Donovan, Charles (1863-1951)

MSS.2208-2216 comprise notebooks and essays. MSS.2210-2211 are broader in subject than the rest of this block of material, comprising lectures in physiology; the remainder of the manuscripts in this block focus on issues of specifically tropical medicine. Kala-azar and malaria are particularly featured. MS.2208 also includes a list of birds in Dunduan. MSS.5692-5697 consist of illustrative material (primarily water-colours from microscope slides relating to tropical parasitic diseases), correspondence, cuttings and offprints, and miscellaneous other papers relating to Donovan's work on tropical medicine. Note that Amy Skelland, Donovan's research assistant, was the artist of many of the water-colours. The ones known to be by her are initialled 'ACS'; the ones known to be by Donovan are initialled 'CD'; many however are not initialled. (See also WTI/DON/B.3)

1889-1921

6 volumes and 10 files or bundles of unbound papers Holograph volumes and loose papers; water-colour drawings; 1 photograph (in MS.5697); some printed material (in MS.5696).

MSS.2208-2216 are held in chronological order of composition. MSS.5692-5697 are arranged as follows: MSS.5692-5694, drawings; MS.5695, letters to Donovan; MS.5696, cuttings and offprints of articles on tropical medicine, by Donovan and others; MS.5697, miscellaneous papers including a photograph of a beri-beri sufferer and a drawing of cancrum oris in a case of kala-azar.

Presented by Dr. Cecil J. Hackett in 1952.

Charles Donovan was born in 1863 and gained his M.D. from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1889, joining the Indian Medical Service. After active service on the North-West Frontier he became Professor of Physiology at Madras Medical College and Superintendent of Royahpettah Hospital. He discovered the causative agent of the disease kala-azar in what were later named "Leishman-Donovan bodies". He died in 1951.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973) and Richard Palmer, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Wellcome Library for the History & Understanding of Medicine: Western Manuscripts 5120-6244 (London: The Wellcome Library for the History & Understanding of Medicine, 1999).