The Fitzpatrick Lecture is given annually at the Royal College of Physicians on a subject related to history of medicine. The lecturer, who must be a fellow of the college, is selected by the president and may be chosen to speak for two years successively. The lectures are supported by funds from the Fitzpatrick Trust which was established in 1901 by Agnes Letitia Fitzpatrick with a £2,000 donation in memory of her physician husband Thomas Fitzpatrick. Agnes was influenced by her husband's close friend, Sir Norman Moore, who persuaded her to choose history of medicine as a subject. Subsequently, Moore was credited with its idea and implementation.
The first two Fitzpatrick lectures were given by Joseph Frank Payne, whose request instigated history of medicine lectures at the Royal Society of Medicine and with whose support Sir William Osler established the History of Medicine Section. He was succeeded by Sir Norman Moore, Leonard Guthrie and Clifford Allbutt and Raymond Crawfurd.
Lecturers
1903-1920 Years Name Lecture title Comments Image 1903-1904 Joseph Frank PayneThe Medicine of Anglo-Saxon TimesPaid tribute to Thomas Fitzpatrick prior to first lecture, stating that Norman Moore, an intimate friend of Fitzpatrick, should have given the first lecture.1905-1906 Sir Norman MooreThe history of the study of medicine in the British Isles Moore spoke on Medical Study in London during the Middle Ages and Education of physicians in London in the 17th century.1907-1908 Leonard Guthrie Contributions to the Study of Precocity in Children The History of Neurology After Guthrie's death, his work was privately printed in 1921, by his nephew, Eric G. Millar.1909-1910 Clifford Allbutt Greek Medicine in RomeAllbutt dedicated the published lectures to Sir Norman Moore, president of the RCP.1911-1912Raymond CrawfurdThe King's Evil Plague and Pestilence in Art and LiteratureCrawfurd further expanded these topics to produce books on the subjects.1913 Charles Arthur MercierAstrology in Medicine 1914Leper houses and mediaeval hospitals1915-1916 William Halse RiversMedicine, Magic and Religion 1917 Arnold Chaplin Medicine in England during the reign of George III 1918 The early history of the Army Medical Service1919-1920Edward Granville BrowneArabian medicine
1921-1940 Years Name Lecture title Comments Image 1921-1922 Robert Oswald Moon The Post-Hippocratic Schools of Medicine Hippocrates and his Successors in Relation to the Philosophy of their TimesLectured on Hippocrates and his successors and interested in classics. He also wrote book on The Relation of Medicine to Philosophy.1923-1924 Charles Singer History of Medicine The Evolution of Anatomy: a Short History of Anatomical and Physiological Discovery to Harvey1925-1926 Arthur Shadwell Medicine in Ancient Egypt, Assyria, and Palestine 1927 Herbert R. Spencer The History of British Midwifery (1650-1800) 1928-1929 George Frederic StillThe history of paediatrics 1930 1931-1932 James Stansfield CollierThe development of neurology from the commencement of the nineteenth century to the present time page 392, page 393 Collier died in 1935 before his lecture material could be published. Manuscript is now lost.1933-1934Humphry Davy RollestonHistory of the endocrine organs 1935-1936 John Davy RollestonThe history of the acute exanthemata Demonstrated how current medical problems could be understood through studying the past. 1937-1938 Henry Harold Scott A History of Tropical Medicine 1939 Thomas Archibald Malloch Medical interchange between the British Isles and America before 1801Lecture not delivered due to World War II and personal illness.Published by the Royal College of Physicians in 1946.1940Major GreenwoodMedical Statistics from Graunt to FarrLecture not delivered due to World War II. Greenwood retains status as nominal Lecturer from 1941 to 1943. The lecture was later published in 1948.
1941-1960 Years Name Lecture title Comments Image1941-1942John Alexander Nixon Lecture not delivered due to World War II.1943Major GreenwoodMedical Statistics from Graunt to FarrGreenwood talked about 18th century English medical statistics.Later produced three papers and one book on the subject.1944-1945Reginald Cecil Bligh WallThe London Apothecaries: their Society and their HallPostponed 1946-1947Arthur S. MacNaltyThe History of State Medicine in England 1948-1949William H. WynnThe Pestilences of War 1950-1951William BrockbankThe History of Some Therapeutic Procedures 1952-1953Maurice DavidsonMedicine in Oxford, a Historical RomanceDavidson also authored a book on the history of the Royal Society of Medicine to cover the years 1905 to 1955. 1954-1955C. E. NewmanThe Evolution of Medical Education in the Nineteenth CenturyNewman described the development of professional solidarity and societies of physicians and apothecaries, demonstrating similarities between apothecaries and attorneys. 1956-1957C. F. T. EastSome Aspects of the History of Cardiology 1958-1959W. S. C. CopemanMedical Practice in the Tudor Period 1960K. D. KeeleEvolution of Clinical Methods in MedicinePublished in a book reviewed by Lloyd G. Stevenson.
1961-1980 Years Name Lecture title Comments Image1961 K. D. Keele Evolution of Clinical Methods in Medicine 1962-1963A. H. T. Robb-SmithThe Oxford Medical School and its Graduates 1964-1965R. R. TrailThe History of Popular Medicine in England: up to the 17th century 1966Geoffrey L. KeynesJohn Woodall, Surgeon, 1556-1643. His place in medical history 1967P. E. Thompson HancockThomas Hodgkin, Physician and Philanthropist 1968C. E. NewmanThe History of the College Library 1969A. N. T. MenecesThe Influence of War on Medicine 1970The Influence of Medicine on War1971Edgar Ashworth UnderwoodThe Evolution of Haematology: The History of the Formed Elements of the Blood 1972The Evolution of Haematology: The History of some Diseases of the Blood1973R. J. G. MorrisonDr Messenger Monsey, 1693-1788. 1975W. C. GibsonA Canadian Trio of Internationalists – Banting, Bethune and Chisholm. 1976Gweneth WhitteridgeSome Italian precursors of the Royal College of Physicians 1977Edwin S. ClarkeThe Neutral Circulation: the role of analogy in medicine 1979Christopher BoothClinical Science in the age of Reason 1980A. John RobertsonDinner with LaennecA. J. Robertson was the second medical editor of journal Thorax. His Fitzpatrick lecture was based on Läennec, and the physicians who contributed to the confusion about rales and rhonchi.
1981-2000 Years Name Lecture title Comments Image1981P. A. J. BallPlants, their predators and the physician 1982 Arthur HollmanThomas Lewis - Physiologist, Cardiologist and Clinical Scientist 1983Robert Manoah KarkRichard Bright MD FRS DCL (1789-1859). 1984Gordon Wolstenholme Governments may damage your health 1986John MalinsProvincial physicians in England 1700-1900 1987Alex SakulaA history of asthma 1988Abraham GoldbergTowards European medicine: an historical perspective 1989P. RichardsLeprosy: myth, melodrama and mediaevalism 1993A. Stuart MasonHans Sloane and his friends 1994J. H. BaronArt in hospitalsGiven whilst Baron was an RCP councillor. 1995David A. PykeThe great insanity: Hitler and the destruction of German science 1996Robert TattersallFrederick Pavy (1829–1911) - the last of the physician chemists
2001 onwards Years Name Lecture title Comments Image2007Jeffrey K AronsonClinical pharmacology: a suitable case for treatment2015Timothy PetersKing George III and the porphyria myth - causes, consequences and re-evaluation of his mental illness with computer diagnostics 2016David EedyChurchill's medical men 2017Gareth WilliamsEdward Jenner and John Hunter: the apprentice and his sorcerer 2018Nick LevellDaniel Turner Vs Thomas Dover - a story of rivals, slaves and pirates, dermatology and physicians 2019 Richard Heron Good work to attract and retain global capability 2020Ali Jawad Sir Harry Sinderson Pasha, royal physician extraordinaire 2021 Andrew J. Lees Soulful neurology 2022 David J. Gawkrodger Diseases and mortality in the armies of nineteenth century British India 2023 Helen Lachmann 2024 Anita K. Simonds
See also Bradshaw Lecture Goulstonian Lecture Harveian Oration Hunterian Oration Lumleian Lectures Milroy Lectures
References