The Hunterian oration. Pt. II. The medical societies of the last century, and their relation to John Hunter : delivered before the Hunterian Society on Feb. 13th, 1896 / by G. Newton Pitt.

  • Pitt, G. Newton (George Newton), 1853-1929.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Hunterian oration. Pt. II. The medical societies of the last century, and their relation to John Hunter : delivered before the Hunterian Society on Feb. 13th, 1896 / by G. Newton Pitt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    10/16 (page 10)
    number of his books. The manner in which Dr. Simms managed the society gave great offence and led to the secession < f a number of members, who formed the Medico- Chirurgical Society in 1806. The society in 1850 amalga- mated with the Westminster Medical Society and still flourishes at Chandos-street. Six volumes of the Memoirs of the Medical Society of London were issued between the years 1792 and.1805. It is clear that at first Dr. FothergilL and Dr. Lettsom were the influential members. ±lie Medical Society {6reat Qmen-strfet).—This medical society was instituted at the Anatomical Theatre, Great Queen-street. Lincoln's Inn Fields, oil Dec 9th, 1779. The members met every Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock from October to May. Medical news and cases were brought forward from 7 until 8 o'clock, When the dissertation for the evening was read out by the author, and afterwards by the president, paragraph by paragraph, for discussion. Thd president wore his hat while in the chair. Dissertations were written by each member in turn, and any member failing to write one was fined 10s. 6d. Members absent with- out having sent an apology were fined 2s. 6d. There are copies of the laws of this society and the list of members in the libraries of the British Museum and of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, dated 1783 and 1784. This society was staited by John Sheldon in connexion with his Anatomical School at Great Queen-street. Sheldon was also surgeon to the General Medical Asylum in Welbeck street. The society possessed a library, and awarded a diploma to members who gave proof of sufficient medical ability and had written two dissertations. The greater number of the members were practitioners, only a few being students. In 1783 the society consisted of twelve foreign and seventeen honorary members, with eighty-seven ordi; nary members who were required to attend the society regularly. Old members kept their names on the book when they moved into the country as corresponding members. Mr. Sheldon was perpetual president, and each year from one to three other members were also elected as presidents. Sheldon and Cruikshank, I learn from Mr. D'Arcy Power, were rival teachers under Dr. William Hunter at the Great Windmill-street School; both were teaching anatomy and both weie working at the lymphatic system. Owing to some differtnce with Hunter, Sheldon left and staited an anatomical school for himself at Great Queen-street. About the time of Hunter's death Dr. Johnson wrote to Sir Joshua Reynolds in favour of Cruikshank for the post of Professor of Anatomy, which Hunter had held at the Royal Academy, but Sheldon was elected, and retained the office till his death in 1808, when he was succeeded by Anthony Carlisle. Sheldon was a great pation of aeronauts ai d was the first Englishman who made an expeiimental as-cent. In 1788 he was compelled to lesign his surgical appointment at Westminster owing to overwork. This medical society was evidently closely associated with his teaching and was under his control; the majority of the