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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    James SIMS [1741-1820] Soft ground etching by W. Daniell after a drawing by G. Dance, 1796. London: G. Dance. 1802. James Sims, an Irishman by birth, practised as a physician in London and served as president of the Medical Society continuously from 1786 to 1808. His autocratic rule eventually led to discontent among the younger fellows and was one of the factors behind the secession in 1805 resulting in the foundation of the Medical and Chirurgical Society, now the Royal Society of Medicine. Sims was an active book collector and the Medical Society's library owes much of its character as a rare book collection to the purchase of his library estimated at 8,000 volumes, in October 1800. For this Sims was to receive £500 and an annuity of £30 but in 1802 the cataloguing committee reported that there were no more than 6,000 volumes, with many imperfect, and Sims agreed to accept a reduced annuity of £15. Wellcome Iconographic Collection. BRITISH MUSEUM A catalogue of the duplicate books, coins, and medals ... Which will be sold by auction ... by Leigh and Sotheby ... March the 6th, 1788, etc. [London: Becket, etc. 1788.] Marked copy with prices and names of purchasers, among whom James Sims is prominent. Many of the Society's books are marked as having been included in this sale. Wellcome Institute copy. MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON Council minutes. Vol. IV. December 1799. The opening of negotiations for the purchase of James Sims' library. Lent by the Medical Society of London. Bookplates of John Lewis Petit and Richard Wright. Many of Sims' books were bought at the sales of the libraries of these two physicians and still bear their armorial bookplates. John Lewis Petit [1736-80] was physician to St. Bartholomew's Hospital; his collection was primarily medical. Medicine formed a part only of the library of Richard Wright [1738?-86], physician to St. George's Hospital, which was rich also in literature, history and drama. -8-