UL secures pre-Famine health service manuscript

THE University of Limerick has acquired a pre-Famine manuscript detailing the operation of the health service in Ireland in the middle of the 19th century.

The Special Collections Department of the university’s Glucksman Libraryacquired the manuscriptaccount and report book of the Cratloe & Meelick Dispensary for the years 1835-1848.

It was acquired for the library by the Sylvester O’Halloran Postgraduate Centre at the Mid Western Regional Hospital and the John and Pauline Ryan-funded History of the Family Project at the college’s Department of History. The volume was presented to the library by Prof Pierce A Grace and Dr Ciara Breathnach.

Speaking at the presentation, Prof Grace, professor of surgical science and director of the Sylvester O’Halloran Postgraduate Centre, said: “I am delighted that the Sylvester O’Halloran fund was able to help secure these important historical records for the University of Limerick. The Meelick and Cratloe Dispensary records, dating from 1835, will be a valuable addition to the growing collection of historical medical documents at UL.

“The UL Graduate Medical School strongly believes that a medical student’s education is greatly enhanced by involvement with the humanities and students are encouraged to undertake projects in medical history, art, music and literature.”

He said the Medical School and the UL Department of History of the Family would collaborate in using these records to study aspects of social and medical history in Co Clare in the 19th century.

“The dispensaries were the forerunners of modern general practices and while many dispensaries existed from the mid 18th century, it was not until the passage of the Medical Charities Act of 1851 that they were put on a firm footing throughout Ireland. They remained in existence until 1970. It will be fascinating to compare the experience ofpatients and doctors in pre-Famine Ireland with their descendants in post Celtic Tiger Ireland today.”