The manuscript was acquired for the Glucksman Library at the University of Limerick (UL) by the Sylvester O'Halloran Postgraduate Centre at the Mid Western Regional Hospital and the John and Pauline Ryan-funded History of the Family Project at the Department of History at UL.

The 73-page folio manuscript - the account and report book of the Cratloe & Meelick Dispensary for the years 1835-1848 - is in original blue wrappers and has the stamp of P. O’Gorman Bookseller 11 Patrick-street Limerick on the inside cover.

There is a pencil inscription on the first page “Received from John Watson Esq Treasurer £18-6-6 on 18th May - T. Kane”.

The book is made up of reports, minutes, financial statements of income and expenditure. It also contains statistical tables detailing the 4,057 patients, area of district, population, voluntary subscriptions, public money, pauper population, diseases, names of landed proprietors who subscribed, names of landed proprietors having £500 a year who did not subscribe.

This is a fascinating record covering the period leading up to and including the Great Famine. It was presented to the Glucksman Library by Profesor Pierce Grace and Dr Ciara Breathnach.

Speaking at the presentation, Prof Grace of Surgical Science and Director of the Sylvester O'Halloran Postgraduate Centre said:

 "I am delighted that the Sylvester O'Halloran fund was able to help to secure these important historical records for the University of Limerick. The Meelick and Cratloe Dispensary records, dating from 1835, will be a valuable addition to the growing collection of historical medical documents at UL.

"The UL Graduate Medical School strongly believes that a medical student's education is greatly enhanced by involvement with the humanities and students are encouraged to undertake projects in medical history, art, music and literature.

"The Medical School and the UL Department of History of the Family will collaborate in using these records to study aspects of social and medical history in County Clare in the 19th century.

"The dispensaries were the forerunners of modern general practices and while many dispensaries existed from the mid 18th century it was not until the passage of the Medical Charities Act of 1851 that they were put on a firm footing throughout Ireland.

"They remained in existence until 1970. It will be fascinating to compare the experience of patients and doctors in pre-famine Ireland with their descendants in post Celtic tiger Ireland today".

The manuscript will be scanned and digitised by the History of the Family Project and the information will be made available to researchers of all disciplines. (Source: UL)