Dixon, Walter Ernest, and Myers, (George) Norman

Dixon, Walter E. (Walter Ernest), 1871-1931.

Date:: 1865-1949

Reference:: GC/155

Archives and manuscripts

Collection contents

Dixon, Walter Ernest, and Myers, (George) NormanGC/155

About this work

Description

Personalia and memorabilia of Dixon and Myers; files relating to their pharmacological research (digitalis, morphine substitutes, coramine, etc) and teaching; glass lantern slides, some of Dixon and colleagues, mostly relating to research.

Publication/Creation

1865-1949

Physical description

5 boxes

Contributors

Arrangement

SUMMARY LIST:

A Personalia

A.1-2 WE Dixon

A. 3-4 GN Myers

B Research and teaching files

C Slides

Acquisition note

This material came to the library at Wellcome Collection from J.D.N. Myers, son of G.N. Myers. The file on Dixon (A.2) in November 1982 via the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) (Acc 120), and the lantern slides (Section C) collected from Myers's home in September 1984 (Acc 177). In a letter of May 1983, Mr Myers wrote that "most of the stuff... belonged to the late Professor W.E. Dixon". In June 1984, Myers's collection of journals was presented to the library at Wellcome Collection, again via the BPS, and a further box of files (Acc 207: now in sections A and B) was found with them.

Biographical note

Walter Ernest Dixon (1871-1931) was Lecturer, then Reader, in pharmacology at the University of Cambridge from 1909, and is credited, together with Arthur Cushny, with establishing pharmacology as a distinct science in Britain. His most original work was on the action of drugs on the bronchial musculature and pulmonary vasomotor system, and on cerebrospinal fluid especially in relation to postpituitary hormone and ovarian activity.

[George] Norman Myers (1898-1981) joined Dixon in Cambridge in 1930 and worked with him on digitalis in toxaemia and on substitutes for morphine and heroin.

Biographical details may be found for both men in Munk's Roll of Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians, and for Dixon additionally in Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, the Dictionary of National Biography and Who was Who. There are a number of obituaries of Dixon in A.1.

Appraisal note

In a number of cases material has been moved between files to bring apparently connected items together.

Notes

Abbreviations used in the catalogue:

GNM: G.N. Myers

WED: W.E. Dixon

Ownership note

Dixon had no children, so presumably Myers inherited his lantern slides and at least some of his notes. Both papers and lantern slides appear to be, on the whole, inextricably mingled.