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The bulk of this collection consists of a series of index cards, 1905-1946, containing the details of nearly 7000 pathological investigations performed by Sir Bernard Spilsbury. These represent an unknown proportion of the vast number of autopsies and other investigations performed by Spilsbury during the course of his career. They do not include many of his most famous cases as witness for the Crown in cases of murder or manslaughter, some of which are held in other repositories. Further details can be found in the section-level description of PP/SPI/A

The accession to the collection of a small selection of Spilsbury's "little black books" from the latter years of his career (1941-1947) confirms the supposition that the cases on the index cards were abstracted from the notebooks with a view to writing a textbook on forensic pathology (uncompleted at the time of his death), since some of these notes include inserted index cards with the heading (name, date, place of autopsy, cause of death) already written in but the more detailed notes not yet added. These notebooks form a significant addition to the understanding of Spilsbury's working methods since they were clearly more immediate records of his autopsies than the index cards. It is possible, given the fire damage to these volumes and to other items in this accession, that they are the survivors of a much longer sequence which did not survive.

Their provenance is unclear. It seems probable, however, that they were at some point in the possession of one or other of Douglas G. Browne and E.V. Tullett, authors of the first biography of Spilsbury, <a href="https://wellcomecollection.org/works/ed9cbssv" rel="nofollow">Bernard Spilsbury : his life and cases</a> (1951), as among the other papers in this accession a publisher's report on possible legal issues with the text of this work was found (PP/SPI/E.4) along with some general biographical notes.

In addition to the notebooks, the new accession includes some material on various issues in which Spilsbury was professionally interested, including several files on causes of poisoning, a few of his lectures and other writings, a little personalia and correspondence, and publications by other hands, presumably used for reference by Spilsbury

Spilsbury, Sir Bernard (1877-1947), Forensic Pathologist

Grant David Yeats [G. D. Yeats] (1773-1836), English physician, born in Florida: Autograph Letter 1801,  and Handbill headed 'To the Nobility, Clergy and Inhabitants of the County and Town of BEDFORD and Neighbourhood', 1814'

Grant David Yeats (1773-1836)

The following is an interim description which may change when detailed cataloguing takes place in future:

Reports, meeting notes, minutes, project files, grant applications, press cuttings, diaries, notebooks, photographs and correspondence accumulated by Marcus Pembrey over the course of his career. Incorporates material relating to his work at the Institute of Child Health, and with a number of bodies including Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing, Medical Research Council, House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, and the International Federation of Human Genetics Societies.

Subjects covered include: gene mapping, ethics, genetic counselling, epigenetics, pre-implementation diagnosis, transgenerational genetics and imprinting, and public understanding of genetics.

Contains material on the following conditions:
 Fragile X
 Wilms Tumour
 Turner's Syndrome
 Leber's Amaurosis
 Familial hypercholesterolaemia
 Hirschsprengs
 Haemophilia
 Blood disorders
 CHARGE
 Cleft lip and palate
 Cancer
 Cystic Fibrosis
 Angelman syndrome
 Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
 Down syndrome
 Rett syndrome
 Muscular dystrophy
 Neuroblastoma
 Osteogenesis imperfecta
 Hyperphagic Short Stature

Pembrey, Marcus Edred (b.1943)

These papers reflect the careers of the paediatrician, Philip Rainsford Evans, and of his wife Barbara, mainly in her capacity as medical journalist and author. They include some family and personal material; diaries, correspondence and reports on setting up a Paediatrics Department at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda, 1950s-1970s; material on the activities of the British Paediatric Team in Saigon, 1966-1973, including photographs; P R Evans's correspondence as Medical Adviser to Independent Television Companies Association, 1964-1989; material more generally on P R Evans' professional activities; general medical journalism and related material of Barbara Evans; files relating to her book Life Change on the menopause; her involvement with the Research Council for Complementary Medicine; and the research materials for and correspondence relating to her biography of Helena Wright, Freedom to Choose.

Evans, Philip Rainsford (1910-1990), and Barbara (nee Hay-Cooper) (1909-1995)

A selection of 23 articles, reports, letters and other papers written by Dr Black between 1952 and 1994, and a complete list of his publications 1946-2002.

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Black, John Angus, MB BChir Cantab (1942), MD (1951), FRCP (1965), (1918-2013)

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Spilsbury, Sir Bernard (1877-1947), Forensic Pathologist

Grant David Yeats (1773-1836)

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Evans, Philip Rainsford (1910-1990), and Barbara (nee Hay-Cooper) (1909-1995)

Black, John Angus, MB BChir Cantab (1942), MD (1951), FRCP (1965), (1918-2013)

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