On the Net
Any doctors hiding in the family tree?
CMAJ 2000;163(4):435
If you've ever felt that medicine was "in the blood," the Internet offers a new way to find out. Alex Glendinning, a British financial planner with a passion for the past, has created a Web site dedicated to the art of genealogy. And he has a special place in his heart for physicians.
His page (user.itl.net/~glen/doctors.html) provides a road map for those interested in digging into medical family histories. He not only provides resources broken down by category but also lists people willing to help in your search.
If you suspect there was a British army or navy doctor somewhere in the family tree, Glendinning suggests clicking into the Society of Genealogists at the Public Record Office in London (www.pro.gov.uk). The office has full army and navy lists dating from the mid-1700s. If you've a wee bit 'o the Irish in your veins, visit the holdings of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (www.rcsi.ie/library/index.html).
As with most genealogical research, listed sources are weighted heavily to the British Isles, but there are links and references to resources around the world.
In Canada, Glendinning suggests trying the National Archives of Canada (www.archives.ca), the British Columbia Vital Events Index (www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/textual/governmt/vstats/v_events.htm) or the immigration and passenger records database (www.inGeneas.com/ingeneas/index.html). The latter provides records for the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries; documents can be ordered online for around $8.
For general information on all things genealogical, turn to Cyndi's List (www.cyndislist.com), a categorized and cross-referenced index of Internet genealogical resources created by genealogical writer Cyndi Howells. She includes a special section for medical professionals (www.cyndislist.com/medical.htm#doctors). The site is very popular with the genealogy crowd — it has had more than 16 million visitors since it was launched in 1996. (All Web sites listed in this article were operational on July 20, 2000.) — Michael OReilly, mike@oreilly.net
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