The SSHM was founded by
Douglas Guthrie, an Edinburgh
ENT surgeon who became a
medical historian. Early in 1948 Guthrie wrote to a number of individuals throughout Scotland inviting them to a meeting to discuss the formation of a Scottish history of medicine society. The meeting was held in the
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on 23 April 1948. Those present agreed with Guthrie’s suggestion that it be called the Scottish Society of the History of Medicine and further agreed to adopt the constitution which he had prepared. Office bearers were appointed with Guthrie elected as the first president. From the outset the SSHM aimed to be broad based and the initial members included medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists and librarians. Among the first papers heard at the society was one on quarantine from
plague and another on the periodic devastation of Scotland by famines and epidemics. At the end of the first year it was decided that meetings should be held in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and St Andrews. In addition there would be ‘outings to places of interest to medical historians', the first of which, on 18 June 1949, was to
Lanark and Hamilton places associated with
William Smellie and
William Cullen. This was followed by a visit to the
Hunter House Museum at
Long Calderwood, birthplace of the brothers
John and
William Hunter. Subsequent outings included visits to
Torphichen Preceptory (1950),
Greyfriars Churchyard (1954), Liddesdale Heritage Centre, Newcastleton. (1955), the
John Leyden Memorial at Denholm (1964) and the
David Livingstone Centre, Blantyre (1973). In 1965 it was one of four founder societies of the
British Society for the History of Medicine, to which it remains affiliated. ==Activities==