The Osler Club of London is a society founded in 1928 to encourage the study of the

history of medicine The history of medicine is both a study of medicine throughout history as well as a multidisciplinary field of study that seeks to explore and understand medical practices, both past and present, throughout human societies. More than just histo ...

, particularly amongst medical students, and to keep "green the memory of

Sir William Osler Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet, (; July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919) was a Canadian physician and one of the "Big Four" founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Osler created the first residency program for specialty training of phys ...

". Membership in the club is open to medical men and women, medical students, and persons associated with the history of medicine and in allied sciences.

Origins

The Club was founded by a group of British gentlemen, considered part of a medical elite and pursuing the same ideals. They were following the "Oslerian legacy" which was reflected in their activities. Osler was the "ideal British gentleman" who showed concern, commitment, and loyalty to both patients and colleagues. His interest in books and the history of medicine were emphasised, particularly in the first 10 years of the Club. The most influential Club founder was probably

Alfred White Franklin Alfred White Franklin FRCP (2 June 1905 – 20 September 1984) was an English neonatologist and paediatrician who edited numerous books on child abuse, founded the British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, kept ...

. In 1926, whilst a medical student, Franklin had crossed the Atlantic with the Cambridge University Medical Society. His experiences of the hospitality he and his colleagues met with at various American and Canadian cities was reflected in his notes, describing the importance of maintaining contact, "sympathy and cooperation between the English-speaking peoples that is so essential for international peace". A selection of men, from places connected with Sir William, had "met the spirit of Osler". By 1927, Franklin and his friend Walter Reginald Bett had visited Sir William's literary executor and nephew, W.W. Francis, at Sir William's house in Oxford, been seduced by "Oslerolatry", and in response, drawn up a plan to form the "Osler Club". T. F. McNair Scott, G. W. Pickering, H. E. Mansell, and C.F. Watts also became founding members. The Osler Club of London was among the first organisations to be founded in Osler's name. The first meeting of the Club was held on 30 April 1928 around the drawing room fireplace in Franklin's father's house at 27

Wimpole Street Wimpole Street is a street in Marylebone, central London. Located in the City of Westminster, it is associated with private medical practice and medical associations. No. 1 Wimpole Street is an example of Edwardian baroque architecture, compl ...

, London. In attendance was

Charles Singer Charles Joseph Singer (2 November 1876 – 10 June 1960) was a British History of science, historian of science, technology, and medicine. He served as Royal Army Medical Corps, medical officer in the British Army. Biography Early years Singe ...

, the conservator of the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, L. W. G. Malcolm, and six medical students. They listened to a paper on the "Life and Work of

Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, the latter of which was named afte ...

". The Club was one of the four original affiliated members of the

British Society for the History of Medicine The British Society for the History of Medicine (BSHM) is an umbrella organisation of History of medicine societies throughout the United Kingdom, with particular representation to the International Society for the History of Medicine. It has grown ...

. Its first president was Sir Zachary Cope. Between 1928 and 1938, a total of 71 meetings were held, with an initial average attendance of 17 people. However, in the years before the Second World War, only a few meetings were held and none took place during the war.

Thomas Cotton room

Without a firm base, the Club met at various venues in addition to the Franklin home, including the

Medical Society of London The Medical Society of London is one of the oldest surviving medical societies (being organisations of voluntary association, rather than regulation or training) in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1773 by the Quaker physician and philanthrop ...

Wellcome Institute The Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine (1968–1999) was a London centre for the study and teaching of medical history. It consisted of the Wellcome Library and an Academic Unit. The former was and is a world-class library collection ...

, 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 ...

, and 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 ...

(RCP). In 1949, the annual dinner was held at the Royal College of Surgeons. In 1957, the Club met at the Medical Society of London. A substantial bequest from the estate of cardiologist Thomas Forrest Cotton enabled the Club to secure a permanent home when the RCP's dining room was named the Osler Room, and the Thomas Cotton Room was established to store the library, archives, and other possessions of the Club. Along with this, the RCP permitted use of their premises for Club events.

Activities

The Club meets on average once every two months, when a members' paper is presented, consisting of original research on the history of medicine and associated subjects. Reflecting Osler's humanistic approach, topics are not solely confined to the history of medicine, and past contributions have touched on ethics, law, and modern changes affecting society and medicine. At the annual general meeting in 1970, Dr

Norah Schuster Norah Henriette Schuster FRCPath (14 July 1892 – 14 March 1991) was a British pathologist and the first woman to take the pre-clinical medical course at the University of Cambridge. She was the first woman to be appointed as a doctor at the M ...

presented a talk on "That Picture", a portrait of Alexander, Emperor of the Russias, painted by

James Northcote James Northcote (22 October 1746, in Plymouth – 13 July 1831, in London) was a British painter. Life and work Northcote was born in Plymouth, and was apprenticed to his father, Samuel Northcote, a watchmaker. In his spare time, he drew and ...

in 1820. Meetings are carried out under

Chatham House Rules Under the Chatham House Rule, anyone who comes to a meeting is free to use information from the discussion, but is not allowed to reveal who made any particular comment. It is designed to increase openness of discussion. The rule is a system for h ...

whereby members are free to use anything heard at the meeting but are not allowed to reveal its source.

Worldwide

There are Osler clubs in the United States, Canada, Japan, Argentina, and elsewhere around the world.

Notable members

Zachary Cope Sir Vincent Zachary Cope MD MS FRCS (14 February 1881 – 28 December 1974) was an English physician, surgeon, author, historian and poet perhaps best known for authoring the book ''Cope's Early Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen'' from 1921 until ...

* W. S. C. Copeman * George W. Pickering *

D'Arcy Power Sir D'Arcy Power, (11 November 1855 in Pimlico, London - 18 May 1941) was a British surgeon, medical historian, and contributor of some 200 articles on famous surgeons and other related figures to the ''Dictionary of National Biography''. Med ...

Humphry Rolleston Sir Humphry Davy Rolleston, 1st Baronet, (21 June 1862 – 23 September 1944) was a prominent English physician. Rolleston was the son of George Rolleston (Linacre Professor of Physiology at Oxford) and Grace Davy, daughter of John Davy an ...

Shigeaki Hinohara was a Japanese physician. In 1941 he began his long working association with St. Luke's International Hospital in central Tokyo and worked as a medical doctor throughout the wartime firebombing of the city. From 1990 he served as the hospital's ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Clubs and societies in London History of medicine in the United Kingdom Medical and health organisations based in England 1928 establishments in England William Osler