Subject strengths: History, Medicine

This is a collection of chiefly historical medical texts, numbering about 450 volumes, along with some archival material which was formerly owned by the neurologist and medical historian, Edwin Clarke (1919-1996). The collection usefully complements the Pybus and the Medical Collections.

Highlights include An inquiry concerning the history of the cowpox: principally with a view to supersede and extinguish the smallpox (1798) by George Pearson, the well-known physician, chemist and early advocate of Jenner's cowpox vaccination; and the Report from the Committee appointed to examine the physicians who have attended His Majesty, during his illness: touching the present state of His Majesty's health (1789), issued by Parliament during the period of King George III's recurrent mental illness. The collection also contains some modern secondary texts on various aspects of the history of medicine.

Collection Name and Collection Reference Code:

Collection Name: Clarke (Edwin) Medical Collection

Library Search Collection Ref Code: Clarke Med.

Date Range of Material

1557 - 1991

Type of Material

Rare book collection

Size of Collection

24 Linear Metres of shelving 

How To Order Items From This Collection

The books within this collection are described within the Newcastle University Library Search and can be ordered directly from the catalogue.

This link to the Library Search will show a list of all the items within the collection. Please note this link is available to members of the public as well as University staff and students.

Unable to visit our Reading Room?

If you are unable to visit our reading room, we also have a virtual reading room service and a digitisation service. 

Other Resources

See Clarke (Edwin) Local Collection, Clarke (Edwin) Miscellaneous Collection, and Clarke (Edwin) General Archive for other collections associated with Edwin Clarke.