Society of Physicians in London

Society of Physicians in London

Founding of the Society

Year Authority / Notes

1754 In an article (by Helen Brock) on Clephane, John (1701/2-1758), physician in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "He was an original member of the Society of London Physicians, founded in 1754 . . . ."
Helen Brock, 'Clephane, John (1701/2-1758)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5611, accessed 16 May 2005]
In an article (by Margaret DeLacy) on Fothergill, John (1712-1780), physician and naturalist in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "Among Fothergill's Edinburgh friends was the surgeon William Hunter, who settled in London about 1746; they collaborated on many efforts, including the formation of a society of physicians modelled on the Edinburgh Medical Society. Between 1757 and 1784 this group, which never adopted an official name, published six volumes of transactions under the title Medical Observations and Inquiries."
Margaret DeLacy, 'Fothergill, John (1712-1780)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/9979, accessed 16 May 2005]
In an article (by Helen Brock) on Hunter, William (1718-1783), physician, anatomist, and man-midwife in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "In 1754 Hunter became a member of the Society of London Physicians, which in 1757 started publishing Medical Observations and Inquiries, in which he was to publish some of his important cases and, on behalf of former pupils, forty-four accounts of interesting cases they had sent him."
Helen Brock, 'Hunter, William (1718-1783)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14234, accessed 16 May 2005]
From the above three articles, we conclude that the Society was founded in 1754 on the model of a Society identified as the Edinburgh Medical Society (the student society whose name later became Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh). The two articles by Helen Brock refer to the Society as the Society of London Physicians, whilst the article by Margaret DeLacy indicate that the Society never adopted an official name. Its journal indicates that it is the work of a Society of Physicians in London, the indefinite article a suggesting that the latter was indeed not a formal name.
The Society appears to have survived until at least 1793, as shown by the following title in the COPAC cat.: List of the Society of Physicians, 1793. The second edition of v.6 of its journal was issued in 1812; it is not clear whether this means that the Society was still active in 1812, or whether the publication of the 2nd edition of v.6 was undertaken by a publisher acting alone.
It is interesting to note that a record in the Bibliot. Nat. France cat. indicates that the French translation of the Society's journal continues in part Essais et Observations de Médecine de la Société d'Édimbourg [see Philosophical Society of Edinburgh]. This seems to suggest some sort of connection between the two Societies.
Furthermore, According to the entry (by George Thomas Bettany) for Hunter, William (1718-1783) in the DNB (1921-1922), v.10, pp.302-305, "On 30 Sept. 1756 he was admitted a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of London, and soon afterwards was elected a member of the Society of Physicians, the parent of the Medical Society." This would appear to suggest that the Society of Physicians in London, or some members thereof, was responsible for the founding of the Medical Society of London in 1773.

Seat of the Society

City Authority / Notes

London
England This location is supported by the name of the Society.

Name of the Society

Dates Name Authority

1757 - 1793 Society of Physicians in London Its publications.

Journals of the Society

Years Full Journal Title Abbrev. Indexed
1757 - 1784
(Vol.1 - 6)

A Medical Observations and Inquiries / by a Society of Physicians in London
First Edition: There is a record in the Univ. Coll. London cat. for the 1st edition of this journal with numbering 1757 - 1784 (Vol.1 - 6).
Second Edition: There is a record in the Harvard Univ. cat. that lists a 2nd edition of this journal with numbering 1758 - 1812 (Vol.1 - 6). There is a record in the Cambridge Univ. cat. for for the 1st 5 v. of a 2nd corrected edition that enumerates the dates on which those 5 volumes were published: 1758, 1764, 1769, 1772 and 1779.
Third Edition: There is a record in the Univ. Birmingham cat. that refers to a 3rd edition of Vol. 1 published in 1763. There is a record in the GBV German Union cat. for a 3rd corrected edition published in 1763.
Fourth Edition: There is a record in the Univ. Birmingham cat. that refers to a 4th edition of Vol.1 published in 1771. There is a record in the GBV German Union cat. for a 4th corrected edition of Vol.1 published 1764-1776.
Aa was a German translation of the the 1st edition of this journal.
Ab was a French translation of part of this run, perhaps only the first volume.
[Univ. Coll. London cat.; Harvard Univ. cat.; Cambridge Univ. cat.; Univ. Birmingham cat.; GBV German Union cat.] Med. Obs. and Enq., by a Soc. of Physicians in Lond.
[J. Stat. Soc. Lond., Vol. 11, No. 2 (May, 1848), p.175 cites 1775.]
Med. Obs. Soc. Phys. Lond.
[Notes Records Roy. Soc., Vol. 30, No. 1 (Jul., 1975), p.22 cites 5 (1771-1776).]
Med. Obser.
[Pogg., v.1, col.304 cites vol. IV.]
Med. Observat. — by a Soc. of Physic. in London
[Reuss, v.3, p.46 cites Vol.2.]
Med. Observat. by a Soc. of Physic. in London
[Reuss, v.10, p.21 cites Vol.2; v.10, p.52 cites Vol.3; v.10, p.30 cites Vol.4; v.10, p.107 cites Vol.5; v.10, p.90 cites Vol.6.]
Medical Observations
[Phil. Trans., Vol. 53 (1763), p.24 cites Vol. I.] Pogg.
Reuss

1759 - 1787
(1. - 7.)

Aa Medicinische Bemerkungen und Untersuchungen einer Gesellschaft von Aerzten in London
According to the record in the GBV German Union cat. this is a German translation of the 1st edition of A.
[GBV German Union cat.]

1764
(1 Vol.)

Ab Observations et Recherches Médicales par une Société de Médecins de Londres. Ouvrage servant de suite aux Essais d'Édimbourg...
One record in the Bibliot. Nat. France cat. indicates that this publication continues in part Essais et Observations de Médecine de la Société d'Édimbourg [see Philosophical Society of Edinburgh].
Another record in the Bibliot. Nat. France cat. indicates that the translation was done by Bourru, Edme-Claude.
According to a record in the GBV German Union cat., this volume was a French translation of A; it is not clear whether this French translation (dated 1764) covers more than the first volume of the English original.
[Bibliot. Nat. France cat.; GBV German Union cat.]

Society of Physicians in London
Founding of the Society
Year	Authority / Notes
1754	In an article (by Helen Brock) on Clephane, John (1701/2-1758), physician in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "He was an original member of the Society of London Physicians, founded in 1754 . . . ." Helen Brock, 'Clephane, John (1701/2-1758)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5611, accessed 16 May 2005] In an article (by Margaret DeLacy) on Fothergill, John (1712-1780), physician and naturalist in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "Among Fothergill's Edinburgh friends was the surgeon William Hunter, who settled in London about 1746; they collaborated on many efforts, including the formation of a society of physicians modelled on the Edinburgh Medical Society. Between 1757 and 1784 this group, which never adopted an official name, published six volumes of transactions under the title Medical Observations and Inquiries." Margaret DeLacy, 'Fothergill, John (1712-1780)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/9979, accessed 16 May 2005] In an article (by Helen Brock) on Hunter, William (1718-1783), physician, anatomist, and man-midwife in the electronic version of the Dictionary of National Biography, we read: "In 1754 Hunter became a member of the Society of London Physicians, which in 1757 started publishing Medical Observations and Inquiries, in which he was to publish some of his important cases and, on behalf of former pupils, forty-four accounts of interesting cases they had sent him." Helen Brock, 'Hunter, William (1718-1783)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14234, accessed 16 May 2005] From the above three articles, we conclude that the Society was founded in 1754 on the model of a Society identified as the Edinburgh Medical Society (the student society whose name later became Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh). The two articles by Helen Brock refer to the Society as the Society of London Physicians, whilst the article by Margaret DeLacy indicate that the Society never adopted an official name. Its journal indicates that it is the work of a Society of Physicians in London, the indefinite article a suggesting that the latter was indeed not a formal name. The Society appears to have survived until at least 1793, as shown by the following title in the COPAC cat.: *List of the Society of Physicians, 1793. The second edition of v.6 of its journal was issued in 1812; it is not clear whether this means that the Society was still active in 1812, or whether the publication of the 2nd edition of v.6 was undertaken by a publisher acting alone. It is interesting to note that a record in the Bibliot. Nat. France cat. indicates that the French translation of the Society's journal continues in part Essais et Observations de Médecine de la Société d'Édimbourg* [see Philosophical Society of Edinburgh]. This seems to suggest some sort of connection between the two Societies. Furthermore, According to the entry (by George Thomas Bettany) for Hunter, William (1718-1783) in the DNB (1921-1922), v.10, pp.302-305, "On 30 Sept. 1756 he was admitted a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of London, and soon afterwards was elected a member of the Society of Physicians, the parent of the Medical Society." This would appear to suggest that the Society of Physicians in London, or some members thereof, was responsible for the founding of the Medical Society of London in 1773.
Seat of the Society
City	Authority / Notes
London England	This location is supported by the name of the Society.
Name of the Society
Dates	Name	Authority
1757 - 1793	*Society of Physicians in London*	Its publications.

Journals of the Society
Years	Full Journal Title	Abbrev.	Indexed
1757 - 1784 (Vol.1 - 6) A	*Medical Observations and Inquiries / by a Society of Physicians in London* First Edition: There is a record in the Univ. Coll. London cat. for the 1st edition of this journal with numbering 1757 - 1784 (Vol.1 - 6). Second Edition: There is a record in the Harvard Univ. cat. that lists a 2nd edition of this journal with numbering 1758 - 1812 (Vol.1 - 6). There is a record in the Cambridge Univ. cat. for for the 1st 5 v. of a 2nd corrected edition that enumerates the dates on which those 5 volumes were published: 1758, 1764, 1769, 1772 and 1779. Third Edition: There is a record in the Univ. Birmingham cat. that refers to a 3rd edition of Vol. 1 published in 1763. There is a record in the GBV German Union cat. for a 3rd corrected edition published in 1763. Fourth Edition: There is a record in the Univ. Birmingham cat. that refers to a 4th edition of Vol.1 published in 1771. There is a record in the GBV German Union cat. for a 4th corrected edition of Vol.1 published 1764-1776. Aa was a German translation of the the 1st edition of this journal. Ab was a French translation of part of this run, perhaps only the first volume. [Univ. Coll. London cat.; Harvard Univ. cat.; Cambridge Univ. cat.; Univ. Birmingham cat.; GBV German Union cat.]	*Med. Obs. and Enq., by a Soc. of Physicians in Lond.* [J. Stat. Soc. Lond., Vol. 11, No. 2 (May, 1848), p.175 cites 1775.] *Med. Obs. Soc. Phys. Lond.* [Notes Records Roy. Soc., Vol. 30, No. 1 (Jul., 1975), p.22 cites 5 (1771-1776).] *Med. Obser.* [Pogg., v.1, col.304 cites vol. IV.] *Med. Observat. — by a Soc. of Physic. in London* [Reuss, v.3, p.46 cites Vol.2.] *Med. Observat. by a Soc. of Physic. in London* [Reuss, v.10, p.21 cites Vol.2; v.10, p.52 cites Vol.3; v.10, p.30 cites Vol.4; v.10, p.107 cites Vol.5; v.10, p.90 cites Vol.6.] *Medical Observations* [Phil. Trans., Vol. 53 (1763), p.24 cites Vol. I.]	*Pogg.* *Reuss*
1759 - 1787 (1. - 7.) Aa	*Medicinische Bemerkungen und Untersuchungen einer Gesellschaft von Aerzten in London* According to the record in the GBV German Union cat. this is a German translation of the 1st edition of A. [GBV German Union cat.]
1764 (1 Vol.) Ab	*Observations et Recherches Médicales par une Société de Médecins de Londres. Ouvrage servant de suite aux Essais d'Édimbourg...* One record in the Bibliot. Nat. France cat. indicates that this publication continues in part *Essais et Observations de Médecine de la Société d'Édimbourg* [see Philosophical Society of Edinburgh]. Another record in the Bibliot. Nat. France cat. indicates that the translation was done by Bourru, Edme-Claude. According to a record in the GBV German Union cat., this volume was a French translation of A; it is not clear whether this French translation (dated 1764) covers more than the first volume of the English original. [Bibliot. Nat. France cat.; GBV German Union cat.]