Clinical Investigations in Gastroenterology

This has been a vintage decade for commemorating Irish teaching hospitals. In Dublin alone seven general, and three specialist ones, have attracted histories, six of the former on their downtown closure and move to the Beaumont, Tallaght or St. James's complexes: only Sir Patrick Dun's has failed to find a chronicler. It is now Belfast's turn and this sensibly planned, beautifully produced, handsomely illustrated, and well-written volume marking the Royal's bicentenary is a superb memorial to what is, by any standards, one of the premier hospitals in these islands. There have been previous histories-by A. and numerous other publications on specific events, facilities, personnel and personalities, but this is the first attempt to 'tell the story' of the hospital over the whole two hundred years albeit in one volume. Several factors have ensured its success. The book is beautifully produced. Richard Clarke is a gifted narrator trawling expertly through a welter of facts to select those essential to the story so that the narrative never lacks pace, clarity and focus yet preserves essential scope-remarkable given the wealth of source material. I have never, for example, seen the early period (1797-1850) described so lucidly and coherently, if necessarily briefly in only some 9,000 words. Only in the post-1948 period does the mushroom growth of facilities and personnel force the author, in describing the trees, to neglect something of the forest. Professor Clarke has a wide knowledge of and feel for the swing of local and medical history and this adds sensitivity and authority to the text and adds skilfully the dimensions of the external social, economic, demographic, medical and political factors which were so important as being the waters in which the hospital developed and swam. There are few digressive cul-de-sacs and only one (highly appropriate) footnote to distract and detract from the main thrust of the narrative. It is necessarily less detailed and comprehensive than Allison's history (1850-1903) but it is better ordered and cohesive and freer from errors. The numerous illustrations are well-chosen, of high quality, and add value to the text. The format of the book is well-conceived. The chapters are sequenced chronologically, and contain sections describing the physical plant, specialities, personnel, personalities, medical developments etc, with little overlap and then adequately cross-referenced, the whole ensuring precision and clarity. There are valuable appendices including a 30-page chronological list of all consulting staff from 1797 ('visiting' and/or 'attending' staff …