Charles Aston Key (1793–1849) was an English surgeon. Charles Aston Key Holl

Life

Born in Southwark on 6 October 1793, he was eldest son of Thomas Key, a medical practitioner, and Margaret Barry;

Thomas Hewitt Key Thomas Hewitt Key, FRS (20 March 179929 November 1875) was an English classical scholar. Life He was born in London and educated at St John's and Trinity Colleges, Cambridge, and graduated 19th wrangler in 1821. From 1825 to 1827 he was the ...

was a half-brother by a second marriage. He was educated at Buntingford grammar school, in Hertfordshire, and was apprenticed to his father in 1810. Key attended the lectures at the United Borough Hospitals in 1812, and became a pupil at

Guy's Hospital Guy's Hospital is an NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. ...

in 1814. In 1815 his apprenticeship to his father was cancelled, and he became pupil of

Astley Cooper Sir Astley Paston Cooper, 1st Baronet (23 August 176812 February 1841) was a British surgeon and anatomist, who made contributions to otology, vascular surgery, the anatomy and pathology of the mammary glands and testicles, and the patholog ...

, at a large cost, and in 1817–8 he lived with Cooper. Key became demonstrator of anatomy at St. Thomas's Hospital, but resigned the post in February 1823, though he gave some of Cooper's surgical lectures for two sessions afterwards. he had qualified at the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...

in 1821, and in the autumn of the same year was appointed the first assistant surgeon to Guy's, succeeding to a full surgeoncy in January 1824. In this year he introduced the operation for

lithotomy Lithotomy from Greek for "lithos" (stone) and "tomos" ( cut), is a surgical method for removal of calculi, stones formed inside certain organs, such as the urinary tract (kidney stones), bladder ( bladder stones), and gallbladder (gallstones), ...

with the straight staff, using only a single knife; the success of his operations established his reputation as a surgeon. He gained a large practice. In 1825, on the separation of Guy's from St. Thomas's medical schools, Key was appointed lecturer on surgery at Guy's; he resigned the lectureship in 1844. In 1845 he was one of the first elected fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons, and in the same year became a member of its council. In 1847 Key was appointed surgeon to Albert, Prince Consort. He died of cholera on 23 August 1849.

Works

Key wrote: * ''A Short Treatise on the Section of the Prostate Gland in Lithotomy'', 4 plates, London, 1824. * ''A Memoir on the Advantages and Practicability of Dividing the Stricture in Strangulated Hernia on the outside of the Sac'', London, 1833; He contributed to the ''Guy's Hospital Reports'' papers on

hernia A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the groin. Groin herni ...

, lithotomy, and other subjects; and he edited the second edition of Sir Astley Cooper's work on hernia, 1827.

Family

In 1818 Key married Cooper's niece, Anne Cooper. At his death he left nine children, including

Astley Cooper Key Admiral Sir Astley Cooper Key, (18 January 1821 – 3 March 1888) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado in November 1845 during the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata and too ...

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Charles Aston 1793 births 1849 deaths English surgeons People from Southwark