From Brist
Med-Chi J. 1907, XXV: 97, p 222 – 235
THE MEDICAL READING SOCIETY of BRISTOL
BY
L. M. GRIFFITHS,
M.R.C.S. Eng., L.R.C.P. Ed.
RARELY will it be
possible to chronicle the doings for a hundred years of a society that has never
at any time had a larger membership than twelve. But as the opportunity has
recently occurred in this city, such an event should not be passed over without
some comment, as the history of a Medical Society during such a long period
cannot fail to bring out many interesting points.
On March 28th, 1807, some medical men of Bristol
decided to form "The Medical Reading Society, for the purpose of promoting
medical knowledge and a friendly intercourse among its members, and for
purchasing medical books." Some practical rules, very similar to those of
most book or magazine clubs, received the approval of these eleven members1:
THOMAS JERMYN, Surgeon and
Apothecary, 17 Queen Square.
HENRY DANIEL, Surgeon, 52
Queen Square.
RICHARD EDGELL, Surgeon, 68
College Street.
BENJAMIN SPENCER, Surgeon
and Apothecary, Paul Street, Kingsdown.
WILLIAM MORTIMER.
ROBERT LAX.
BENJAMIN GUSTAVUS BURROUGHS,
Apothecary, Portland Place, Clifton.
JOSEPH MAURICE, Apothecary
and Man-Midwife, Upper Maudlin Lane.
WILLIAM HETLING, Surgeon, 18
Orchard Street.
NATHANIEL SMITH, Surgeon, 34
College Green.
JOHN BISHOP ESTLIN.
The members were to meet at one another's houses once
a month2 at half-past six o'clock. When the names were called over
at seven, anyone then absent was to be fined one shilling. The fine for
retaining a book longer than the time allowed was fixed at three pence each
day. At the end of the year the books out of circulation were to be sold by
auction, and any work not realising more than half its cost was to be taken at
that price by the member who proposed it. It was considered necessary to insert
in the rules that no druggist should be admitted into the Society, and it was
laid down that no one should be elected a member except by a unanimous vote.
One rule stated that " Each member shall keep an account of the books
received by him and to whom forwarded, which account shall be regularly sent to
the monthly meetings at or before seven o'clock." Omission to do this
involved a penalty, apparently five shillings and half a crown at different
times. The book in which the member was supposed to keep this record was
afterwards known as "his green register," and notes about it
frequently occur in the minutes and rules3.
The table which accompanies these notes gives the
names of all the members4 during the hundred
years, together with the dates when they became, and when they ceased to be,
members, and also shows the constitution of the Society at each change of
membership. As the minute-book from April 21st, 1813, to January 20th, 1823, is
missing5, there is some uncertainty about the dates of that period,
and these are printed in italic. They may be taken as approximately correct, as
the cash-book from 1817 and some of the fine-lists and sale-lists from 1818 to
1823 are in existence6. It will be
noticed that only on rare occasions have the members been less than their full
number for more than a short period. The Society has been so attractive, that
men have often had to wait a long time for admission. There was no vacancy
between 1894 and 1906.
The minute books do not
record much more than the election and absence of members and the names of the
books proposed. It has been the custom for a long time for the secretary for
the year to close his term of office by giving at the January meeting a dinner
to the members. When this was introduced does not appear in the minutes.
It would naturally be
expected that a society of enthusiasts such as those forming the Medical Reading
Society would procure the most recent literature concerning any new development
connected with the healing art. On January 20th, 1808, Willan's book on Vaccine
Inoculation, published in 1806, was ordered.
It was not till February
1808, that a twelfth member was proposed. Then Barton7 was
nominated, but at the following meeting his name was withdrawn, in consequence
of a prior application made by Jermyn on behalf of Sheppard8, who,
however, was not elected, because at the April meeting, after he had been twice
balloted for, he did not receive a unanimous vote. At the June meeting,
therefore, Barton was again brought forward, but met with the same fate as
Sheppard after the vote had been twice taken. At the August meeting an
acceptable member was found, when J. C. Swayne9 was elected. From
November till this date the Society had practically only ten members, as leave
of absence had been granted to Estlin, who had gone to Edinburgh, and was away
till this meeting.
Further interest in the vaccination question was
apparent in 1809. At the June meeting Thomas Brown's Inquiry into the Anti-variolous
Power of Vaccination (throwing doubts on its efficacy) was ordered, and in
the following month the Society unanimously agreed to have (1) The Report on
Cow-pock Inoculation from the Practice of the Vaccine-Pock Institution, by
Pearson, Nihell, and Nelson, and any other statement by that Society; (2) The
Address of the Royal Jennerian Society, instituted 1803; and (3) A
Statement of Evidence from Trials by Inoculation of Variolous and Vaccine
Malter by the Physicians of the original Vaccine-Pock Institution, Established
Dec. 1799 10, printed in 1804. In January, 1810, the
second edition of Bryce on the cow-pock was ordered 11.
For facilitating the work of the member who had at
the end of the year to compute the fines, an entry was always made of the
absence of the "green register." At the meeting at Maurice's on May
26th, 1810, Estlin appealed against the fine being levied in his case, as
"his book was on the table from seven to eight o'clock, and was then
removed to another room in the house."
At this period, and for some time afterwards, it was
the custom for the names of both present and absent members to be entered in
the minute-book. For the benefit of the future historian of the Society, it is
much to be wished that this practice should be restored, as it enables one to
see at a glance the composition of the Society at any date. On December 21st,
1810, the cause of Jermyn's absence is stated to be " ill health:' and on
January 18th, both he and Spencer are among the absentees. There is no entry
about the withdrawal of either of them, but as their names do not appear again,
it may be taken for granted that this is about the date of their resignation.
Crang12 was elected in February and Baker13 in March.
By rule of the Society, each original member paid a
subscription of one guinea, and future members were in addition to pay an
entrance fee of one guinea. Although there is no record of it in the minute book,
it would appear that at the beginning of 1811 the entrance fee was raised to
two guineas, for in the accounts for that year the contributions of Crang and
Baker are entered at three guineas each. At the annual meeting on January 17th,
1812, it was resolved "that the funds of the Society, after the payment of
last year's accounts, should be equally divided amongst the respective
members". This resulted in the payment o £4 5s 111/2d to each member except Daniel, who, probably in
correction of some error in his previous account, received £4 13s 111/2d. Daniel, who was the proposer of this distribution
of the funds, resigned his membership in March, when Edgell also withdrew. At
the next meeting Smith and Lax left the Society. It looks as if there was some
rift in the lute, for then only five of the original members were left, and
when, at the meeting in May, Crang withdrew, there had been five resignations
in two months. At this May meeting a Committee, which had been appointed in the
previous month, should have reported concerning the claims of the Society upon
those gentlemen who had withdrawn, but there is no record in the minutes of
their report, which no doubt was presented, as in the following December a
special note was sent to Crang, who had refused to pay his fines.
The Society was evidently anxious at this time to
have as members only those who would give it strength, for in May, when there
were five vacancies, the name of William Maurice was withdrawn on account of
his absence from the country. But Stock14 and Prichard15 were then elected, and at
the June meeting Sheppard, who had failed at the ballot in April, 1808, was
received into the Society; but although there were two vacancies, the Society
would not have either Porter16, who had been proposed in May, or
Perry17, who was balloted for in July; and the same fate awaited the
younger Gold18 on January 15th,
1813, on which date
the resolution appears affirming the entrance-fee for new members at two
guineas, although Prichard, Stock, and Sheppard were, to be asked to pay only
one guinea each19.
When the membership was only ten, the first
minute-book closes with the meeting of April 21st, 1813. After this date
reference should be made to the tabulated list for the dates of the election
and departure of each member.
Whether any members were elected and withdrew during
the ensuing four years it is impossible to say, for the next extant record of
the Society is the statement of accounts for 1817, presented at the annual
meeting on January 20th, 1818. In this are the names of William Swayne and
Gold. The annual subscription was then half a guinea.
The sale-list of January,
1818, affords the information that the Society did not limit itself to medical
literature, for it contains The Quarterly Review, The Edinburgh
Review, and The British Review.
Between this date and March,
1823, when it was discontinued, the newspaper called The Literary Gazette
had been ordered, and also the Westminster Gazette, for which a member
held himself responsible.
When the rules were revised in I820, the meetings
were held on the third Saturday in every month from half-past six20 till eight o'clock; the entrance fee was confirmed at
two guineas, and the subscription was to be the amount necessary to defray the
expenses.
Till 1823 it was a rule that
the meetings should be held in the city; but on April 17th, when Hetling
proposed to receive the Society either at his own house or at Reeves's Hotel21,
it was resolved that the meeting should be at his house, 24 Royal York
Crescent, to which he had just moved from 18 Orchard Street; and it was further
resolved that as Goodeve was a resident in Clifton, living at 22 Mall, he
should not be expected to receive the Society in Bristol. The distinction
between Bristol and Clifton seems to have been up to this time rigidly
maintained, and it was not till the Reform Act came into force in 1832 that
ClIfton was added to the parliamentary borough. In 1835 it was included in the
municipal area.
In December, 1823, the Lancet,
the first number of which was dated Sunday, October 5th, 1823, was ordered from
the commencement, but in the following February " it was resolved that
the Lancet is a publication unfit for this Society, and that it be
discontinued. "
The fine for non-attendance,
after having been increased at some date not discoverable to two shillings for
absence during the whole meeting, was reduced to one shilling in January, 1825;
and in the following June the Society re-considered its action in reference to
the Lancet, and ordered it in half-bound volumes, giving the impression
that thus the members would receive less contamination than by touching the
unclean thing in weekly numbers. In September Howell22, Wilson23,
and Nathaniel Smith24 "were balloted for as members, and not received."
The two shilling fine for
non-attendance at eight o'clock was restored in January, 1826, when the Society
determined to take the Lancet again in numbers, and also to be responsible
for the Westminster Review.
The dissatisfaction of the
Society with the Lancet was again in evidence in August, 1828, when a
proposition was carried that “This Society, considering the Lancet as a
publication injurious to the respectability and best interests of the
profession and disgraceful to the medical men who conduct it, resolves that
its circulation in the Society be henceforth discontinued.”
In 1829 it was decided to
give up the Quarterly, Edinburgh, and Westminster Reviews.
At the annual meeting in
January, 1831, the hour of meeting was altered to eight instead of seven, and
in 1834 the day was changed to the first Wednesday of each month, and it has
remained so till the present time.
At this time it was resolved
to take again the Literary Gazette, which the Society had been without
since March, 1823.
An attempt to reintroduce
the Lancet failed in January, 1835, but was successful at the next
annual meeting in 1836, when it was also decided to subscribe for the British
and Foreign Quarterly Review.
A rule that no accumulated
fines on a book should exceed one half of its prime cost was carried in
January, 1837, and in the following year it was decided to abolish the second
fine of one shilling imposed on absentees from the meetings, but at the next
annual meeting it was again restored.
It was unanimously resolved
on January 8th, 1840, to discontinue the "Green Register25."
At the next annual meeting the Society ordered the Provincial Medical and
Surgical Journal26, but resolved again to give up the Literary
Gazette.
Nothing of importance is
recorded in the minutes from this time till January, 1846, when the following
propositions were carried unanimously: (1) That Sunday be a "dies
non;" (2) That the days of transfer be Monday and Thursday, and that the
period of detaining a book be always three days or a multiple of three days;
(3) That the Green Register be restored. 3 It was also determined
once more to give up the Lancet.
In January, 1847, it was
resolved" that Mr. Coates (who had resigned in 1837) be allowed to read
the books when out of circulation upon the payment of one guinea per
annum."
In January, 1848, the Lancet
seems to have been again taken on the condition of one member being responsible
for it. At the April meeting we can imagine that a lively discussion took
place, for it is recorded that three gentlemen, "tho' 3 minutes after time
by the institution clock, pleaded being in time by their watches, and it was
determined by 5 to 4 that they should not be fined."
In the minutes of February,
1849, there is a vague record concerning" Nathaniel Smith, who was
proposed and seconded," but there is no note of his rejection, and he was
certainly not elected. As he had failed at the ballot in 1825, this was his second
unsuccessful attempt to re-enter the Society, from which he had withdrawn in
1812. The vacancy for which he was nominated was not filled till March, 1850.
In 1854 the Society again
took the responsibility of the Lancet, as the member who had proposed it
in 1848 declined any longer to have it at half-price, but as a member was
willing upon that condition to take the Quarterly Review and the Edinburgh
Review, they were again circulated in the Society.
The Lancet, however,
remained in favour with the Society but a short time, for in April, 1854, it
was resolved "That in the Opinion of the members of this Society the
conduct of the Lancet of late (more especially with reference to the
proceedings in the case of Mr. Gay at the Royal Free Hospital) has not been
such as becomes the Journal claiming to be the organ of an enlightened and
honorable profession - and therefore, that it be discontinued." The
circumstances were connected with the dismissal of the well known surgeon, John
Gay, from the Hospital in December, 1853. This caused much indignation among
many members of the profession, and a meeting27 - at which it was
suggested that Thomas Henry Wakley, son of the editor of the Lancet, and
who was one of the surgeons at the Hospital, had had something to do with
it-was held on January 18th, 1854, to protest against the action of the
committee of the Hospital. The pages of the Lancet for the first half of
1854 are amply provided with very strong language on this subject.
On January 10th, 1855, there
is a note that" Mr. Swete28 was unanimously elected an honorary
member as successor to Mr. Coates29." No reason is stated for
the choice of Mr. Swete, who had never been in the Society. There is nothing in
the revised rules of 1820 or in the 1877 edition about honorary members; but a
resolution may have been passed between 1820 and 1823 in reference to them, and
this may have been in evidence at the time, although the minute-book for that
period has been lost. Coates had resigned in 1837 after a membership of less
than five years, and there is no record why the special privilege had been
conferred upon him. At this January, 1855, meeting Estlin, who had been in the
Society more than forty-seven years, resigned, and he was very properly made an
honorary member30. Upon this occasion the sins of the Lancet
had been partly condoned, and only eight months after the emphatic resolution
condemning it, it was again ordered for the Society, but only on the undertaking
of a member to purchase it at the sale at half-price.
At the October meeting in
1855, the Society, having to choose between William Budd and Sawer, elected the
former.
The annual meeting in
January, 1856, decided that the Society should take the Lancet.
A proposal that the Society
should no longer circulate the Quarterly Review and the Edinburgh
Review failed in January, 1857, to find a seconder; and at the next annual
meeting the Athenaeum was added to the list on the same terms as the Reviews
were taken in 1854, but it remained only for twelve months. The same member who
had proposed the discontinuance of the Reviews failed again in 1857 to
secure it. In March it was resolved " that Mr. Goodeve be an associate of the
Society," on the understanding that he " should be liable for an
annual subscription, but not for fines;" but the minutes afford no
information as to the reason of this step, which was no doubt taken on account
of his long membership31. Probably the connection by associateship,
for which there seems no provision in the rules, was a merely nominal one,
although. as he was not to be fined, it would appear that he was to receive the
books, perhaps after they had gone the round of the members.
The Society declined in
January, 1860, to add Bentley's Quarterly Review32 to the list, and in 1861 it
decided to give up the Quarterly Review and Edinburgh Review, which, however, were restored in 1864.
A new departure is
chronicled in July, 1864, when a subcommittee was appointed "to make
arrangements for the excursion," and in June, 1865, two members were
requested" to arrange for the annual expedition." A member of the
Society at the time recollects going to Aust, where they dined and geologised,
but no information is forthcoming in reference to the other outing, and probably
there were only these two.
The desire for high-class
periodical literature other than medical was frequently manifested, and in
January, 1869, the Revue des Deux Mondes was ordered, but remained on the list only till January, 1870, when with
the Quarterly
Review and the Edinburgh Review it was discontinued.
Social changes made it
desirable to alter the hour for meeting, and in January, 1871, it was decided
to make this nine o'clock instead of eight, and at that hour it has since
remained. And on December 4th, 1872, it was agreed that tile annual meeting
should be held in December instead of January, thus giving more opportunity
for the transaction of business than on the evening of the dinner. In the
revised rules, which were issued in 1877, the January meeting is called the
annual meeting, but in November 1878, the resolution of December 4th, 1872, was
re-adopted.
In January, 1881, the rule
referring to the fine-committee was elaborated with much detail, and in 1882 some minor
alterations about the election of secretary were adopted.
In order to facilitate the
ordering of books, it was agreed in 1883 to take in the Bookseller, a monthly trade-journal
giving dassified lists of new publications, and it was resolved that the
secretary should produce it at each meeting; but this useful periodical seems
to have been in favour for only one year.
In 1884 the Society decided
to make an effort to procure the portraits of all past members. This has
succeeded to some extent, and they are preserved in albums among the archives
of the Society33.
Greig Smith, at his
secretarial dinner in 1885, embellished the menu card with some lines of verse34. In 1891 the
Library of the Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Society was opened in the Literary
and Philosophic Club, and was moved to the Medical Department of University
College in 1893. The Reading Society, at its meeting in January, 1902, nobly
gave all its periodicals to the library, but in 1904 they" were presented to those members wishing to have them."
At the meeting on March 7th,
1907, "it was unanimously carried that to celebrate the centenary of the
Society, a dinner should be held on the day of meeting nearest to the date of
inauguration of the Society," and that past members be invited as guests
of the Society. In accordance with this resolution the twelve members of the
Society and six former members dined together at the Clifton Club on April 3rd
(a photograph
of this occasion is preserved in the minute-book).
Although the limited information
afforded by the records has made it impossible to provide anything like an
adequate history of the Society, it would be wrong to close this fragmentary
account without giving a full meed of praise to it for the indirect benefit
which it has conferred upon the local profession, whose indebtedness to it
should be distinctly recognised. During the long period of a hundred years a
small Society, numbering many scholarly and prominent men, has shown the
necessity, in keeping abreast of the times, of having constantly before it the
best literature obtainable, and its continuance is evidence that the needs of
an enlightened profession are not entirely met by the provision of an excellent
reference library, such as local medical practitioners have at their command,
but that it is essential that there should be the means of consulting desirable
books and periodicals at more leisure than is possible with a library which is
not a lending one.
The Society, now so strongly
representative of all that is best and highest in the profession, and with a
century's good work as its voucher, could, by taking the initiative in the
founding of a medical institute or club that would bring together practitioners
in closer professional and social relationship, add to the usefulness which
hitherto it has been able to achieve. Such an institution should elicit the
practical sympathy and hearty co-operation of the local profession, members of
which should see in it an opportunity for mutual help and encouragement in
their difficulties and disappointments; and the Society would have the
privilege of extending, in an ever-widening circle, the purpose of “promoting
medical knowledge and friendly intercourse,” which its originators set before
themselves as their object, and which succeeding generations have so well and
so honourably maintained.
Notes
1 The names are given in the order in
which the signatures to the rules occur. The descriptions and addresses are
from Mathews's Bristol Directory for 1807. In this the names of Mortimer and
Lax are not given, but in the 1808 Directory Lax appears as "Surgeon &
Apothecary, I I Queen
Square," and in that for 1809 there is an entry of " Berjew and
Mortimer. Surgeons & Apothecaries,
17 Bridge Street." The name of Estlin, who was the son of the Rev. John
Prior Estlin, Unitarian minister and master of a successful school at St.
Michael s Hill, is not in the professional list of the 1807 Directory, but
appears in that for 1809, when his residence is given as 2 Unity Street. Burroughs seems also to have
had a branch establishment, for there is an entry in 1807 of " Yea and
Burroughs, Apothecaries, Granby House, Hotwells, and Portland Place,
Clifton." Jermyn was one of the Surgeons at St. Peter's Hospital; Spencer
and Smith were two of the three " Extra Men-Midwifes" of the
Dispensary.
On May 15th, 1807, Bowles, one of the
surgeons at the Infirmary, died. On the following morning the Bristol Mirror
contained the applications of ten surgeons for the vacancy, amongst whom were
Jermyn, Daniel, Edgell, Lax, Hetling, and Smith. Apparently only three of the
ten persisted in their candidature, and Hetling was elected with 395 votes,
Lowe coming second with 167, and Smith third with 74. Another vacancy occurred
shortly after, and Lowe was elected in July; Daniel, Smith, and Edgell were
among the unsuccessful candidates.
2 The day has varied from time to time.
3 From the beginning of the Society a
ledger was to be kept by the secretary for the entry of all books received, and
by whom proposed and to whom and when they were sent. With the exception of a
few years these ·entries are in existence.
4 In a later number of the Journal it may
be possible to give some biographical notes concerning these, and the Editor
will be glad to receive anything of interest in connection with them. It will
be fairly easy to obtain information about some of those who were fortunate
enough to die before the issue of the Dictionary of National Biography, but
about many it will be a matter of great difficulty to present anything like a
connected account.
5 It is impossible to say when the volume
disappeared. It was not available in 1886, when the list of members was drawn
up for the purpose of getting portraits of past members
6 The cash-accounts are almost complete, but many of the fine-lists
-and sale-lists are wanting.
7
Charles Barton, Surgeon & Apothecary, 3 Hope Square.
8
Godwyn and Sheppard, Surgeons, Redcliff HilL
9, John C. Swayne, Surgeon, &c., 15 Cumberland Street.
10 The
Index-Catalogue, vol. XV., 1894, p. 523, has
1779 by mistake.
11 Some notes on the
important books ordered by the Society during the hundred years would be of
interest if space permitted.
12 "Crang, James, Surgeon, &c., 17
Queen Square."
13 “Baker;
Robert, Apothecary, 3 St. James's Square."
14 “Dr. J. E.
Stock, 6 Park Street."
15 “Dr. J. C. Prichard,
Berkeley Square."
16 Dr. VV.
Ogilvie Porter, 29 Portland Square, brother of Jane Porter who wrote The
Scottish Chiefs.
17 “Perry, Chas. James,
Surgeon and Apothecary, 13 North Street."
18 “Gold,
Francis, Junr., Apothecary, 7 College Green."
19 When Prichard rejoined the Society in
1832, he paid the entrance-fee of two guineas.
20 Altered before 1823 to seven o'clock.
21 Now the Turkish Baths.
22 Dr. John Howell, living at 45 Royal
York Crescent, was one of the physicians at the Clifton Dispensary, then at 1 Dowry Square.
23 'Wilson's name first appears in the
Directory for 1826 in partnership with Mortimer at 17 Bridge Street.
24
He had retired in 1812, and was evidently seeking re-election.
25 The precursor of the British Medical
Journal.
26 Among the Society's books are Morgan's
register from 1846 to the time he left the Society, in 1872; George Hetling's
from January, 1846, to December, 1847, and in the same volume William Cross's
from January, 1848, to January, 1870; Estlin's from May, 1846, to December,
1854, together with that of Hore, who succeeded him, from May, 1855, to
December, 1870 ; Brittan's from May, 1865, to November, 1873.
27 The secretary of the organisation of
this meeting was Harvey Ludlow, brother of Ebenezer Ludlow, successively
Resident Medical Officer and first Assistant-Physician at the Bristol Royal
Infirmary. The Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, at its meeting on March
1st, 1854, also decided to withdraw the Lancet from its list.
28 "E. H. Swete, surgeon, 1 Dowry
Parade," the author of Flora
Bristoliensis, 1854, on the title-page of which he is described as
"Lecturer on Botany at the Bristol Medical School." A search through
the minute books of the School has failed to discover any entry made about
him.]
29 The title of honorary member was a
misnomer, as Coates was required to pay an annual subscription (see p. 230).
The resolution of January, 1847, gave him no distinctive title. Mr. Swete paid
a guinea a year for two years.
30 Smerdon, who had been "acting
secretary" for thirty years, was made an honorary member upon his
resignation on account of illness in 1870. Crosby Leonard was elected an honorary
member in July, 1879, after a membership of nearly twenty years, but he lived
to enjoy the honour only). few months.
31 Goodeve had resigned in the previous
August after having been a member for 38 years.
32 This died after its second volume.
33 The following have not yet been
obtained, and the Society would be grateful for any help in securing them.
Jermyn, Gold, Stock, B. Spencer, J. Maurice, Bernard, Daniel, Gilby, W.
Maurice, Edgell, Sheppard, Howell, Lax, Baker, King. Arrangements would be made
for photographing any portraits that may be lent for the purpose.
34 Lines
composed by Mr Greig Smith to embellish the Menu Card at his secretarial
dinner, 7th January 1885.
ESTO MIHI, ERO TIBI.
Twelve Medicos
of high renown,
in this our
ancient. Western Town,
harmoniously
combine
to take in books
for culture's sake,
meet once a
month for tea and cake,
and once a year
to dine.
These twelve, of
varied reputation,
are competent to
treat a nation
for, be your
ailment what you please,
there's one at least
for your disease.
Of eyesight
should you threaten loss,
the man to make
you see is CROSS:
and should your
reason show a flaw,
the man to lock
you up is SHAW:
and if you think
you cannot hear,
let HARSANT peep
into your ear.
From hidden
holes your germs to ferret
there's none so
cute as MARKHAM SKERRITT:
his microscope
will soon determine
how SHINGLETON
will kill the vermin: .
and livers weary
of their life
find comfort in
the arms of FYFFE.
With GRIFFITHS
strong on vaccination
and apt Shakespearian
quotation,
With LANSDOWN
for our angiomas,
and DOBSON for
round-celled sarcomas,
we need not
fear: but if more ill,
there's BEDDOE
and there's PRICHARD still.
Should these
eleven fail to mend you,
then GREIG
SMITH's knife will gently end you.
Members of the Society 1807 - 1907