pamphlets, tracings, applied seals, photo- a related collection of papers of William Cul- graphic material, watercolours and graphite len (1710–1790), used by in drawings. preparing his 'An account of the life, lec- tures, and writings of , Mechanical damage has led to surface dirt, MD' (first published 1832). This work was loss of size, running tears, loss of text and continued by Allen Thomson, who published missing areas, folds and creases, damaging a second volume of the work in 1859. repairs, with poor housing and storage prior to being received by the University. Chemi- William Cullen was a chemist and physician, cal damage has contributed to paper brittle- as well as a noted teacher of medicine. He ness and ink failure, water damage and dis- gave lectures in the theory and practice of colouration. physic at the University of Glasgow, and was appointed Professor of Medicine in 1751. A full conservation survey was carried out and has informed remedial treatment by Cullen’s papers include drafts of lectures, means of mechanical cleaning, iron gall ink medical notes, and letters sent and received and aqueous treatment where appropriate, by him. They are significant as his teaching and repairing items to be returned into im- and publications on the practice of medicine proved storage. were highly influential in the United King- dom and America. As the project nears completion, in one year more than 11,000 items have been cleaned, He was an inspiring teacher with the ability stabilised and re-housed, ready for consulta- to enthuse and interest students. His lec- tion in the Special Collections reading room. tures were well constructed, vivid and deliv- ered in a familiar style, usually from notes. For more information please visit He was probably the first teacher to deliver http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/ medical lectures in English - an innovation specialcollections/collectionsa - z/ for which he was criticised by colleagues thomsonfamilypapers/ who erroneously rumoured that this was on account of his poor knowledge of Latin. By LOU ROBERTSON ACR

His method of showing the relationship of substances in chemical reactions by the use “As the project nears com- of arrows in diagrams was an important step pletion, in one year more in the teaching of chemistry. As he notes, the Chemists have given long lists without than 11,000 items have pointing out connexion or dependence so been cleaned, stabilised that the student has only very confused no- and re-housed, ready for tions. I hope the view we have given will be consultation...” of use tho perhaps not absolutely perfect.

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