Historical information

Dr. Gwen Wilson, Emeritus historian, gifted this book at ANZCA's first independent Annual Scientific Meeting held in Launceston in 1994. Dr Wilson presented this gift after her speech about the life of William Russ Pugh and his significant contribution to anaesthesia in Australia. It is unclear as to how the book came into Dr Wilson's possession. Published in London, 1845, for Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, this book was formally owned by general practitioner Dr William Russ Pugh, being the first medical practitioner in Australia to administer ether anaesthetic on 7 June 1847, in Launceston. The author of the book, P E De Strzelecki acknowledges Pugh for his assistance during his stay in Launceston and for allowing him the use of his laboratory for the analysis of the soils and minerals that were subsequently reported in this book (Page 131).

Physical description

Tan coloured cloth book with an embossed circular motif on the centre of the front and back cover. The same embossed motif is repeated four times along the spine of the book. An embossed design of small, four petal flowers borders the edge of the front and back cover. The title of the book 'Strzelecki's New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land' is printed in gold on the spine. The cloth has come unstuck at various places around the spine and a small section is missing from the base of the spine. The cover is worn and has numerous dark stains possibly from mould. The book contains 19 engraved and lithographed plates. This includes a handcoloured octavo folding, geological map, bound as a frontispiece, depicting the NSW coast down to Gippsland and Tasmania, a fold out single colour geological cross section of the Newcastle Coal Basin, 14 plates illustrating shellfish and flora and three tinted lithographs. Single page maps at the back illustrate wind patterns around Australia.

Inscriptions & markings

[front title page, two black ink stamps that have bled through to the next page] W R.PUGH
[front title page, black ink, cursive writing] H Grant \ 5 May 1910
[front title page, pencil, cursive writing, written around Pugh's stamp] Purchased from \ (unrecognizable script)
[front title page, previous owner's name was rubbed out and consequently tore the page making the entry unreadable]
[Inner back cover, bottom LHS, blue stamp] BOUND BY \ WESTLEYS & \ CLARK \ LONDON
[Inner front cover, bottom LHS, black and purple ink] P65 \ 76 \ 78 \ 98 \ 163 \ 164 \ 217