Scottish Society of the History of Medicine
Scottish Charity No: SC008621
Haldane Tait Lecture and Dinner
Tuesday22nd May 2018
AJ Cronin &"The Citadel"
Dr Ruth Richardson MA, DPhil, FRHistS
Independent Historian
Past President, The Dickens Society
Senior Visiting Research Fellow,
Centre for Life Writing Research, King's College London
Affiliated Scholar in the History & Philosophy of Science, Cambridge
Visiting Professor in Humanities & Medicine, Hong Kong University
Writer in Residence, Gordon Museum, KCL Guy’s Campus
The Citadelholds iconic status in the modern history of health care in the British Isles. The novel was the literary sensation of 1937 for a number of reasons: it was a medical bildungsroman - a coming-of-age-story for men and women of the inter-war generation; the book was also a roman-a-clef, whichdisguised within its fabricthe drama ofreal persons and real events. The novel's sensational sales and impact were the result of itspowerfully romantic story and its medico-politics: especiallyof its forthright attack onmedical greed and medical charlatanism portrayed at work in private doctoring at the Harley Street level of the profession.
The appeal of all these elements was combined with an extraordinary publicity campaign by Cronin's publisher, Gollancz, the impact of which of course generated even more interest in the book.
Dr Richardson's lecture traces Cronin's life from his modest Scottish upbringing and medical education, to his work as a general practitioner in Wales and London, glancing at his path away from medicine and towards Hollywood and his international life thereafter. She will discuss Cronin's medical literary works, most especiallyThe Citadel, which has been credited with helping create the climate of opinion behind the establishment of the National Health Service.
Place: Edinburgh Napier University Time: 7.00 pmNB. This year the event is on a Tuesday
Craiglockhart Campus
Colinton Road
Edinburgh EH14 1DJ
Wine Reception at 6.30 pm.
The lecture will be followed by a buffet supper for which the charge will be £35 per person. Attendance at the lecture only (without wine reception and buffet supper) is free. Five receivers to the Society’s new audio system will be available for the hard-of-hearing. Please indicate on the booking form below if you would like to reserve one for the lecture.All welcome!
------Name(s)………………………………………………………………………………………………….
- I/we will be attending the meeting in Edinburgh on 24th May 2017
- I/we intend to have dinner – please enclose cheque for £35 per person, payable to the Scottish Society of the History of Medicine.
- I/we have special dietary requirements …………………………
- I require/ do not require a receiver for the hearing system
Please return the completed form with payment to
Mr Andreas K Demetriades FRCS
Secretary, SSHM
c/o 2 Belmont Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 6JF
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