The Medical History of Derry and Londonderry

I HAVE chosen as my subject for this address-The Medical History of Derry anid Londonderry. My chief reason for doing this is that the present year has been something of an "annus mirabilis" in the life of that city as it has seen the opening of the new general hospital built from the ground on a new site at Altnagelvin and also the putting into service of new blocks and annexes for the care and treatment of the mentally afflicted at Gransha. I feel that such an occasion should not go unmarked, particularlv as I am a Derrv man myself. I can assure you that the citizens of Derry all feel very proud of this magnificent new hospital and everybody feels highly honoured and very grateful that it should have been built in Londonderry. It would need a more eloquent tongue than mine to express fully our appreciation and thanks but I will make amends to one class of people who have never yet been thanked by name and that is the British Taxpayer who has been the "fons et origo" of the whole venture. Speaking as the senior member of the Medical Staff at Altnagelvin Hospital, I can answer for the loyalty and efficiency of all its officers, and I feel that by their enthusiasm this hospital has been most successfully launched on its destined career, and let us pray that this will be a long and distinguished one in the service of the community. Just in passing it is worth recording that by an odd coincidence St. Columb's Cathedral was the first to be built in the British Isles after the Reformation and Altnagelvin is the first major hospital to be built since the passing of the National Health Act in 1947. I think the medical history of Londonderry falls naturally into four well-defined chapters, viz.: (1) Early history leading up to the Siege (A.D. 1688-89). (2) From A.D. 1700 to the Great Famine of A.D. 1846 to 1850. (3) From A.D. 1860 to 1900. (4) The present century. 89