The Obstetrical Society of London existed from 1858 to 1907.

History

The Society was set up in 1858, the successor to an Obstetric Society dating from 1825, and in the aftermath of the

Medical Act 1858 The Medical Act (21 & 22 Vict c 90), ''An Act to Regulate the Qualifications of Practitioners in Medicine and Surgery'', also referred to as the Medical Act 1858, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the General Medical ...

. The founding group included James Hobson Aveling, Robert Barnes, Graily Hewitt, Henry Oldham,

Edward Rigby Edward Coke MC (5 February 1879 – 5 April 1951), known professionally as Edward Rigby, was a British character actor. Early life Rigby was born at Ashford, Kent, England, the second son of Dr William Harriott Coke and his wife, Mary Elizab ...

, William Tyler Smith, Thomas Hawkes Tanner, and John Edward Tilt.,

Sir Charles Locock Sir Charles Locock, 1st Baronet (21 April 1799 – 23 July 1875) was an obstetrician to Queen Victoria. He is also credited with the introduction of potassium bromide as a treatment for epilepsy. Charles Locock was born to Henry Locock and his ...

and Sir George Duncan Gibb. Over its first 15 years the membership of the Society rose to about 600. The Act's proposals included regulation of medical practitioners, taken at the time to include

midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many cou ...

; and the Society turned in time to certifying midwives. The diploma introduced in 1872 recognised the role of the midwife, in supervising "normal labour". A dispute over

ovariotomy Oophorectomy (; from Greek , , 'egg-bearing' and , , 'a cutting out of'), historically also called ''ovariotomy'' is the surgical removal of an ovary or ovaries. The surgery is also called ovariectomy, but this term is mostly used in reference t ...

, which other members opposed, led Barnes to leave and found the British Gynaecological Society in 1884. In the election for the presidency at the end of that year, matters came to a head when Alfred Meadows, supported by Aveling and Barnes, failed to be chosen by the Council. In 1907 both societies merged into the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chambers ...

Presidents

Presidents of the Society served a two-year term.''Transactions of the Obstetrical Society of London'' Vol. XLIX, (1900) p. ix
archive.org.
/ref> *1859

*1861 William Tyler Smith *1863 Henry Oldham *1865 Robert Barnes *1867 John Hall Davis *1869 Graily Hewitt *1871

John Braxton Hicks John Braxton Hicks (23 February 1823 – 28 August 1897) was a 19th-century English doctor who specialised in obstetrics. He was born to Edward Hicks in Rye, Sussex. He was educated privately and in 1841 entered Guy's Hospital Medical S ...

*1873 Edward John Tilt *1875

William Overend Priestley Sir William Overend Priestley (24 June 1829 – 11 April 1900) was a British physician and Conservative Party politician. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities from 1896 to 1900. Priestley was born ...

*1877 Charles West *1879

William Smoult Playfair Dr William Smoult Playfair FRCP (27 July 1836 – 13 August 1903) was a leading Scottish obstetric physician and academic. In 1896 a trial, Kitson v. Plafair, found against him for a breach of medical confidentiality. Biography Playfair was ...

*1881

James Matthews Duncan Dr James Matthews Duncan FRS FRSE FRCP FRCPE LLD (April 1826 – 1 September 1890) was a Scottish physician, known as a practitioner of and author on obstetrics. Life The fifth child of William Duncan, a merchant, and his wife Isabella Matthe ...

*1883 Henry Gervis *1885 John Baptiste Potter *1887

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

*1889 Alfred Lewis Galabin *1891 James Watt Black *1893 George Ernest Herman *1895 Francis Henry Champneys *1897 Charles James Cullingworth *1899 Alban Doran *1901 Peter Horrocks *1903 Edward Malins *1905 William Radford Dakin *1907 Herbert Ritchie Spencer, who became President of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Section of the Royal Society of Medicine after the merger.''Herbert Spencer, M.D., LL.D., F.R.C.P. Consulting Obstetric Physician, University College Hospital'', The British Medical Journal Vol. 2, No. 4210 (Sep. 13, 1941), pp. 389-390, at p. 389. Published by: BMJ. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20321096

Notes

{{authority control Scientific societies based in the United Kingdom Medical and health organisations based in London 1858 establishments in England 1907 disestablishments in England Medical associations based in the United Kingdom Scientific organizations established in 1858 Science and technology in London Obstetrics and gynaecology organizations 1858 in London