Medical Society of London

Medical Society of London

The Medical Society of London is one of the oldest surviving medical societies in the United Kingdom (the oldest being the Society of Apothecaries of London (1617)).

It was founded in 1773 by the Quaker physician and philanthropist Dr John Coakley Lettsome for physicians, surgeons and apothecaries who met to exchange medical news and confer about difficult cases. Lettsome himself served as president of the new society in 1775-1776, 1784–1785, 1809–1811 and 1813-1815. James Sims was president from 1786 to 1808 and during his long term of office some members of the society, led by Sir William Saunders, became so offended by his autocratic style that in 1805 they formed themselves into a new medical society, the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, which later evolved into the Royal Society of Medicine.

The Society’s wide appeal, the possession of a valuable library (originally purchased from Sims) and freehold property (donated by Lettsome) has helped to ensure the society's success and longevity.[1] Originally based in the City of London, it moved in 1873 to its present location in Lettsom House, Chandos Street, near Cavendish Square in the heart of London’s medical community. The library has since been purchased by the Wellcome Trust.[2]

The Fothergill gold medal, named in honour of physician John Fothergill, Lettsome's patron, is awarded every three years in consultation with the Royal College of Physicians. The Lettsomian lecture is delivered annually by a fellow of the society.

Fothergill gold medal winners

  • 2002 John E. Sulston
  • 1998 Richard Peto and Rory Collins
  • 1983 Sheila Sherwood
  • 1974 Henry Hubert Grayson Eastcott
  • 1953 Russell Brock
  • 1947 Sir John Parkinson
  • 1914 John George Adami
  • 1902 Sir Patrick Manson
  • 1899 Sydney Arthur Monckton Copeman
  • 1886 John Strahan , The Varieties and Complications of Thyphoid Fever
  • 1883
  • 1878 John Milner Fothergill, The Antagonism of Therapeutic Agents
  • 1858 Thomas Herbert Barker, on Malaria and Aliasmata
  • 1854 Benjamin Ward Richardson
  • 1851 Richard Hodges, Haemorrhage
  • 1844 Henry Pratt Robarts
  • 1842 James Risdon Bennett, Acute Hydrocephalus
  • 1838 George Pilcher, Structure and Pathology of the Ear
  • 1836 Thomas Egerton Bryant, Diseases of the Larynx and Trachea
  • 1824 R.W.Bampfield, Curvatures and Diseases of the Spine
  • 1803–1823 No award
  • 1790 Robert Willan, on Skin Diseases

Presidents

After the somewhat autocratic 22-year presidency of James Sims a motion was passed in 1805 that :"'No gentlemen be eligible to the office of President or Vice-president for more than two years in succession."

  • Elect– Stuart Blackie
  • 2010– Margaret Spittle
  • 2009–2010 Lt-Gen Louis Lillywhite
  • 2004– Cicely Pearl Blair
  • 1999–2000 Roy Davies
  • 1988–1989 Raymond Kirk
  • 1987–1988 Peter Maxwell Daniel
  • 1984– Frank Clifford-Rose
  • 1980–1981 Sir James Watt
  • 1977–1978 Sir Francis Avery-Jones
  • 1975–1976 Alan Woodruff
  • 1974–1975 D. Geraint James
  • 1964–1965 John Hunt
  • 1958– Sir Cecil Wakeley
  • 1956–1857 Douglas Guthrie
  • 1941–1942 Sir Gordon Gordon-Taylor
  • 1933–1935 Sir John William Thomson-Walker
  • 1926– Sir Humphry Rolleston
  • 1916– D'Arcy Power
  • 1914– Sir John Bland-Sutton
  • 1913–1914 Sir David Ferrier
  • 1892– Sir Jonathan Hutchinson
  • 1890– Reginald Harrison
  • 1880– Sir William MacCormac
  • 1879–1880 John Cockle
  • 1878–1879 Erasmus Wilson
  • 1873– Samuel Osborne Habershon
  • 1872–1873 Thomas Bryant
  • 1871–1872 Sir Andrew Clark
  • 1869– Peter Marshall
  • 1868–1869 Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson
  • 1865– Isaac Baker Brown
  • 1862– Francis Sibson
  • 1860– Sir Arthur Baring Garrod
  • 1858– William Hughes Willshire
  • 1857– Francis Hird
  • 1855– John Snow
  • 1854– Edward Headland
  • 1851 Edward W. Murphy
  • 1850 J. Risdon Bennett
  • 1846– Walter Cooper Dendy
  • 1844– Theophilus Thompson
  • 1842– George Pilcher
  • 1839– Leonard Stewart
  • 1837– Thomas Egerton Bryant
  • 1835– John Whiting
  • 1831– John Burne
  • 1825– Henry Clutterbuck
  • 1823–1825 William Shearman
  • 1821– David Unwins
  • 1817– Thomas Waishman
  • 1813–1815 John Lettsome
  • 1811– George Pinckard
  • 1808–1811 John Lettsome
  • 1786–1808 James Sims
  • 1784–1785 John Lettsome
  • 1779– George Edwards
  • 1775-1776 John Lettsome
  • 1773– John Millar (first president)

References

  1. ^ London Medical Societies in the Eighteenth Century. Royal Society of Medicine. PMC 1871274. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1871274. 
  2. ^ The Medical Society of London and its library. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2532.1984.140213.x. 


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