St Bartholomew's Hospital
Encyclopedia
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield
in the City of London
, England
.
(died 1144, and entombed in the nearby priory
church of St Bartholomew-the-Great
), a favourite courtier of King Henry I
. The Dissolution of the Monasteries
did not affect the running of Barts as a hospital, but left it in a precarious position by removing its income. It was refounded by Henry VIII
in December 1546, on the signing of an agreement granting the hospital to the City of London
, which was reaffirmed in the Letters Patent
of January 1547 endowing it with properties and income. The hospital became legally known as the "House of the Poore in West Smithfield in the suburbs of the City of London of Henry VIII's Foundation", although the title was never used by the general public. The first superintendent of the hospital was Thomas Vicary
; sergeant-surgeon to Henry and an early writer on anatomy. Upon the foundation of the National Health Service
in 1948, it officially became known as St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
It is the oldest surviving hospital in England and has an important current role as well as a long history and architecturally important buildings. The Henry VIII entrance to the hospital shown in the photograph is still the main public entrance; the statue of Henry VIII is the only public statue of him in London. On an adjoining wall, William Wallace
is honoured with a plaque (unveiled 1956), marking the site of his execution in 1305.
The main square was designed by James Gibbs
in the 1730s. Of the four original blocks only three survive; they include the block containing the Great Hall and two flanking blocks that contained wards. The first wing to be built was the North wing, in 1732. It is the North Wing that contains the Great Hall and the Hogarth murals. The South Wing followed in 1740, the West Wing in 1752 and finally the East Wing in 1769. In 1859, a fountain was placed in its centre along with a small garden.
St Bartholomew's Hospital has existed on the same site for almost 900 years, surviving both the Great Fire of London
and The Blitz
. Its museum, which is open Tuesdays to Fridays each week, shows how medical care has developed over this time and explains the history of the hospital. Part-way around the exhibition is a door which opens on to the hospital's official entrance hall. On the walls of the staircase are two mural
s painted by William Hogarth
, The Pool of Bethesda
(1736) and The Good Samaritan
(1737). They can only be seen at close quarters on Friday afternoons. Hogarth was so outraged by the news that the hospital was commissioning art from Italian
painters that he insisted on doing these murals free of charge, as a demonstration that English painting was equal to the task. The Pool of Bethesda is of particular medical interest, as it depicts a scene in which Christ
cures the sick: display material on the first floor speculates in modern medical terms about the ailments from which Christ's patients in the painting are suffering.
The room to which the staircase leads is the hospital's Great Hall, a double-height room in Baroque
style. Although there are a few paintings inside the Great Hall, nearly all are on movable stands: the walls themselves are mostly given over to the display of the very many large, painted plaques which list, in detail, the sums of money given to the hospital by its benefactors. Some of the donations recorded in £sd
(pounds, shillings and pence) are odd amounts because they were the remains of an estate after all other bequests had been settled; other odd amounts were donated as round numbers of guinea
s but recorded as £sd.
With the dissolution of the monasteries, the precincts of the hospital were designated an Anglican
parish, with the parish church
of St Bartholomew-the-Less
– a unique situation amongst English Hospitals. This is the only survivor of Bart's original five chapels; the others failed to survive the dissolution by Henry VIII. The church has a 15th century tower and vestry, and its links to the hospital can be seen not only in its early-20th century stained glass window of a nurse, a gift of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers, but also in the plaques and commemorations that adorn the inside of the building.
Throughout the whole of the 19th century, the Hardwick family were major benefactors of the hospital. Thomas Hardwick Junior
(1752–1825), Philip Hardwick
(1792–1870), and Philip Charles Hardwick
(1822–92) were all architect
s/surveyors to Barts. Philip Hardwick was also employed in the rebuilding of the church of St Bartholomew-the-Less in 1823 and also contributed the fountain
in the courtyard
.
By 1872, St Bartholomew's contained 676 beds. About 6,000 in-patients were admitted every year, besides 101,000 out-patients. The average income of the hospital was £40,000, (derived chiefly from rents and funded property); and the number of governors exceeded 300.
In 1993 the controversial Tomlinson review of London hospitals was published and concluded that there were too many hospitals in central London. It recommended that the service should be delivered closer to where people lived. Barts was identified as a hospital with a catchment area that had a low population and the hospital was threatened with closure. A determined campaign was mounted to save the hospital by the 'Save Barts Campaign', supported by staff, residents, local MPs and the City of London, the argument being that a general hospital was needed here, to provide for the needs of the City's daily transient workforce of over 300,000 people.
Some facilities were saved, but Accident and Emergency (A&E)
closed in 1995, with facilities relocated to the Royal London Hospital
; a hospital in the same Trust Group, but a couple of miles away in Whitechapel
. A 'Minor Injuries unit' was established at Barts for small cases (which often represent a significant part of the workload of A&E services); but urgent and major work goes to other hospitals. Concerns about the lack of a local service rose, with the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and 7 July 2005
; with the City remaining a significant terrorist target.
A plan was formulated for Barts to develop as a centre of excellence in cardiac care
and cancer
. This development, again came under threat in a review of the PFI
funding in 2006, leading to the 'Save Barts' campaign continuing. These problems were resolved, and new cancer care facilities are scheduled to be opened at Barts in 2010; and new general wards at the Royal London site in 2016. Barts continues to be associated with the medical school's significant research and teaching facilities at the Charterhouse Square
site.
The Queen Mary wing has now been demolished, and it is planned to retain the façade of the George V building within a new hospital building, for completion in 2015. Patients will be accommodated in single rooms, and four-bed bays. A new main entrance will be established on King Edward Street. The Gibbs Square will be refurbished and car parking removed from the area.
Barts, along with the Royal London
, Mile End Hospital and London Chest Hospitals, is part of Barts and The London NHS Trust
. There are 388 beds in Barts, 675 beds in the Royal London & 109 beds in the London Chest Hospital.
when the hospital built a theatre for his lectures at the beginning of the century. In 1995 the college, along with that attached to the Royal London, merged into Queen Mary, University of London
but maintains a distinctive identity to this day. It is now known as Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. It occupies some space at the Barts site in Smithfield
, with a presence a short walk away at Charterhouse Square
. The main preclinical teaching domain of the medical school is in Whitechapel at the award-winning Blizard Building
.
The present School of Nursing and Midwifery was formed in 1994 from merging the Schools from St Bartholomew's Hospital and the Royal London Hospital
to become the St Bartholomew School of Nursing & Midwifery
. In 1995 the new School was incorporated into the City University
. Both Schools have a strong and respected history dating back over 120 years and have produced many nurse leaders and educators. The School has since been incorporated into the School of Health Sciences, City University.
, sculpture, medieval archives, and works of art, including paintings by William Hogarth
. The museum is located under the North Wing archway and is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10 to 4. Admission is free but donations are welcome.
The museum is a member of the London Museums of Health & Medicine
.
and Doctor Watson in Arthur Conan Doyle
's 1887 novel A Study in Scarlet
. Bart's was Dr Watson's alma mater
. This fictional connection led to a donation of £650 by the Tokyo "Sherlock Holmes Appreciation Society" to the "Save Barts Campaign" in the 1990s.
Smithfield, London
Smithfield is an area of the City of London, in the ward of Farringdon Without. It is located in the north-west part of the City, and is mostly known for its centuries-old meat market, today the last surviving historical wholesale market in Central London...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Early history
It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or RahereRahere
Rahere was clergyman and a favourite of King Henry I. He is most famous for having founded St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1123....
(died 1144, and entombed in the nearby priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
church of St Bartholomew-the-Great
St Bartholomew-the-Great
The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great is an Anglican church located at West Smithfield in the City of London, founded as an Augustinian priory in 1123 -History:...
), a favourite courtier of King Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
. The Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
did not affect the running of Barts as a hospital, but left it in a precarious position by removing its income. It was refounded by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in December 1546, on the signing of an agreement granting the hospital to the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, which was reaffirmed in the Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
of January 1547 endowing it with properties and income. The hospital became legally known as the "House of the Poore in West Smithfield in the suburbs of the City of London of Henry VIII's Foundation", although the title was never used by the general public. The first superintendent of the hospital was Thomas Vicary
Thomas Vicary
Thomas Vicary was an early English physician, surgeon and anatomist.Vicary was born in Kent, in about 1490. He was, "but a meane practiser in Maidstone … that had gayned his knowledge by experience, until the King advanced him for curing his sore legge” Henry VIII advanced him to the position of...
; sergeant-surgeon to Henry and an early writer on anatomy. Upon the foundation of the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
in 1948, it officially became known as St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
It is the oldest surviving hospital in England and has an important current role as well as a long history and architecturally important buildings. The Henry VIII entrance to the hospital shown in the photograph is still the main public entrance; the statue of Henry VIII is the only public statue of him in London. On an adjoining wall, William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
is honoured with a plaque (unveiled 1956), marking the site of his execution in 1305.
The main square was designed by James Gibbs
James Gibbs
James Gibbs was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Scotland, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England...
in the 1730s. Of the four original blocks only three survive; they include the block containing the Great Hall and two flanking blocks that contained wards. The first wing to be built was the North wing, in 1732. It is the North Wing that contains the Great Hall and the Hogarth murals. The South Wing followed in 1740, the West Wing in 1752 and finally the East Wing in 1769. In 1859, a fountain was placed in its centre along with a small garden.
St Bartholomew's Hospital has existed on the same site for almost 900 years, surviving both the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
and The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
. Its museum, which is open Tuesdays to Fridays each week, shows how medical care has developed over this time and explains the history of the hospital. Part-way around the exhibition is a door which opens on to the hospital's official entrance hall. On the walls of the staircase are two mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s painted by William Hogarth
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
, The Pool of Bethesda
Pool of Bethesda
The Pool of Bethesda is a pool of water in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem, on the path of the Beth Zeta Valley. The Gospel of John describes such a pool in Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. It is associated with healing. Until the 19th century, there...
(1736) and The Good Samaritan
Parable of the Good Samaritan
The parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus and is mentioned in only one of the Canonical gospels. According to the Gospel of Luke a traveller is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a...
(1737). They can only be seen at close quarters on Friday afternoons. Hogarth was so outraged by the news that the hospital was commissioning art from Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
painters that he insisted on doing these murals free of charge, as a demonstration that English painting was equal to the task. The Pool of Bethesda is of particular medical interest, as it depicts a scene in which Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
cures the sick: display material on the first floor speculates in modern medical terms about the ailments from which Christ's patients in the painting are suffering.
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style. Although there are a few paintings inside the Great Hall, nearly all are on movable stands: the walls themselves are mostly given over to the display of the very many large, painted plaques which list, in detail, the sums of money given to the hospital by its benefactors. Some of the donations recorded in £sd
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
(pounds, shillings and pence) are odd amounts because they were the remains of an estate after all other bequests had been settled; other odd amounts were donated as round numbers of guinea
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
s but recorded as £sd.
With the dissolution of the monasteries, the precincts of the hospital were designated an Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish, with the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St Bartholomew-the-Less
St Bartholomew-the-Less
St Bartholomew-the-Less is an Anglican church in the City of London. It is the official church of St Bartholomew's Hospital and is located within the hospital grounds.-History:...
– a unique situation amongst English Hospitals. This is the only survivor of Bart's original five chapels; the others failed to survive the dissolution by Henry VIII. The church has a 15th century tower and vestry, and its links to the hospital can be seen not only in its early-20th century stained glass window of a nurse, a gift of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers, but also in the plaques and commemorations that adorn the inside of the building.
Throughout the whole of the 19th century, the Hardwick family were major benefactors of the hospital. Thomas Hardwick Junior
Thomas Hardwick
Thomas Hardwick was a British architect and a founding member of the Architect's Club in 1791.-Early life and career :Hardwick was born in Brentford, the son of a master mason turned architect also named Thomas Hardwick Thomas Hardwick (1752–1829) was a British architect and a founding...
(1752–1825), Philip Hardwick
Philip Hardwick
Philip Hardwick was an eminent English architect, particularly associated with railway stations and warehouses in London and elsewhere...
(1792–1870), and Philip Charles Hardwick
Philip Charles Hardwick
-Life:Philip Charles Hardwick was a notable English architect of the 19th century who was once described as "a careful and industrious student of mediaeval art"...
(1822–92) were all architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s/surveyors to Barts. Philip Hardwick was also employed in the rebuilding of the church of St Bartholomew-the-Less in 1823 and also contributed the fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
in the courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
.
By 1872, St Bartholomew's contained 676 beds. About 6,000 in-patients were admitted every year, besides 101,000 out-patients. The average income of the hospital was £40,000, (derived chiefly from rents and funded property); and the number of governors exceeded 300.
Threatened closure
Some facilities were saved, but Accident and Emergency (A&E)
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
closed in 1995, with facilities relocated to the Royal London Hospital
Royal London Hospital
The Royal London Hospital was founded in September 1740 and was originally named The London Infirmary. The name changed to The London Hospital in 1748 and then to The Royal London Hospital on its 250th anniversary in 1990. The first patients were treated at a house in Featherstone Street,...
; a hospital in the same Trust Group, but a couple of miles away in Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
. A 'Minor Injuries unit' was established at Barts for small cases (which often represent a significant part of the workload of A&E services); but urgent and major work goes to other hospitals. Concerns about the lack of a local service rose, with the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and 7 July 2005
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
; with the City remaining a significant terrorist target.
A plan was formulated for Barts to develop as a centre of excellence in cardiac care
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. This development, again came under threat in a review of the PFI
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
funding in 2006, leading to the 'Save Barts' campaign continuing. These problems were resolved, and new cancer care facilities are scheduled to be opened at Barts in 2010; and new general wards at the Royal London site in 2016. Barts continues to be associated with the medical school's significant research and teaching facilities at the Charterhouse Square
Charterhouse Square
Charterhouse Square is a historic square in Smithfield, between Charterhouse Street and Clerkenwell Road. It lies in the extreme south of the London Borough of Islington, just north of the City of London....
site.
The Queen Mary wing has now been demolished, and it is planned to retain the façade of the George V building within a new hospital building, for completion in 2015. Patients will be accommodated in single rooms, and four-bed bays. A new main entrance will be established on King Edward Street. The Gibbs Square will be refurbished and car parking removed from the area.
Barts, along with the Royal London
Royal London Hospital
The Royal London Hospital was founded in September 1740 and was originally named The London Infirmary. The name changed to The London Hospital in 1748 and then to The Royal London Hospital on its 250th anniversary in 1990. The first patients were treated at a house in Featherstone Street,...
, Mile End Hospital and London Chest Hospitals, is part of Barts and The London NHS Trust
Barts and The London NHS Trust
Barts and The London NHS Trust is an NHS Trust operating in the City of London and east London.It runs three hospitals:* The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel* St Bartholomew's Hospital in Smithfield in the City...
. There are 388 beds in Barts, 675 beds in the Royal London & 109 beds in the London Chest Hospital.
Medical schools
In 1843 St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College was established to train medics although considered to have been started by John AbernethyJohn Abernethy (surgeon)
John Abernethy FRS was an English surgeon, grandson of the Reverend John Abernethy.He was born in Coleman Street in the City of London, where his father was a merchant. Educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School, he was apprenticed in 1779 to Sir Charles Blicke , a surgeon at St Bartholomew's...
when the hospital built a theatre for his lectures at the beginning of the century. In 1995 the college, along with that attached to the Royal London, merged into Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
but maintains a distinctive identity to this day. It is now known as Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. It occupies some space at the Barts site in Smithfield
Smithfield, London
Smithfield is an area of the City of London, in the ward of Farringdon Without. It is located in the north-west part of the City, and is mostly known for its centuries-old meat market, today the last surviving historical wholesale market in Central London...
, with a presence a short walk away at Charterhouse Square
Charterhouse Square
Charterhouse Square is a historic square in Smithfield, between Charterhouse Street and Clerkenwell Road. It lies in the extreme south of the London Borough of Islington, just north of the City of London....
. The main preclinical teaching domain of the medical school is in Whitechapel at the award-winning Blizard Building
Blizard Building
The Blizard Building is a building in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was designed by Will Alsop and completed in March 2005. It houses the Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, part of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry...
.
The present School of Nursing and Midwifery was formed in 1994 from merging the Schools from St Bartholomew's Hospital and the Royal London Hospital
Royal London Hospital
The Royal London Hospital was founded in September 1740 and was originally named The London Infirmary. The name changed to The London Hospital in 1748 and then to The Royal London Hospital on its 250th anniversary in 1990. The first patients were treated at a house in Featherstone Street,...
to become the St Bartholomew School of Nursing & Midwifery
St Bartholomew School of Nursing & Midwifery
The St Bartholomew School of Nursing and Midwifery was formed in 1994 from the merger of the schools of St Bartholomew's Hospital and the Royal London Hospital to become the St Bartholomew School of Nursing & Midwifery. In 1995 the new school was incorporated into City University London...
. In 1995 the new School was incorporated into the City University
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
. Both Schools have a strong and respected history dating back over 120 years and have produced many nurse leaders and educators. The School has since been incorporated into the School of Health Sciences, City University.
Notable alumni
- John AbernethyJohn Abernethy (surgeon)John Abernethy FRS was an English surgeon, grandson of the Reverend John Abernethy.He was born in Coleman Street in the City of London, where his father was a merchant. Educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School, he was apprenticed in 1779 to Sir Charles Blicke , a surgeon at St Bartholomew's...
- Anthony AskewAnthony AskewAnthony Askew was an English physician and book collector.-Life and work:Askew was born in Kendal, Westmorland, the son of Dr. Adam Askew, a well-known physician of Newcastle. His early education was at Sedbergh School and The Royal Free Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne, where by all accounts...
- John BadleyJohn Badley (surgeon)John Badley, F.R.C.S. student of John Abernethy at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. His 1801 lecture notes of Abernethy are in the archives at the University of Birmingham School of Medicine....
- Elizabeth Blackwell
- Graham ChapmanGraham ChapmanGraham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...
- Nina ColtartNina ColtartNina Coltart , a British psychoanalyst, psychotherapist, and essayist, was born in Kent, England. Her father was a medical doctor and her mother, a housewife. In 1940 she and her younger sister Gill were evacuated to Cornwall, where they lived with their maternal grandmother and a nanny who, years...
- W G Grace
- William HarveyWilliam HarveyWilliam Harvey was an English physician who was the first person to describe completely and in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood being pumped to the body by the heart...
- Martyn Lloyd-JonesMartyn Lloyd-JonesDavid Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher and medical doctor who was influential in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London...
- John Leslie GreenJohn Leslie GreenJohn Leslie Green VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:...
VC - Robert Morrison
- James PagetJames PagetSir 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...
- Percivall PottPercivall PottSir Percivall Pott London, England) was an English surgeon, one of the founders of orthopedy, and the first scientist to demonstrate that a cancer may be caused by an environmental carcinogen.-Life:...
- W.H.R. Rivers
- George RollestonGeorge RollestonGeorge Rolleston MA MD FRCP FRS was an English physician and zoologist. He was the first Linacre Professor of Anatomy and Physiology to be appointed at the University of Oxford, a post he held from 1860 until his death in 1881...
- James UnderwoodJames UnderwoodProfessor Sir James Underwood is a British pathologist who was awarded a knighthood for services to medicine in the 2005 New Year honours list.-Early life and education:...
- Sir Archibald Edward Garrod
- Lawrence Paul Garrod
- William John WillsWilliam John WillsWilliam John Wills was an English surveyor who also trained for a while as a surgeon. He achieved fame as the second-in-command of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north, finding a route across the continent from the settled...
- Leo SzilardLeó SzilárdLeó Szilárd was an Austro-Hungarian physicist and inventor who conceived the nuclear chain reaction in 1933, patented the idea of a nuclear reactor with Enrico Fermi, and in late 1939 wrote the letter for Albert Einstein's signature that resulted in the Manhattan Project that built the atomic bomb...
- Abi TitmussAbi TitmussAbi Titmuss, , is a former English nurse turned glamour model, television personality and actress.-Early life:...
St. Bartholomew's Hospital Museum
The museum tells the story of St. Bart's, which was founded in 1123, and its work in caring for the sick and injured. The museum collections include historic surgical instrumentsSurgical instruments
A surgical instrument is a specially designed tool or device for performing specific actions of carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of surgical instruments and tools...
, sculpture, medieval archives, and works of art, including paintings by William Hogarth
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
. The museum is located under the North Wing archway and is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10 to 4. Admission is free but donations are welcome.
The museum is a member of the London Museums of Health & Medicine
The London Museums of Health & Medicine
The London Museums of Health & Medicine is an organization that brings together some of the activities of some of the museums in London related to health and medicine...
.
Holmes and Watson
Bart's — specifically one of its chemical laboratories — was the location of the very first meeting of Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
and Doctor Watson in Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's 1887 novel A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet is a detective mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, introducing his new character of Sherlock Holmes, who later became one of the most famous literary detective characters. He wrote the story in 1886, and it was published the next year...
. Bart's was Dr Watson's alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
. This fictional connection led to a donation of £650 by the Tokyo "Sherlock Holmes Appreciation Society" to the "Save Barts Campaign" in the 1990s.