Medical and Chirurgical Society of London explained

The Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society of London (RMCS), created in 1805 as the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, was a learned society of physicians and surgeons, that received a Royal charter in 1834, and a supplement charter in 1907 to create the newly merged Royal Society of Medicine.^{[1] [2]}

Origins

The RMCS was founded in 1805 as the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, by 26 medical men who left the Medical Society of London (founded 1773) in reaction to the autocratic style of its president, James Sims.^[3] Among its founders there were William Saunders (1743–1817), its first president; John Yelloly (1774–1842), Sir Astley Cooper (1768–1841), the first treasurer; Alexander Marcet (1770–1822) and Peter Mark Roget (1779–1869).^[1]

According to its charter, the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London was founded "for the purpose of conversation on professional subjects, for the reception of communications and for the formation of a library" and served "several branches of the medical profession".^[1] It first met on 22 May 1805 at Freemasons' Tavern on Great Queen Street.^[1]

Royal Society of Medicine

In 1907 several specialist medical societies merged with the RMCS.^[2] On 12 June 1907, a supplement charter was granted by King Edward VII and the new amalgamation became the RSM.^[2] The 17 societies which merged with the Medical and Chirurgical Society to form the RSM were:^[4]

• Pathological Society of London (1846–1907)
• Epidemiological Society of London (1850–1907)
• Odontological Society of Great Britain (1856–1907)
• Obstetrical Society of London (1858–1907)
• Clinical Society of London (1867–1907)
• Dermatological Society of London (1882–1907)
• British Gynaecological Society (1884–1907)
• Neurological Society of London (1886–1907)
• British Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Association (1888–1907)
• Laryngological Society of London (1893–1907)
• Society of Anaesthetists (1893–1908)
• Dermatological Society of Great Britain and Ireland (1894–1907)
• British Balneological and Climatology Society (1895–1909)
• Otological Society of the United Kingdom (1899–1907)
• Society for the Study of Diseases in Children (1900–1908)
• British Electrotherapy Society (1901–1907)
• Therapeutical Society (1902–1907)

Honorary fellows

Honorary Fellows of the society included Charles Darwin, Louis Pasteur, Edward Jenner and Sigmund Freud. Other presidents of note were the "three great from Guy's Hospital", Richard Bright (1837); Thomas Addison (1849) and Sir James Paget (1875), as well as Joseph Hodgson (1851) and Frederick William Pavy (1900).

See also

• List of the founding medical men of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society of London

External links

• History of the Royal Society of Medicine (archived)
• The Medical Society of London

Notes and References

1. Book: Hunting, Penelope. The History of The Royal Society of Medicine. Royal Society of Medicine Press. 2002. 1-85315-497-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=hFNrAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA23. 2. The Medical and Chirurgical Society. 23–66.
2. Goddard . Jonathan Charles . Collaboration and discovery: a history of the RSM . Trends in Urology & Men's Health . November 2021 . 12 . 6 . 28–31 . 10.1002/tre.829 . en . 2044-3730. free .
3. P . Hunting . . 2005 . 81 . 45–48 . 10.1136/pgmj.2003.018424. 1743179 . 15640428.
4. Web site: Royal Society of Medicine Records . 24 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230624111923/https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/de419b2c-15cf-4d4e-b94b-cdcb11e54832 . 24 June 2023 . English . 1907–1975.