Editorial - April 2019

100 years ago, Australian soldiers were returning from the Great War. Most brought back stories of the horrors and despair of what was then ‘modern warfare’. Some however, also brought back something even more horrific. The Spanish Influenza pandemic swept across the world and indiscriminately killed between 50 and 100 million people.

This edition of the newsletter looks at the effects that the Flu had with an article by our regular, Robert Craig, who has been examining the British Medical Association’s journals of the time. We also include a review of the recently held Brisbane History Group seminar at the Mayne Medical Building and the stimulus for the Museum’s latest display by Dr Carolyn Leach.

As you are probably aware, each year the Medical Student’s Society holds an ANZAC Day service to honour the fallen. As a teaser for the event and the Museum’s now regular ANZAC display, Andy Reed looks at the story behind the establishment of the Memorial Cairn outside the Mayne Medical Building.

David Perel also provides a fascinating piece about the microscope collection.

Last, but not least, we introduce our readers to Professor Geoff McColl, the new Executive Dean of the Faculty.  Geoff shares his previous associations with medical museums and his ideas for the future of the Marks-Hirschfeld Museum of Medical History.

I hope that you will enjoy our April Newsletter.