Harriet Wheelock / Monday 18 April 2011 Sir Dominic Corrigan and the Irish Famine Dominic Corrigan was born in 1802, the son of a dealer in agricultural tools. He studied at various Dublin medical schools before graduating from Edinburgh University in 1825. Returning to Dublin Corrigan established himself in private practice, and took up a number of hospital appointments. Working with many of the city's poorest inhabitants he specialised in fever and diseases of the heart and lungs. In June 1840 Corrigan was appointed visiting physician to the Hardwick Fever Hospital, part of the Dublin workhouse. Two of his casebooks from his time at the Hardwick survive in the College's archive. Dating from 1840 to 1846, just prior to the Great Famine, they give details of the numbers and types of cases admitted to the hospital, including cases of typhoid fever. The famine years would see a huge increase in the number of fever patients coming to the hospital. DC/2/4/3 - Hardwick Fever Hospital Case Book DC/6/2/2 In 1846, as reports of the potato blight reached Dublin, Corrigan published a pamphlet on Famine and Fever. By analysing fever epidemics of the previous century Corrigan showed that although contagion, poor sanitation, the climate and poverty were important factors in the spread of fever, the one outstanding common feature was famine. He went on to show that in Ireland the commonest cause of famine was the failure of the potato harvest; 'The people of Ireland are peculiarly liable to become the victims … The effect of competition among a superabundant unemployed population, has been to reduce their wages to the lowest sum on which life can be supported. Potatoes have hence become their stable food … The potato has, I believe been a curse to our country … when a bad crop occurs there is no descent for them in the scale of food: the next step is starvation' Having published his pamphlet Corrigan did his best to have his views widely circulated, sending copies to those with influence and campaigning on the issue himself. In 1852 as the worst effects of the Irish Famine were beginning to pass Corrigan was still actively campaigning for improvements in living conditions and health care for the poor, and for lessons to be learnt from the mistakes of the past. In March 1852 he received a letter from George Villers, 4th Earl Clarendon and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland discussing both the Irish Famine and free trade. In it Clarendon wrote that 'experience had been brought in Ireland at a painfully high price but will it avail? If the potatoes come back will not the people go more than ½ way back to them? I greatly fear it & that many landowners will be short sighted enough to encourage a return to the old system under the temptation of high rents that will not be paid' DC/5/6 - Letter from the Earl of Clarendon, 30 March 1852 Corrigan's involvement in attempts to counter some of the worst effects of the Irish Famine led him into conflict with other member of the medical profession. In particular his involvement in the Board of Health, established in 1846, and the question of the level of pay for doctors working for the Board. This disagreement seems to have been the reasons why, in 1846, his bid to be elected an Honorary Fellow of the King and Queen's [now Royal] College of Physicians of Ireland failed. In 1855 Corrigan outflanked this opposition by sitting the licentiate exam with the newly qualified doctors, including many of his own students. The following year he was elected a Fellow and in 1859 became the first Catholic President of the College.