Professional Correspondence

Correspondence largely professional in nature between Jefferson and professional colleagues. The correspondence relates to many aspects of Jefferson's work. Scientific developments in neurosurgery can be seen in the many letters, including descriptions of neurosurgical cases being attended to by Jefferson or his correspondents and correspondence with Norman Dott about the use of electro-surgery and with Alfred E. Barclay about research into the gastric shunt. There is a large amount of correspondence concerning the growth of neurosurgery as a specialism. SBNS (Society of British Neurological Surgeons) meetings are well represented, as is Jefferson's work for the Medical Research Council and Brain Injuries Committee. Jefferson's official involvement in war time provision for neurosurgical centres and training is illustrated in these letters, and Jefferson's interest can be seen to extend far beyond the immediate concerns of war time provision. Some letters concern the establishment of the neurosurgical unit at Manchester Royal Infirmary, but there is also correspondence relating to centres in London, Glasgow, Oxford and Birmingham. There are some interesting letters which describe medical work in wartime India and Germany and a letter describing an expedition in Kenya.

The correspondence has been arranged in chronological order, with undated letters at the end of the series. Some letters from different dates have been fastened together with paperclips, and these original bundles have been retained, positioned by the date of the first letter in the bundle.