Andrew George Malcolm facts for kids

Andrew George Malcolm (born 1818, died 1856) was an Irish doctor and a person who studied the history of medicine. He worked at the General Hospital in Belfast. People sometimes call him the hospital's first expert on breathing problems. Today, he is best known for his reports about how clean and healthy Belfast was. He also wrote an important book called History of the General Hospital. Many see him as the first historian of the Belfast General Hospital.

Early Life and School

Andrew George Malcolm was born in Belfast in 1818. His father, also named Andrew George Malcolm, was a minister in Dunmurry and later in Newry. His mother was Eleanor Hunter. Andrew was their fourth son. Sadly, his father passed away when Andrew was only five years old.

After finishing school, Andrew helped Henry Montgomery. Montgomery was a famous headmaster and had taken over his father's role in Dunmurry. Andrew started his medical training at the local medical school. He then went on to study at Edinburgh. In 1842, at the age of 24, he finished his studies. He wrote a special paper about fevers and even won a gold medal for his work.

Working as a Doctor

In 1843, Malcolm started working at the Dispensary in Belfast. A dispensary was a place where people could get medical help. He visited sick people both at the Dispensary and in their homes. In 1846, when he was 28, he became a doctor at the hospital.

From then on, he regularly cared for patients at the old hospital on Frederick Street. He lived nearby on York Street, which was common for doctors back then. Besides general medicine, Malcolm also taught a class on skin diseases. He was a very dedicated and strong teacher. He believed that doctors needed to work hard to teach students. He wrote that teaching medicine needed "the most patient, assiduous, vigilant, zealous and unceasing labour."

Malcolm also collected many samples for medical museums. He helped start the Belfast Clinical and Pathological Society.

His Important Writings

Malcolm wrote about both medicine and history. However, he is mostly remembered for his historical writings. His records are still very important for understanding the past. While working at the hospital, Malcolm wrote many reports about the health and cleanliness of Belfast.

These reports came from years of studying the city. He looked at homes, water systems, sewers, and how clean the water was. He also collected information about diseases and deaths. He even had to gather some of this information himself.

Malcolm also wrote a paper about how factory work affected people's health. He showed that flax dust harmed the lungs of workers. He asked for better hygiene in factories to protect them. He wrote two other major reports. One was about cholera in Belfast. The other was about an epidemic of dysentery in the north of Ireland.

In 1851, he published his book, History of the General Hospital at Belfast. This book has become a very useful resource. It helps us understand the health conditions in Belfast during the time of the famine.