Francis Bisset Hawkins, FRS
FRCP(18 October 1796 – 7 December 1894) was an English physician.
He was born the son of Adair Hawkins, a London surgeon and educated at
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
and
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth-oldest college of the un ...
, gaining BA in 1818, MA in 1821, MB in 1822 and MD in 1825. His brother was William Bentinck Hawkins, FRS.
He was elected
fellowof the
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...
in 1826 and was their
Gulstonian lecturer in 1828, Censor (i.e. examiner) in 1830 and
Lumleian lecturer
The Lumleian Lectures are a series of annual lectures started in 1582 by the Royal College of Physicians and currently run by the Lumleian Trust. The name commemorates John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley, who with Richard Caldwell of the College endowed ...
in 1835. From 1828 to 1832 he was physician at the Westminster Dispensary and in 1833 a Factory Commissioner enquiring into the conditions of child employment in factories.
He was appointed the first Professor of
Materia Medica (in modern terms
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...
) at
King’s College, London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King G ...
in 1829, resigning the chair in 1835, and was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
in 1834.
He was appointed an inspector of prisons in 1836 and as a
metropolitan commissioner in lunacy in 1842, a position he held until 1845. In 1847-48 he was commissioner for the government of
Pentonville prison
HM Prison Pentonville (informally "The Ville") is an English Category B men's prison, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. Pentonville Prison is not in Pentonville, but is located further north, on the Caledonian Road in the Barnsbury ar ...
.
In his Report on the Health and Condition of the Manufacturing Districts, he recommended a reduction in the hours of work for children and women and the creation of public gardens and parks in Manchester, both of which took place. In his Reports on Prisons he successfully recommended a reduction in the use of solitary confinement. He was also largely responsible for the insertion of an extra column to record the names of the disease or cause of death on the new death register introduced in 1837 by the
Act for the Registration of Births and Deaths.
Towards the latter part of his career he moved from London to Bournemouth and in 1858 was appointed a
Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset
The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547), taking over the military duties of the Sheriff of Dorset and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569, there was provision for the appointment o ...
. He died a widower at the age of 98, having no children.
The
Bisset Hawkins Medal The Bisset Hawkins Medal is a triennial award made by the Royal College of Physicians of London to acknowledge work done in the preceding ten years in advancing sanitary science or promoting public health. It is named after Francis Bisset Hawkins (1 ...
, established in 1896 by the
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...
to acknowledge work done in promoting public health, was named to honour his memory.
Published works
* ''The Elements of Medical Statistics''. 8vo. London, 1829.
* ''The History of the Epidemic Spasmodic Cholera of Russia''. 8vo. London, 1831.
* ''Germany; the Spirit of her History, Literature, National Economy, and Social Condition''. 8vo. London, 1838.
* ''Reports on the Factory Commission''. London, 1833.
* ''Reports on the Prisons of the Southern and Western Districts of England from 1836 to 1842''. Folio. London.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins, Francis Bisset
1796 births
1894 deaths
Medical doctors from London
People educated at Eton College
Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford
19th-century English medical doctors
Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians
Fellows of the Royal Society
Deputy Lieutenants of Dorset