MARY Graham's interest in Dorset's medical history began when she was working at Bournemouth's Royal National Hospital, formerly a sanatorium, in the 1980s. She was fascinated in the hospital's history and wrote the book The Royal National Hospital, The Story of Bournemouth's Sanatorium, published in 1992 by Bournemouth Local Studies Publications. This was followed up by The Typhoid Epidemic in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch 1936, also published by the Local Studies group.

Mary has continued to research the medical history of Dorset and on June 7 she will be giving an Aspects of History talk at 11am on Doctors and Diseases of Dorset at Bournemouth Central Library at the Triangle.

"The Black Death reached England through Weymouth or Melcombe Regis in July 1348 when a ship sailed from France or the Channel Islands brought rats with fleas which carried the plague. Within three months one in three people in Dorset had died. The plague brought changes such as the end of serfdom. The shortage of farm labourers meant they could command a salary and decide where they would work," said Mary, who grew up in South Africa where she trained as a nurse.

In the 1600s three Dorset doctors would be ranked among the brilliant men of their time. Francis Glisson did work on rickets, thought at the time to be a new disease which first presented in Dorset. It is now known there were low sunshine levels in Britain and Europe from 1645-1700 called the 'Little Ice Age'. Without scientific knowledge Glisson proposed sunlight and milk amongst his cures for rickets. His name goes down in history for his study of the anatomy of the liver, Glisson's capsules being named after him.

Nathaniel Highmore was born in Purse Caundle near Sherborne. As a G.P. in Sherborne he pulled a canine tooth from a woman with toothache and was surprised to find no problem with the tooth. He discovered the sinus in the cheekbone now known as the Antrum of Highmore.

One of the great physicians of British history Thomas Sydenham had his career delayed by the English Civil War in which he and his two elder brothers, William and Francis played leading roles. Francis, a dragoon captain was involved in the 'Plot to Betray Poole'. He foiled an attempt of 500 Royalists to enter a fortified gate in Poole in 1643. A plaque on the Towngate flyover marks the site of this action. William was part of a besieging force which attempted to take Corfe Castle from the Royalist Bankes family. Thomas was injured but was still able to get his medical degree in Oxford in 1648. His genius was a flair for clinical observation.The textbook he wrote gave the earliest descriptions of scarlet fever, measles, chronic bronchitis, gout and many more. His textbook was used in Britain and Europe for the next 200 years and he taught his students such good bedside manner that he was known in Europe as the 'Hipocrates of England'.

"Benjamin Jesty, a tenant farmer in Yetminster, west Dorset, was the first person to vaccinate against smallpox, 22 years before Edward Jenner gained worldwide fame for this. He knew that having the mild cowpox illness gave immunity against smallpox so he extracted fluid from the udder of an infected cow and poured it over scratches he made with a darning needle on the arms of his children and wife. Ridiculed for what he had done he then moved to Worth Matravers and vaccinated 200 people in Swanage", said Mary.

Frederick Treves looked after Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, and was also the royal surgeon to Edward VII, conducting the first appendicectomy on the king. He was made a baronet and the king was able to perform his coronation.

"Bournemouth between 1850 and 1900 was the fastest growing Victorian town in England known for its healing properties for those with TB, also known as consumption. One of the many doctors to move to the area was Dr John Roberts-Thompson was influential in establishing the Queen Victoria Hospital in Westbourne. He started as a doctor in the five bed hospital in Madeira Road and was also accepted to work in the Bournemouth Sanatorium," said Mary.

Dr Thomas Compton established the suburb of Southbourne which originally had a large greenhouse and a long pier as its attractions. These were popular but were destroyed in gales.

Dr Thomas Bodley Scott and his brother and four of their children were among G.Ps who were forerunners of many health centres and surgeries of today.

Bournemouth psychiatrist Doris Odlum was a pioneer in child and adolescent psychology who was influential in the passing of the Mental Health Act 1959 and in repealing the Suicide Act in 1961.

For more information on the talk call 01202 454844.