LOCAL medicine in the 18th and 19th centuries will be the topic for discussion at the next meeting of Okehampton and District Local History Society.

The speaker is Andrew Knox FRCS, a surgeon at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital until his retirement in 2006.

Since hanging up his stethoscope, he researched local medicine and surgery in Devon, and with Christopher Gardner-Thorpe, wrote a book on the findings.

He charts the history of the hospital which admitted its first patient in 1742, when it employed barely a score of people, and talks of some of the many diseases which beset our ancestors, and some of the bizarre treatments which were prescribed.

Meetings of the history society are held on the second Wednesday of the month, at 7.30pm in the Ockment Centre.

New members are always welcome and anyone interested should contact the secretary, Jane Lehni 01837 840087.

Non-members may attend meetings at a charge of £2 per person.