Medical science has come a long way in the past 250 years. While hip and knee replacements, keyhole surgery and even organ transplants are commonplace in the 21st century, anyone diagnosed with a serious illness or injury in the 18th and 19th centuries could face the unenviable prospect of a lingering painful life or possibly death on the operating table.

Worcester played a key part in the development of medical care over the centuries and visitors to the George Marshall Medical Museum, at the Charles Hastings Education Centre at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and The Infirmary museum on Castle Street can find out more about the city’s role in medicine.

In 1745 Worcester’s original infirmary, which still stands on Silver Street off City Walls Road, was just the fifth general hospital to be opened in England and came to fruition due to the efforts of Bishop of Worcester Isaac Maddox, physician Dr John Wall – also known for the Malvern water cure and Worcester porcelain works - and, it is thought, the MP for Evesham Sir John Rushout.

Although cold and damp with no running water initially, the Silver Street building saw nearly 1,000 admissions in the first three years. The four physicians and two surgeons were unpaid and while the hospital was popular, it was ill equipped for the job and a new hospital was built on the south side of Castle Street. Patients were transferred in 1771.

By 1832 Worcester was once again at the forefront of the medical world as ex Worcester Royal Grammar School pupil and infirmary house surgeon Charles Hastings founded the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, which was later to become the British Medical Association – the profession body for doctors in the UK.

Curator of the George Marshall Medical Museum Louise Price explained that Charles Hastings wanted to bring members of the medical profession together to share knowledge.

An audience of 50 doctors was present to hear Hastings propose the inauguration of an association in the board room of the Infirmary and, 10 years after its initial meeting, the association’s membership had grown to 1350. It published a weekly journal which was to become the British Medical Journal.

The BMA played a key role in the drafting and passing of the Medical Act 1858, which established the General Medical Council and set a standard for qualified and unqualified doctors and established a system of professional regulation. Prior to this anyone, qualified or not, could practice as a doctor. It also played a leading role in influencing legislation on public health matters.

“Worcester is a key place in the development of health services and had a lot to do with the founding of the NHS,” said Louise.

The city, with its rich medical history, also boasts one of best collections of medical artefacts and records outside London.

The collection, on display at the George Marshall Museum and The Infirmary, was originally put together by George Marshall, a Scot who came to Worcester in 1931 and practiced as a GP and became a consultant surgeon at the Castle Street infirmary.

George Marshall was an avid collector of medical and surgical equipment and after his retirement in 1971 became the unpaid curator of the museum, then at the Charles Hastings Postgraduate Centre at the old Ronkswood Hospital on Newtown Road before moving to its current sites, and also gave lectures on medical history.

He added to his own collection by gathering and researched many items connected with the 250-year history of Worcester’s hospitals and medical services.

“It is a fantastic collection and is one of the largest personal collections outside London,” said Louise. “Our items include bleeding bowls used to collect blood during bloodletting, leech jars, death masks which are casts of the heads of criminals executed at Worcester gaol, dentistry equipment and an amputation chair used at the former infirmary at Castle Street.

“The choice to go into surgery 200 years ago was a life and death choice.”

In the early days of the Worcester Infirmary patients undergoing surgery would have endured excruciating pain as a surgeon performed his task without anaesthesia. To stop a patient wriggling around too much they would have been tied to a surgery chair like the one in the museum.

The George Marshall Museum is putting on special events from February 13 to 20 as well as being open for anyone to look around its vast array of medical artefacts and go on organised tours. It is open from 9am to 5pm each day.

“There will be a table with herbs and potions so people can go away with their own posy of herbs and flowers like those used in medicine in the mid 19th century. There will also be some other fun activities for children. We will have trails around the museum and children have to spot certain items.

“It is a chance for youngsters to do something different, take the posy away and learn in a fun way.”

The children doing the trails can enter a competition and the winners will be announced on facebook - facebook.com/TheMedicalMuseum

Both museum sites offer free entry and the Infirmary at Castle Street will be open on Saturday February 14 with a special emphasis on the work of the Apothecary. Head of the Infirmary museum Mark Macleod there will be an opportunity for people to discover how ailments were treated with remedies in the 18th century using the museum’s 1755 edition of John Wesley’s book Primitive Physic.

“We are going to print off recipes for curing ailments and have the ingredients on a table for people to see. We will also be asking people about any recipes for remedies they use or know of.

“They will also be able to make leeches out of plasticine and they can hear stories about how leeches were used,” said Mark.

“We will also be doing our very popular tours, which include the boardroom where the BMA was established, the chapel and some wards, and we will be talking a bit about the hospital at Silver Street.”

The tours start at 11.30am and 1.30pm and are free.