Robert Barnes (4 September 1817 – 12 May 1907) was an English obstetric physician, known as a gynaecologist, teacher, author and medical politician.

Life

Born at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

on 4 September 1817, he was second son and second child of the six children of Philip Barnes, an architect, by his wife Harriet Futter, daughter of a Norfolk squire. Educated at

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

from 1826 to 1830 and at home, where one of his tutors was

George Borrow George Henry Borrow (5 July 1803 – 26 July 1881) was an English writer of novels and of travel based on personal experiences in Europe. His travels gave him a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe, who figure strongly in his work. Hi ...

, Barnes began his medical career in 1832 as an apprentice in Norwich to Dr. Richard Griffin. When his family moved to London he studied at

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

, the Windmill Street school, and at

St. George's Hospital St George's Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Tooting, London. Founded in 1733, it is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals and one of the largest hospitals in Europe. It is run by the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundatio ...

. Becoming a member of 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 1842, Barnes spent a year in Paris, where he concentrated on

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

; on his return to London he settled in general practice in Notting Hill. His ambition at this point was to become a medical teacher: he lectured at the

Hunterian School of Medicine Great Windmill Street is a thoroughfare running north–south in Soho, London, crossed by Shaftesbury Avenue. The street has had a long association with music and entertainment, most notably the Windmill Theatre, and is now home to the Ripley ...

and on forensic medicine at Dermott's School, and was obstetric surgeon to the Western general dispensary. He graduated M.D. London in 1848, and in 1853 became L.R.C.P. and in 1859 F.R.C.P. On 1 April 1859, Barnes was elected assistant obstetric physician, and on 14 July 1863 obstetric physician, to the

London Hospital The Royal London Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is part of Barts Health NHS Trust. It provides district general hospital services for the City of London and Tower Hamlets and spe ...

. He moved on 24 April 1865 to a similar post at St. Thomas's Hospital, where he had lectured on

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 ...

since April 1862. In 1875, he left St. Thomas's Hospital, where he was dean of the medical school, to become obstetric physician at

; there he was elected consulting obstetric physician in 1885. He had also acted as physician to the Seamen's Hospital, the East London Hospital for Children, and the Royal Maternity Hospital. Barnes took a prominent part in founding the

Obstetrical Society of London 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 founding group included James Hobson Ave ...

in 1858 and was president in 1865–6. But a dispute with the council of this society led him in 1884 to establish the British Gynæcological Society, of which he was honorary president until his death. The older society was hostile to the performance of

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 ...

and other operations by obstetricians. Barnes was one of the pioneers of operative gynæcology, and prevailed: the two societies were united in the obstetrical and gynæcological section of 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 ...

in 1907. At the

London 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 ...

Barnes delivered the

Lumleian lectures 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 endowe ...

''On Convulsive Diseases in Women'' in 1873 and was censor (1877–8). He was elected honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1883; of 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 ...

in 1893 (he had given the Lettsomian lectures in 1858), and of the

Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society The Medical and Chirurgical Society of London was a learned society of physicians and surgeons which was founded in 1805 by 26 personalities in these fields who had left the Medical Society of London (founded 1773) because of disagreement with the ...

at the centenary meeting of 1905. A leading teacher and gynæcologist in London, Barnes was a rival of

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 ...

both in debates at the Obstetrical Society, and in practice. He was also a director of the

Prudential Assurance Company Prudential plc is a British multinational insurance company headquartered in London, England. It was founded in London in May 1848 to provide loans to professional and working people. Prudential has dual primary listings on the London Stock E ...

(1848–9; 1884–1907), amassed a fortune, and gave to medical institutions including St. George's Hospital, where the pathological laboratory was called after him. He died at

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...

on 12 May 1907, and was buried there.

Works

Barnes was author of: * ''Obstetrical Operations'', 1870; 3rd ed. 1876; translated into French. * ''Medical and Surgical Diseases of Women'', 1873; translated into French. * ''Obstetric Medicine and Surgery'', 2 vols. (with his son,

Fancourt Barnes Fancourt is a surname. People with this surname include: *Daisy Fancourt (born 1990), British associate professor of psychobiology and epidemiology *Darrell Fancourt (1886–1953), English bass-baritone and actor *Samuel Fancourt Samuel Fancourt ...

), 1884. * ''Causes of Puerperal Fever'', 1887. In early life Barnes contributed to ''

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823. The journal publishes original research articles, ...

''. He wrote also 32 papers in the ''Transactions of the Obstetrical Society'', and an official report on

scurvy Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...

at the Seamen's Hospital, 1864.

Family

Barnes married: # Eliza Fawkener, daughter of a London solicitor; and # Alice Maria, daughter of Captain W. G. Hughes, of Carmarthenshire, D.L. and J.P. for that county. By his first wife he had one son, Dr. R. S. Fancourt Barnes, and two daughters, and by his second wife one son and one daughter.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Robert 1817 births 1907 deaths 19th-century English medical doctors English medical writers Medical doctors from Norwich