Intestinal cancer and mesenteric thrombosis in a 68-year old man with infarcted gut and gangrene: diagram demonstrating conduction of blood in relation to (a) venous obstruction and (b) tumorous occlusion. Pen and ink sketch by Barbara E. Nicholson, 1957.

Ashford, Middlesex, 1957.

1 drawing : black ink, with watercolour wash ; sheet 26.5 x 23.4 cm

Barbara Evelyn Nicholson (1906 – 1978) trained at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1923. She began her artistic career as a medical illustrator and was a founder member of the Medical Artists Association, where she is recorded as serving on an exhibition committee in October 1949. By 1951, she had illustrated G.F. Gibberd, A short textbook of midwifery (2nd ed., London: J. & A. Churchill, 1941) and Philip Wiles, Essentials of orthopaedics (London: J. & A. Churchill, 1949). The Medical Artists Association records last list her, in 1951. In the 1950s her focus moved to botanical subjects and from the late 1950s – 1970s she was a prolific botanical illustrator.

Aorta, superior vena cava, bristle in patent azygos v<ein>, tumour, left, right innominate v<ein>, left, right subclavian v<ein>, collar of clot round termination of int<ernal> jugular v<ein>, left, right int<ernal> jugular v<ein> Lettering inscribed in black ink as key, typed accompanying note with patient history states that small intestine was resected and right leg amputated due to extent of thrombosis Bears number: 501/1957

The watercolours and pen and ink drawings held by Wellcome Collection were painted by Barbara Nicholson at Ashford Hospital, Ashford, Middlesex, between 1946 and 1951, at the request of the surgeon Norman Matheson.

Wellcome Collection 35827i

Presented to the Wellcome Institute Library in 1987 by Ashford Postgraduate Medical Centre, as part of a collection of medical illustrations by Barbara E. Nicholson.