Dr Bernard Clive Nicholson, Collection

The collection consists of certificates, thesis notes, lecture notes, journals, newspaper segments, correspondence and rough notes.

Bernard Clive Nicholson was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, during the early 1900s (est. 1905) and lived at 24 Swan Road. It is unclear the exact year, but in a lecture note about himself, it does reference the Great War (World War One) being near the end when he was aged 13. The earliest recording of his medical pursuit took place in 1925 with a Natural Science trip with the Campbell university when he was roughly 20 years old. From there he soon got his own MA degree in 1929, and a MD degree in 1936, both from Cambridge University following his thesis’ on “The Prognosis and Causes of Death in Paroxysmal Tachycardia” and “Cardiac Arrhythmias of Thyrotoxicosis”. He would go on to write numerous other thesis and lecture notes all the way up to 1984, when he would have likely been in his 70s. He was an avid collector of newspapers throughout World War two and held studies on the impact of conditions acquired by royal air force personnel from an outbreak of Typhoid fever, upon which he wrote a thesis in 1945. He studied in plenty of universities throughout the United Kingdom and sent plenty of thesis to them, most notably being rewarded certificates from the British Homeopathic Society in 1943, then a second one admitting him to the faculty of the British Homeopathic Society in 1984. Although it must be noted that he studied in London plentifully, with the DPH University in 1933 then later the MRCP in 1943. He returned to Harrogate to live out his final years, having had a successful life with an incredibly diverse amount of knowledge in the medical field.

The collection here at Thackray Museum of Medicine contains documents relating to Bernard Clive Nicholson, as well as things he has acquired; namely newspapers. There are certificates pertaining to his graduations from various colleges, universities and societies as well as several thesis including “The Prognosis and Causes of Death in Paroxysmal Tachycardia” (1932) and “The Cardiac Arrythmias of Thyrotoxicosis. With special reference to prognosis” (1936). Which was submitted for an MD at Cambridge University. “Placeabo Reactors” in the form of two journals and a rough draft with notes and advice from the British Homeopathic Society, printed by the Homeopathic Society which would turn out to be lecture notes, of which he has plenty more involving topics such as protest notes against fluoride in the water supply (1976). Furthermore, there are 10 collected newspaper pages from various points throughout World War 2 with no evident relation to Bernard Clive Nicholson other than his own likely fascination at the time, providing a different perspective on how it felt to live through it for modern-day readers. All of the newspaper segments are The Times Weekly Edition, ranging from late 1994 through late 1995. Containing a range of articles but always consisting of a war-based one on pages 10 and 11. Lastly there is a variety of lecture notes on a range of topics such as “The Prognosis and Disposal of Amoebic Dysentery” (1945), “A small outbreak of Typhoid Fever at an R.A.F. Camp” (1945), untitled lecture notes for the London Homeopathy Congress (1947), “Tropical Disease in England: An aftermath of War” (1948), “Atypical Rheumatoid Arthritis” (1964) and many more.

Open

Catalogued by Pauline Fitzgerald and Kyle Ledger, Thackray Museum of Medicine Volunteers, February-March 2023.

Not permitted

Not expected