History of Medicine Society

History of Medicine Society

Presidents Medal
Formation	1912
Founder	Sir William Osler
Type	Charity
Purpose	Promote the 'value of the study of the history of medicine in education'....Osler. 'To foster an interest in all aspects of the history of medicine, principally among Fellows of the Royal Society of Medicine'...the Society's Constitution.
Location	1 Wimpole Street, London
President	Dr Catherine Sarraf
Parent organization	The Royal Society of Medicine
Affiliations	British Society for the History of Medicine Worshipful Society of Apothecaries
Website	https://www.rsm.ac.uk/sections/sections-and-networks-list/history-of-medicine-society.aspx

Founded by Sir William Osler in 1912, the History of Medicine Society (formally 'section'), at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), London, is one of the oldest History of Medicine societies in the world and is also one of the four founder committees of the British Society for the History of Medicine.^[1][2][3] It is the only section at the RSM to cover every medical speciality. With support from Sir Francis Champneys, Sir Raymond Crawfurd, Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt, Sir Ronald Ross, Sir William Selby Church, Sir Henry Morris, Henry Barnes and Professor Richard Caton, the first meeting on 20 November 1912 had 160 attendees.^[4][5] Subsequently, the society's events became regular and it continues to hold regular events at the RSM in London.^[1]

Origins

• 
  Sir William Osler
• 
  D'Arcy Power
• 
  Joseph Frank Payne, 2nd from right
• 
  Sir Richard Douglas Powell - Opposition
• 
  Sir Francis Champneys
• 
  Sir Ronald Ross
• 
  Sir William Selby Church
• 
  Sir Henry Morris
• 
  1912 Council Minutes

Interest in the history of medicine at the RSM can be traced back to 1818, when an exhibition of Chamberlen family's obstetric instruments took place at the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London. At the request of Dr Joseph Frank Payne, physician who was interested in the history of medicine, the RSM agreed to incorporate one meeting in each session on a historical topic.^[4]

Following a failed attempt by Sir D'Arcy Power to form the society in 1900, Osler then succeeded by writing 168 personal invitations and planning for 'all those who feel that the study of the history of medicine has a value in education'.^[4] It was considered by Osler to be one of the three most useful things he achieved in his lifetime.^[1][3][4]

The society's lectures by Osler, as the first president, covered William Petty's manuscripts and the history of Anaesthesia, and encouraging research and scholarship in topics. Despite opposition from Sir Richard Douglas Powell, Osler personally invited guests to join the new society. When the 50th Jubilee of the Section was celebrated at a special meeting on 21 November 1962 it was noted that ‘the contribution to the knowledge of medical history made by the Section has been very considerable’.^[5]

Norah Schuster as a child

Prizes

Norah Schuster Prize

Named after the late clinical pathologist, Norah Schuster, every year, since 1991, three essays in the field of history of medicine or science are chosen to receive this prestigious award. The winners are invited to give a short presentation on their research.^{[1][6][7][8][9][10]}

Eponymous Lectures

C. E. Wallis Lecture

Named after doctor and Dental surgeon, Charles Edward Wallis, this memorial lecture is given every 5 years and arranged in conjunction of the Odontology section. Wallis was active at the RSM and interested in history and Archaeology.^[11][12][13] His brother, Mr Ferdinand Wallis donated £100 in 1927 to fund a lecturer, appointed by the society to speak on the history of dentistry.^[13][14]

The Bynum Lecture

Sponsored by Cambridge University Press, the Bynum lecture is named after Professor W. F. Bynum, medical historian. This lecture is given annually by a practicing social historian.^[15][16]

Honorary Fellows

2017 Tilli Tansey (Professor Elizabeth M. Tansey) O.B.E., FMedSci, HonFRCP, PhD, PhD is a professor of History of Medicine who has been elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.^[17]

History of Medicine Society Past Presidents

• 
  William Osler 1912
• 
  Charles Singer, working at his desk.
• 
  Sir Humphry Davy Rolleston. 1925.
• 
  Sir Arthur MacNalty,
• 
  Dr. E. Ashworth Underwood in his room at 28 Portman Square, W.1
• 
  Henry Cohen, 1954
• 
  Dame Josephine Barnes
• 
  Lilian Lindsay, Blue plaque, 2013 - English Heritage

Notable Dates

Sir Archibald Garrod

• 1912 First Meeting on 20 November, with Sir William Osler as first president.
• 1919 First lady to present a paper to the society, Dorothea Waley Singer.^[4]
• 1927 First British qualified female dentist, Lilian Lindsay presented 'The London Dentist of the 18th Century'.^[48]
• 1932 Meeting in honour of Sir Archibald Garrod^[4]
• 1950 First female president of History of Medicine Society, Lillian Lindsay.^[4]
• 1962 Jubilee of History of Medicine Society. Attracting younger colleagues highlighted as an issue.^[4]
• 1993 GMC issues 'Tomorrows Doctors' which promotes studies in the history of medicine. Subsequently, in 1997, the society organised a symposium on 'The history of medicine and tomorrows doctors'.^[4][49]

History of Medicine Society Involvements

Egbaston Hall

Dr William Withering’s letters

These were bestowed by Osler in his will.^[4]

Sir William Hale-White, president of RSM 1922-1924 was a lecturer in Medicine who, following retirement, studied the history of medicine and wrote on René Laennec ^[50] and John Keats.^[51] He is best known for cataloguing William Withering's letters.^[52][53][54] A facsimile of Withering's letter was published by Dr Ronald Mann in 1986.^[4]

The Chalmers Room

Dr Albert John Chalmers, born in Manchester in 1870, was a physician in tropical medicine in Ghana and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He died in India in 1920 and was documented to have an interest in the history of medicine.^[55] His wife donated £500 and 350 old books from Chalmer’s personal library, including a first printed edition of Celsus, 1478, to the new Chalmer’s room on the RSM library’s third floor. This room was opened by a ceremony on 23 June 1922.^[56] Although the actual room does not exist anymore, many of its books were displayed in 2016 as part of an exhibition in the RSM library.^[57]

References

External links

• https://www.rsm.ac.uk/sections/sections-and-networks-list/history-of-medicine-society.aspx
• http://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/ishm/eng/
• http://bshm.org.uk/
• http://www.apothecaries.org/faculty-of-the-history-philosophy-of-medicine-parm/courses/diploma-course-in-the-history-of-medicine