500 years behind bars

Prison: five hundred years of life behind bars by Edward Marston, has just been added to the OPU collection. It is published by the National Archives and contains information extracted from the documents and photographs held there.
It is a comprehensive history of prisons, from the Tower of London through to Victorian developments and the abolition of hanging. Illustrative plates show records and photographs of prisoners, prison plans and even prolific hangman Albert Pierrepoint's request for execution equipment.
In his conclusion, Marston writes, "Prison involved loss - loss of family, loss of friends, loss of reputation, loss of earning power and loss of control. Most of all, it meant loss of liberty, and this has remained the basic ingredient of imprisonment until the present day."
This book tells how this was implemented throughout history and what impact it had on those who were behind bars.

Clash of cultures

With President Obama recently declaring his intention to begin a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, I was having a look at some of our Iraq war items. One is a primer for U.S. military personnel deployed to Arab countries, "Through the lens of cultural awareness"*, which lists the various "cultural" mistakes made in their dealings with the Iraqi population, such as: "Soldiers have shown ignorance of Islamic religious practice. For example, Iraqis arrested by US troops have had their heads forced to the ground, a position forbidden by Islam except during prayers. This action offends detainees as well as bystanders . . . the military has enough to worry about without alienating the local population.”

Interestingly, it also includes T.E. Lawrence's 27 articles on working with Arab armies.

You can read it here in NLS* or online.

The Great Reform Act

(or more correctly The Representation of the People Act of 1832) was a piece of ground-breaking legislation which began to change the country's electoral system.

The National Archives' Learning Curve website has some original sources on political protest which helped the drive towards electoral reform. The British Library's recent exhibition, "Taking Liberties", on the fight for Britain's freedoms and rights, features the Act.

And of course, the National Library also has a new feature which includes this major event. Plans of 75 Scottish towns were published to implement the Act in Scotland, and you can now see them on our Map Library's
Great Reform Acts plans and reports website, which includes the House of Commons text accompanying each map.

Stop that camel!

The Indian journal of veterinary science and animal husbandry contains hundreds of articles covering a range of subjects such as parasites, tapeworms, animal diseases, nutritional values of animal feed, milk and wool yields, even foetal monstrosities. Following on from Jan's post on cannabis, today I found that camels were used to smuggle opium and charas (handmade hashish formed into balls or sticks).
The article in volume 11 is from 1941 and states: "The Sinai Police are an exceptionally subtle body of men and can almost smell narcotics through a brick wall and eventually nine camels were put under suspicion at Kantara and three others were soon in the lock-up at El Arish."
The drugs were smuggled in the camels' stomachs: "The strange ability of the camel [is] to swallow 25 heavy containers 15 x 4 cm. and to be able to travel and work with little inconvenience to himself."
The inconvenience came when 'guilty' camels were slaughtered and the drugs seized from their first stomachs. Lead was used by the smugglers to prevent the drugs from travelling any further through the animals' systems.
With over 30,000 camels passing annually from the East into Egypt, the authorities proposed using an x-ray's "searching beam" to detect drugs. "An interesting case of the use of science in the perpetration of crime as well as in its detection!" concludes E.S. Farbrother, the Director of Veterinary Services in Bombay.
(Camel photo credit: Camelphoto.com)

Batholomew Archive - now blogging

Our colleagues in the Map Library now have a blog with regular posts about the Bartholomew Archive. As the site explains, the Archive is the remarkable record of the Edinburgh-based firm of map engravers, printers and publishers, John Bartholomew & Son Ltd. It is one of the most extensive cartographic archives available for research in a public institution.

Smoking is bad for you...

The government's latest public information film warning 11-18 year-olds about the dangers of cannabis continues to stimulate debate about the drug. Over a hundred years ago, the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission report (the largest ever report into its cultivation, use and effects)was published. You can find it here at the NLS; The first report (there are 8) contains some great sepia photographs.

Obama's blog

President Obama's changes at the White House include a new White House website and a blog (all the best people have a blog...!), though of course, it isn't actually him who's posting the entries. Still, it's worth a look. He's Tweeting as well.

Heading home

After a successful NLS "gig", Kevin and I are heading for home tomorrow. Kevin's talk, "Kolkata Curiosities" went really well at the Book Fair yesterday, and despite me having a rotten cold, I managed to get through my talk at the NLI this afternoon. The assembled librarians were quite a shy bunch, so not many questions, but all contributions were very positive. The NLI director K. K. Banerjee was there (as was ours - Martyn Wade arrived safely this morning) and it all looks very promising for partnerships between our two national libraries. I was interviewed for TV, too (what with the paparazzi earlier in the week and now this, it's quite gone to my head).

Edinburgh's going to seem very strange when we get back.

Malaria capers...

I should mention that yesterday we paid homage to the Scot Sir Ronald Ross, who of course proved the link between anopheles mosquitoes and the transmission of the malaria virus. This plaque is in the grounds of a Calcutta hospital, on the spot where Ross's laboratory stood. We took along the Malaria Giant Microbe to visit his nemesis!

Kolkata update

After several attempts at another post late last night (problems with internet connections)I gave up, so here I go again – fingers crossed.
I want to mention the marvellous British Council staff, who are unflaggingly generous, kind, and fixers of the highest order. They also do a rather good blog. Edd McCracken of the Sunday Herald, also did a blog and the Book Fair will be featured in the paper this Sunday, though I’m sure Edd’s got enough material to get a series going.
It’s difficult to keep track of everything we’re doing here. (I'm afraid I spent a whole day with a, er, tummy bug, and lay around feeling faint like a Victorian memsahib). As a result I was disappointed to miss tea at the Governor's residence.
The visit to the Scottish Cemetery was a highlight; we hope that the efforts by RCAHMS and the Kolkata Scottish Kolkata Heritage Trust to restore it will bear fruit.
A talk by Lord Bruce on Scots and India was very well received, and he was followed by the very learned Prof. Barun De, who revealed that he is a great fan of the NLS. He reminisced fondly about his visits there in 1957.
Later, we visited the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, and watched a workshop where rural artists are given a chance to raise themselves above the poverty line. They do some beautiful work, and we were particularly struck by the similarity of the painted scrolls they produce and one we have in NLS which dates back to 1788.

Book Fair begins... kind of

Still the building work continues, but the Fair goes on for another couple of weeks yet, so they've got time.
Kevin and I bought some books for the NLS, including one on the development of vaccines. We don't want to weigh down our suitcases, but as we are leaving behind what feels like several kilos of NLS leaflets, then we should be OK!

After our welcome by the Mayor on Monday (previous post) we were given a walking tour of Dalhousie Square which is being renovated. Naively, I thought it was being pedestrianised, but in fact the police were holding back a huge build up of traffic for us. All along our route we were assailed by photographers; this happens everywhere we go, and they are now referred to as the Book Fair paparazzi.
Then on to St Andrew's Church (established 1818), for a lighting ceremony by the Governor of Bengal (high security throughout), followed by a church service, more tea and refreshments (always on offer here), and then back to the hotel. By this time, Kevin and I were zombie-like after missing a whole night's sleep travelling the previous day.

We spent the next morning at the Scottish Cemetery (see the RCAHMS blog link for more information) and also Park Street Cemetery, but that's another posting...

O Calcutta!

Kevin Halliwell (Foreign Collections) and I are at the 33rd Kolkata Book Fair, where Scotland is the theme country. Everyone has been so charming, and the Scottish delegation (including Sir Andrew Cubie, Lord Charles Bruce, Alexander McCall Smith and the British Council staff), were welcomed and presented with bouquets of flowers at the impressive and historical City Council Chambers (pictured).
The Book Fair itself is open but there was still a lot of building of stalls going on when we left at 6.30 today - including a mini White House for the U.S. pavilion, with cut-out Obama figure!
We've had a hectic couple of days, so more reports and pictures later.

New opportunities - fair chances for the future

This very readable command paper (Cm 7533) recently arrived on my desk. In the forward by the Prime Minister he states
"A Britain where everyone should be able to say that their destiny is not written for them, but written by them."
The Command paper is about what the Government can do for everyone in the global slowdown, to be ready and able to come through the downtime faster and stronger. A series of case studies shows how the Government is addressing this, for example
Supporting child development
Investing in children's schooling
Investing in young adults
Supporting the families
Empowering communities.
An annex sets out the most important milestones for the policies announced within this Command paper.

Louis Pasteur

Following my last post about Robert Koch's visit to India in 1897, I have been reading about another world renowned scientist's contribution to veterinary medicine. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895, pictured) is credited with discovering that microbes cause disease and is admired still for his pioneering work in microbiology. The French scientist began studying anthrax and fowl cholera in the late 1870's. Inspired by Jenner's inoculation against smallpox, Pasteur weakened (attenuated) the fowl cholera bacteria and created a vaccine that prevented animals contracting the disease.
In 1855 his rabies vaccine was tested on 9 year old Joseph Meister who had been bitten many times by a rabid dog. The boy lived and the vaccine was another one of his achievements that saved millions of human and animal lives.
Rabies features heavily in the Medical History of British India Project as it infects both animals and humans. Notable volumes I have worked with include:
Sir David Semple's work in India on his 1911 vaccine
Pasteur Institute at Kasauli
Pasteur Institute of Southern India
Various articles featuring in the Indian Journal of Veterinary Science and animal husbandry
Plus a recent book (2007) on rabies in Britain Mad Dogs and Englishmen

There is no doubt that both Koch and Pasteur were brilliant scientists, but there are also many more who did important work in the field of microbiology and veterinary medicine. I will be writing about those I have found in the veterinary volumes in the coming weeks.
Picture of Pasteur holding eyeglasses credit: Wellcome Images.

A memorable visit?

I have started metadata for volumes from Indian veterinary colleges and laboratories and am enjoying discovering the pioneering work that was done over 100 years ago.
The Imperial Bacteriological Laboratory based in Muktesar is now known as the Indian Veterinary Research Institute. It dates from 1891 when Dr. Alfred Lingard was the Imperial Bacteriologist, and its main achievement was producing vaccine and antisera for animal diseases such as rinderpest, anthrax and tetanus.
The coloured photograph shows the 1897 visit of Professor Robert Koch (credit: from the website of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute). Nobel Prize winner German scientist Koch is best known for confirming that microbes cause disease and discovering the tuberculosis and cholera bacillae. He also was interested in the causes of anthrax and rinderpest and his Indian visit saw him working in the field straight from several days’ travelling accompanied by Professor Pfeiffer. You can see him in action in the top photograph, from the Wellcome Library's Wellcome Images.
Dr. Lingard, who authored the report for this memorable visit, unfortunately does not stray from his usual prosaic writing style, ending with “As Professor Koch had received instructions from his Imperial Government to at once proceed to German East Africa, his visit to Muktesar terminated, somewhat prematurely on June 15th.” (1897-98 report).
It is up to the reader to imagine what fascinating conversations the scientists may have had in those busy times of medical discovery!

Some mothers do 'ave 'em...

Had enough of being cooped up with your family over the holidays? Aw, don't be mean - they're not that bad (are they?). The Government wants us to think about our families in a positive way and has published Families in Britain: an evidence paper. It recognises the changing shape of families (not just Ma and Pa and 2.2 kids anymore - not for a long time), and is trying to shape a "modern family policy".

Happy and peaceful holidays to all our readers!

A lot of our bloggers are, or will be, away for the holidays, so the blog will also be having a little rest. Here's hoping you all have a happy Christmas and a peaceful new year. I'll leave you with this image from the United Nations Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC), which be launched early next year. It's in tandem with the Road to Copenhagen initiative on climate change and citizen participation.

Don't drink and fly...

The Department for Transport's report on disruptive behaviour on aircraft shows it's not just roads that enrage us - it's being in the air, too. The report shows that consumption of (too much) alcohol adds to the problem, and that many more men indulge in such behaviour than women. The stats seem to show that the most likely trouble-maker is an alcohol-imbibing male, in his 30s and travelling in a group.

Cabinet Papers online 1915-1977

The National Archives have made another great resource available, The Cabinet Papers Online. A JISC funded digitisation programme, it's packed with information, photographs and maps on the workings of cabinet government at a fascinating period of UK history.

Commission on Scottish Devolution

(or Calman Commission) has produced its first report . The Commission was set up after a debate in the Scottish Parliament in 2007, and had its first meeting in April this year. It's tasked with looking in detail at how devolution has worked in Scotland since 1998.

The Eddies! (Edublogs awards)

Edublogs hosts hundreds of thousands of blogs for teachers, students, researchers, professors, librarians, administrators and anyone and everyone else involved in education, definitely worth a look. They have awards for the best blogs in various categories every year.

World Aids Day

Monday December 1st is the 20th World Aids Day,and the message seems to be that, while great advances have been made, this is no time for complacency.
We collect publications by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (or UNAIDS), just search our catalogue - choose search type "Author", then type in Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.