Digitising the archives of health and disease in British India

This project is to digitise around 3,000 archives relating to health and disease in the India Office Records of the British Library, from 1780 to 1910. The digital content will be made freely available on the library’s website through its manuscript viewer. The material covers subjects including medical topography, diseases, hospitals, drugs and cures, medical education, mortality statistics, diet and nutrition, public health and military health. These archives provide insights into the enduring interest of the colonial administration in health and health- related issues, and into the interplay of medical knowledge and public policy during the period.