Review: 18th century Chester physician display

THE WORK of a pioneering 18^th century Chester physician was displayed at Cheshire Records Office this weekend as part of a nationwide celebration of historical figures in healthcare.

Cheshire Records Office. Photo: Liam Cookson

A recreation of Dr John Haygarth’s work was on display in conjunction with the national Explore Your Archive day on Saturday November 16.

A medical chest filled with copies of Haygarth’s original journals, patient records and photographs was on a special display for one day only. Although a very small display, the cabinet has drawers that can be opened and explored, and the contents rifled through.

Particularly striking and poignant are the patient records, which list if a patient 'recovered', 'died', or is 'incurable'. The recreation of Haygarth’s patient books showed a decrease of patients dying and notable increase in recoveries as his career progressed.

The display was well organised and held many photographs and other visual aids which made the subject much more interesting. A real snapshot into the life of the physician was successfully presented, and the ability to physically interact with everything on show made the display much more fun.

But why did the Records Office choose Haygarth as their subject? Paul Newman, of Cheshire Records Office said: “Using the general theme of ‘health’ it was obvious we should display Haygarth’s work.”

The Explore Your Archive campaign was a successful nationwide event, which encouraged local residents to visit their local archives and record offices to discover the history of the city they live in.

Haygarth’s innovative ideas were ground breaking at the time and were used first hand in Chester Infirmary, where he was a part of the staff.

His straightforward beliefs, such as regularly changing bed sheets and opening windows to let in fresh air helped countless patients recover from their diseases.

The physician’s work most notably helped Chester stay Typhus free for over 36 years whilst he was stationed at Chester Infirmary.

The inaugural Haygarth Lecture, an annual talk on important health issues was hosted in memorial of the doctor took place on Monday November 18 at the University of Chester.

If any readers are interested in this subject, the University of Chester's Faculty of Health and Social Care museum at the Riverside campus is a year-round display of medical curiosities, mostly taken from Chester Infirmary.