Although the collection is by no means comprehensive, there are interesting records of many aspects of Wilson's career.

Section A. Biographical: Brings together material relating to obituaries, tributes, honours and awards. Includes Wilson's account of his First World War experiences and his assessment of his scientific publications. Section B. Research: Although not extensive, provides documentation of a number of Wilson's principal interests including the Salmonella group of bacteria and milk hygiene. There are three laboratory notebooks with experimental data covering the period 1919-45. Section C. Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS): Relates chiefly to the unpublished history written by Wilson after his retirement as Director of the PHLS. There is also a little material relating to laboratory design and equipment and PHLS personnel. Section D. Lectures and publications: The most substantial in the collection. There are records of Wilson's lectures for a period of forty years from 1944, extensive documentation of the later editions of Principles of bacteriology and immunity, and editorial correspondence and papers for the British Journal of Experimental Pathology and the Journal of Hygiene. Section E. Societies and organisations: Documentation of Wilson's association with ten British organisations including the Medical Research Club, Medical Research Council and Veterinary Club. The Medical Research Council material relates to the Working Party on Tristan da Cunha which was set up to supervise medical investigations when the inhabitants were evacuated to Britain after the island's volcano erupted in 1961. There is also material relating to the Research Foundation, Chicago, which specialised in tuberculosis research, on whose medical advisory committee Wilson served. Section F. Visits and conferences: Records of a number of overseas trips in an advisory capacity for the World Health Organisation, including to Ethiopia 1964, Iraq 1965, Iran, Sudan and Egypt 1971 and the Philippines 1972, and records of international microbiology congresses. Section G. Correspondence: Although not extensive, includes a chronological sequence of scientific correspondence, 1930-1987, Wilson's collection of autograph letters addressed to Topley and himself, and references and recommendations. Section H. Photographs: Photographic records of Wilson, colleagues, conferences and PHLS laboratories. Section J. 'Biographical History of Bacteriology': Manuscript of Wilson's history, with correspondence about publication.

Report and correspondence on prevalance of spirilium fever and possible vectors, 1913.

Papers of Joseph Lister, [1841-1900], comprising notes and drawings on suppuration, 1851-1907, including experiments on the histology of suppuration at Glasgow, 1865; notes on a new method of treating compound fractures, manuscript draft of the first published paper on his method, [1867]; notes on the preparation of antiseptic catgut, coagulation of the blood, [1862];

papers presented to the College under the terms of Lord Lister's will, including notes on gauze; cases taken by Lister for the Fellowes Clinical medal at University College Hospital whilst a student, [1844-1853]; papers on early stages of inflammation; germ theory of putrefaction, 1875; correspondence on cases; copies of anatomical drawings, 1841-1843; physiological drawings and notes, [1851]; pathological sketches, [1851]; notes on clinical lectures by Jenner, Erichsen, Quain, Walshe and Garrod, 1851-1852; observations on the contractile tissue of the iris, [1853]; introductory lecture at Edinburgh, 1855; notes on external applications, 1855; lecture delivered at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, 1856; observations on early stages of inflammation and nerves, with some sketches, 1857; notes and sketches on the cutaneous pigmentary system of the frog, 1857; summary of experiments on the 'Hemmings' nervous system, 1858; notes and sketches on the minute structure of involuntary muscle fibre, 1858; notes on spontaneous gangrene from arteritis, 1858; coagulation of the blood, 1858-1860; Croomian lecture on Coagulation of the blood, 1863; notes and sketches of horse's blood, 1863; notes, sketches and photographs on excision of the wrist for caries, [1866]; notes on the antiseptic system of treatment in surgery, 1868; sketches and notes illustrating ligature, 1868-1869; notes on the ligature of arteries on the antiseptic system of treatment in surgery, 1871; sketches, notes and lecture on granulations, 1864-1871; drawings for plates on the natural history of bacteria, 1873 and germ theory of putrefaction, [1875]; address at opening of medical session, King's College Hospital, 1877; clinical lecture at King's College Hospital, 1877; sketches of spores and botanical sketches, 1872-1877; notes on the healing of wounds without antiseptic treatment, 1878; on the lactic fermentation, [1878]; notes for address to the Hunterian Society, 1889; observations on division of median and ulnar nerves, 1890; notes on anaesthetics and amputations, [1882];

drawings of fungi, 1872-1877; notes for extra-academical lectures in Glasgow, 1860-1863; address to Glasgow students, 1894; common-place books, by Lister and Lady Lister, on subjects including bactiera, catgut and antiseptic dressings, including drawings; letters from Erichsen and others; signed prescriptions, 1889; letters to and from Lister, 1868-1900, including letters to Sir George Darwin, 1899-1900.

Notes on lectures on surgery delivered by Lister at the University of Glasgow, 1864-1865, transcribed by P H McKellar; notes on lectures on the theory and practice of surgery delivered by Lister at Glasgow, 1863-1864, taken by Dr Robert W Forrest; notes on the surgical lectures delivered by Lister at the University of Glasgow, 1863-1865, taken by Alex Forsyth.

Scientific papers of T H Huxley, 1846-1898, comprising notebooks made whilst Assistant Surgeon to HMS RATTLESNAKE, 1846-1850, containing his observations, sketches of specimens, notably oceanic hydrozoa, mollusca and crustacea, related notes;

scientific notebooks, papers and correspondence, [1855-1888], relating to botany and principally zoology, bound in volumes largely according to zoological classification, including invertebrata, crustacea, vertebrata, teleostei, amphibia, reptilia, aves, mammalia, carnivora, primates, anthropology, mycological, bacteria, hirudinea, mollusca, petromyzon, ganoidei, sturiones, dipnoi, teleostei, salmonidae, insectivora, rodentia, lepus, canidae, fossil fishes, dinosauria, ethnology, origins of biology, gentiana; correspondence concerning deep sea soundings, 1857; syllabus and notes for lectures, [1860-1886], for the Government (later Royal) School of Mines, Royal Institution, working men, London Institution, University of Edinburgh, notably on natural history, zoology, ethnology, elementary geography, physiography; correspondence, 1851-1894; notebooks, [1847-1884], concerning visits to Switzerland, Tenby, Italy, notes on anatomy and vertebrae;

drawings, [1847-1895] many illustrating laboratory work, and relating to observations in his notebooks, relating to protozoa and botany; coelenterata, brachiostomata, echinodermata, mollusca; vermes and arthropoda with peripatus; pisces with tunicata and amphioxus; mammalia; anthropological photographs, [1868-1898].