George Murray Humphry
Encyclopedia
Sir George Murray Humphry (1820–1896) was a professor of physiology and anatomy at Cambridge, surgeon, gerontologist and medical writer.
in Suffolk
on 18 July 1820, the third son of William Wood Humphry, a barrister. He was educated at the grammar schools of Sudbury and Dedham, and in 1836 he was apprenticed to John Green Crosse
, surgeon to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
. In 1839 he left Norwich and entered as a student at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, where he came under the influence of Peter Mere Latham, William Lawrence, and James Paget
. He passed the first M.B. examination at the London University in 1840, obtaining the gold medal in anatomy and physiology; but did not present himself for the final examination.
He was admitted a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
on 19 November 1841, and on 12 May 1842 he became a licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries. In the same year three of the surgeons at Addenbrooke's Hospital
, Cambridge, resigned their posts, and on 31 October 1842 Humfrey was placed third out of six candidates in a contested election for the vacant posts. This appointment made him the youngest hospital surgeon in England.
He began to give clinical lectures and systematic teaching in surgery. In 1847 he was invited to act as deputy to the professor of anatomy, and he gave the lectures and demonstrations on human anatomy from 1847 to 1866. He entered himself a fellow-commoner at Downing College, Cambridge
in 1847, graduating M.B. in 1852 and M.D. in 1859. After the retirement of William Clark, professor of human and comparative anatomy, in 1866, the duties of the chair were recast, and Humphry was elected professor of human anatomy in the university. He held this office until 1883, when he resigned it for the newly founded but unpaid professorship of surgery.
In 1869 he succeeded George Edward Paget, who was then elected president of the council, as the representative of the University of Cambridge
on the General Medical Council
. In 1880 he delivered the Rede lecture
of the university of Cambridge, taking Man, Past, Present, and Future as the subject of his address. He served on the council of the senate of the university, he was an honorary fellow of Downing, and in 1884 he was elected a professorial fellow of King's College, Cambridge
.
At the Royal College of Surgeons of England Humphry filled numerous offices. Elected a fellow on 26 August 1844, when he was still a year below the statutory age, he served as a member of the council from 1864 to 1884, was Arris and Gale lecturer on anatomy and physiology from 1871 to 1873, a member of the court of examiners from 1877 to 1887, and Hunterian orator in 1879. He declined to be nominated for the offices of vice-president and president.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1859, and he served on the council of this society 1870–1. He was long a member of the British Medical Association
. In 1867 he presided over the physiological section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
, and in 1870 he gave six lectures on the architecture of the human body as a part of the Fullerian course at the Royal Institution of London. He took an active part in the formation of the Cambridge Medical Society, and for some time was president. He presided at the annual meetings of the Sanitary Society of Great Britain, held in London in 1882 and in Glasgow in 1883. In 1887 he was the first president of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and he served as president of the Pathological Society of London during the years 1891–3. He was knighted in 1891.
Humphry died at his residence, Grove Lodge, on 24 September 1896, and is buried at the Mill Road cemetery, Cambridge
. A bust by Wiles was presented to Addenbrooke's Hospital by the vice-chancellor of the university. A portrait by Miss K. M. Humphry, painted on the occasion of the enrolment of Humphry as a freeman of his native town, was in the public hall at Sudbury, Suffolk.
. He was the first surgeon in England to remove successfully a tumour from the male bladder
. His works were:
Humphry was also founder and co-editor (with Sir William Turner, M.D.) of the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, Cambridge and London, 1866.
, by whom he had a daughter and one son, Alfred Paget Humphry, senior esquire bedell
of the university of Cambridge.
Life
He was born at SudburySudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
on 18 July 1820, the third son of William Wood Humphry, a barrister. He was educated at the grammar schools of Sudbury and Dedham, and in 1836 he was apprenticed to John Green Crosse
John Green Crosse
John Green Crosse, FRCS, FRS was a well known surgeon of his day at the old Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.Crosse was born on 6 September 1790 in Suffolk, the son of a farmer by the name of William, of Boyton Hall, Great Finborough. Crosse died on 9 June 1850 and is buried in the cloisters of...
, surgeon to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
The Norfolk and Norwich Hospital [7] was founded in 1771 as a charitable institution for the care of "the poor and the sick" and was established by William Fellowes and Benjamin Gooch...
. In 1839 he left Norwich and entered as a student at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, where he came under the influence of Peter Mere Latham, William Lawrence, and James Paget
James Paget
Sir James Paget, 1st Baronet was a British surgeon and pathologist who is best remembered for Paget's disease and who is considered, together with Rudolf Virchow, as one of the founders of scientific medical pathology. His famous works included Lectures on Tumours and Lectures on Surgical Pathology...
. He passed the first M.B. examination at the London University in 1840, obtaining the gold medal in anatomy and physiology; but did not present himself for the final examination.
He was admitted a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
on 19 November 1841, and on 12 May 1842 he became a licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries. In the same year three of the surgeons at Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital is an internationally renowned teaching hospital in Cambridge, England, with strong links to the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1766 on Trumpington Street with £4,500 from the will of Dr John Addenbrooke, a fellow of St Catharine's College...
, Cambridge, resigned their posts, and on 31 October 1842 Humfrey was placed third out of six candidates in a contested election for the vacant posts. This appointment made him the youngest hospital surgeon in England.
He began to give clinical lectures and systematic teaching in surgery. In 1847 he was invited to act as deputy to the professor of anatomy, and he gave the lectures and demonstrations on human anatomy from 1847 to 1866. He entered himself a fellow-commoner at Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1800 and currently has around 650 students.- History :...
in 1847, graduating M.B. in 1852 and M.D. in 1859. After the retirement of William Clark, professor of human and comparative anatomy, in 1866, the duties of the chair were recast, and Humphry was elected professor of human anatomy in the university. He held this office until 1883, when he resigned it for the newly founded but unpaid professorship of surgery.
In 1869 he succeeded George Edward Paget, who was then elected president of the council, as the representative of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
on the General Medical Council
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise...
. In 1880 he delivered the Rede lecture
Rede Lecture
The Sir Robert Rede's Lecturer is an annual appointment to give a public lecture, the Sir Robert Rede's Lecture at the University of Cambridge. It is named for Sir Robert Rede, who was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in the sixteenth century.-Initial series:The initial series of lectures ranges...
of the university of Cambridge, taking Man, Past, Present, and Future as the subject of his address. He served on the council of the senate of the university, he was an honorary fellow of Downing, and in 1884 he was elected a professorial fellow of King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
.
At the Royal College of Surgeons of England Humphry filled numerous offices. Elected a fellow on 26 August 1844, when he was still a year below the statutory age, he served as a member of the council from 1864 to 1884, was Arris and Gale lecturer on anatomy and physiology from 1871 to 1873, a member of the court of examiners from 1877 to 1887, and Hunterian orator in 1879. He declined to be nominated for the offices of vice-president and president.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1859, and he served on the council of this society 1870–1. He was long a member of the British Medical Association
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...
. In 1867 he presided over the physiological section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
British Association for the Advancement of Science
frame|right|"The BA" logoThe British Association for the Advancement of Science or the British Science Association, formerly known as the BA, is a learned society with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between...
, and in 1870 he gave six lectures on the architecture of the human body as a part of the Fullerian course at the Royal Institution of London. He took an active part in the formation of the Cambridge Medical Society, and for some time was president. He presided at the annual meetings of the Sanitary Society of Great Britain, held in London in 1882 and in Glasgow in 1883. In 1887 he was the first president of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and he served as president of the Pathological Society of London during the years 1891–3. He was knighted in 1891.
Humphry died at his residence, Grove Lodge, on 24 September 1896, and is buried at the Mill Road cemetery, Cambridge
Mill Road Cemetery, Cambridge
Mill Road Cemetery is a cemetery off Mill Road in the Petersfield area of Cambridge, England. The cemetery is listed by English Heritage as a Grade II site, and several of the tombs are also listed as of special architectural and historical interest....
. A bust by Wiles was presented to Addenbrooke's Hospital by the vice-chancellor of the university. A portrait by Miss K. M. Humphry, painted on the occasion of the enrolment of Humphry as a freeman of his native town, was in the public hall at Sudbury, Suffolk.
Works
As an anatomist he was one of the earliest workers who attempted to bring human anatomy into line with morphologyMorphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
. He was the first surgeon in England to remove successfully a tumour from the male bladder
Bladder
Bladder usually refers to an anatomical hollow organBladder may also refer to:-Biology:* Urinary bladder in humans** Urinary bladder ** Bladder control; see Urinary incontinence** Artificial urinary bladder, in humans...
. His works were:
- ‘A Treatise on the Human Skeleton, including the Joints,’ Cambridge, 1858; the plates were drawn by his wife.
- ‘On the Coagulation of the Blood in the Venous System during Life,’ Cambridge, 1859.
- ‘The Human Foot and the Human Hand,’ Cambridge and London, 1861.
- ‘Observations in Myology,’ Cambridge and London, 1872.
- ‘Cambridge: the Town, University, and Colleges,’ Cambridge, 1880.
- ‘Old Age: the Results of Information received respecting nearly Nine Hundred Persons who had attained the Age of Eighty Years, including Seventy-four Centenarians,’ Cambridge, 1889.
Humphry was also founder and co-editor (with Sir William Turner, M.D.) of the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, Cambridge and London, 1866.
Family
He married, in September 1849, Mary, daughter of Daniel Robert McNab, surgeon, of EppingEpping
Epping is a small market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located north-east of Loughton, south of Harlow and north-west of Brentwood....
, by whom he had a daughter and one son, Alfred Paget Humphry, senior esquire bedell
Esquire Bedell
An Esquire Bedell is a junior ceremonial officer of a university, usually with official duties relating to the conduct of ceremonies for the conferment of degrees. The word is closely related to the archaic Bedel and modern English Beadle. The term is primarily associated with universities in the...
of the university of Cambridge.