xii THE FOTHERGILLIAN MEDAL 155 



Lettsom provided the funds for many years, and after this 

 the medal was discontinued. But in 1813 a bequest was 

 received from Dr. Anthony Fothergill for a similar purpose, 

 and the present Fothergillian Medal of the society, awarded 

 every three years, bears the effigy of the younger Fothergill. 



Its founder had the pleasure of watching the progress of 

 the Medical Society for more than forty years. The laudable 

 custom of a yearly change of president fell after a time into 

 abeyance in favour of Dr. James Sims, who acquired a personal 

 influence over the society and sat in the presidential chair for 

 a period of twenty-three years. This led to dissensions, and 

 had an injurious effect on the life and progress of the institu- 

 tion ; a large secession took place in 1805, and the Medical 

 and Chirurgical Society was formed. The seceders included 

 four of the original members of the older body, Saunders, 

 Garthshore, Blizard and Heaviside ; the first-named, who 

 had been prominent in Medley's picture, became president of 

 the new society, and other members of Guy's Hospital Staff, 

 especially Marcet and Astley Cooper, were, with Yelloly, its 

 chief promoters and officers. This society afterwards obtained 

 a royal charter, and it formed by amalgamation with other 

 bodies in 1907 the present Royal Society of Medicine. There 

 was indeed room for both societies. Lettsom, Clutterbuck, 

 Hancock, and a few others of eminence remained in the older 

 establishment, and the possession of the freehold house and 

 of the library helped to save it from destruction. Sims at 

 last retiring to end his days in Bath, Lettsom again took up 

 the presidency and served the society in 1809-10 and 1813-14. 

 The society has had other difficulties to surmount in its 

 history and fluctuations to witness, but it was much 

 strengthened by amalgamation with the Westminster Medical 

 Society in 1850. The Lettsomian Lectures, a series now of 

 three discourses read yearly by a practitioner of eminence, 

 were commenced in the following year, and were named in 

 honour of the founder of the society. They have often formed 

 the vehicle of important contributions to British medicine. 

 The present series of Transactions dates from 1872, and 

 corresponds to a period of steady growth in activity and 

 influence. 



The Medical Society of London has maintained throughout 

 its course a general outlook upon medical questions, endeavour- 

 ing to view them from different sides, those of clinical experi- 



the Body" ; in 1790 to Willan ; in 1791 to Lettsom ; in 1795 to Mason Good ; 

 in 1 80 1 to Bouttatz ; and in 1803 to Jenner. See Trans. Med. Soc. ; Gent. 

 Mag., 1795, i. 474 ; Lettsom, Hints, iii. 286. 



