Sir Peter Medawar once remarked that much scientific literature “misrepresents the processes of thought that accompanied or gave rise to the work that is described.” This is not because of deliberate deception, but because the medical advances written in papers and texts reveal little of the vigorous arguments, disagreements, rivalries, and promising alternative ideas that came to nothing.
Would it not therefore be a good idea to bring together as many people as possible who are or who have been associated with certain aspects of medicine and record their memories and views? This is exactly what has been done by the History of Twentieth Century Medicine Group, which was inaugurated by the Wellcome Trust in 1990 at the Wellcome Institute. This group has organised a series of what are called witness seminars.
In these seminars a wide range of doctors, scientists, and subject specialists meet for a day in London. A chairman is chosen, and after a brief introduction the discussion is thrown open to all the participants. The whole of the meeting is recorded and transcribed, and the transcripts are sent to each of the participants to be checked for accuracy before they are published.
The first of the seminars was held in 1993 on monoclonal antibodies. Other subjects that have been chosen include autoimmunity, the Committee on the Safety of Drugs, early heart transplant surgery in Britain, haemophilia, obstetric ultrasound scanning, clinical research in Britain 1950-80, research in general practice, asthma, neonatal intensive care, maternal care, and post-penicillin antibiotics. The participants in these seminars have included many of the most distinguished names in medicine and medical science in Britain during the second half of the 20th century.
This is oral history at its best. Regardless of your own areas of interest, all the volumes make compulsive reading because the participants tended to “let their hair down” and talk more freely than they would have at a scientific meeting. They discussed openly the hidden realities of the evolution of medical practice and medical research. But the witness seminars are more than just fun to read. They are, primarily, important historical records.
The seminars are handsomely produced as A4 paperbacks containing the complete transcript and photographs of some of the participants. Extensive footnotes containing brief biographies and references to published work are also included. I cannot recommend them too highly. There are now 12 volumes of these seminars, and there will be more to come. If you want a complete list, or want to order a specific volume, email t.tillotson@wellcome.ac.uk. You can also find out about the series on the Wellcome Trust's website (www.wellcome.ac.uk) or the website of the Centre of the History of Medicine at UCL (www.ucl.ac.uk/histmed).
