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, ...

and

Exeter College, Oxford (Let Exeter Flourish) , old_names = ''Stapeldon Hall'' , named_for = Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter , established = , sister_college = Emmanuel College, Cambridge , rector = Sir Richard Trainor ...

, gaining BA in 1818, MA in 1821, MB in 1822 and MD in 1825. His brother was William Bentinck Hawkins, FRS. He was elected
fellow
of 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) 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 knowledge, including mathemat ...

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, established in 1896 by the

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