A portrait of Irish medicine: An illustrated history of medicine in Ireland

Published to mark the Bicentenary of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, this splendid art-book is an important historical survey of the achievements of the Irish medical tradition. Starting from the ancient beginnings of that tradition, it traces the development of medical science in the Georgian and Victorian eras, describes the Irish contribution during the present century, and provides an account of the particular achievements of the Northern school. Two chapters on Irish medical portraiture and the development of Dublin hospitals add a new dimension to the history of art and architecture in Ireland. The substantial text is divided into seven chapters. Anne Crookshank, Professor of the History of Art at Trinity College Dublin, describes the range and quality of Irish medical portraiture. Research materials left by the late Professor J.D.H. Widdess form the basis for Dr Eoin O'Brien's survey of pre- Georgian medicine. Dr O'Brien, of the Charitable Infirmary, Jervis Street, is principal editor of the volume and also contributes the chapter on the Georgian era. Sir Gordon Wolstenholme, Harveian Librarian at the Royal College of Physicians in London, writes on Victorian medicine in Ireland, while the twentieth-century scene is surveyed by Dr J.B. Lyons, Professor of the History of Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Dr Peter Froggatt, Vice- Chancellor of the Queen's University of Belfast, outlines the achievements of the Northern school of medicine. The development of Dublin's medical architecture is evaluated by Mrs Noreen Casey, who has written a dissertation on this subject at Trinity College. The book assembles for the first time a rich collection of portraiture, sculpture, medallions, engravings, stained glass and other visual material from museums, galleries, medical institutions and private collections. A Portrait of Irish Medicine celebrates both the profession of medicine and the art of portraiture.