Books from the Library of the Medical Society of London : an exhibition 14 January to 3 April 1985 / [compiled by John Symons].

  • Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine
Date:
1985
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Books from the Library of the Medical Society of London : an exhibition 14 January to 3 April 1985 / [compiled by John Symons]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    John Coakley LETTSOM [1744-1815] Portrait, drawn and engraved by T. Holloway. London: T. Holloway. 1792. Lettsom, a Quaker born in the West Indies, graduated at Leyden in 1769 and practised as a physician in London. Like other Quakers of the time he was active in various philanthropic activities, particularly the General Dispensary, Royal Humane Society and Royal Sea-Bathing Hospital at Margate. He took a leading part in the foundation of the Medical Society of London in 1773 and was three times elected president in 1775, 1809 and 1813. Himself an active book collector, he took a great interest in the Society's library, to which he several times presented books. Wellcome Iconographic Collection. John Coakley LETTSOM Lectures on the practice of medicine, and on materia medica. These notes are in Lettsom's handwriting, and were probably made while he was a student at Edinburgh in 1768 or 1769. The lectures on materia medica were given by James Fordyce. [M.S.L. MS. 77.] John Coakley LETTSOM Dissertatio inauguralis medica, sistens observationes ad vires theae pertinentes. Leyden: T. Haak. 1769. Lettsom's inaugural thesis on the medicinal properties of tea. An English version was published in 1772. This copy was presented by the author to the Medical Society of London soon after its foundation. [M.S.L. T. 431. 5.] Lettsom's book label. He was compelled to sell his library by auction in 1811 as a result of a financial crisis caused by his generosity to philanthropic causes. A number of his books came to the Medical Society. MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON Council Minutes. Vol. I. 16 August 1789. Transcript of a letter by Lettsom, dated 9 August, expressing his interest in the library and presenting books. Lent by the Medical Society of London. -7-