Edward Grainger (1797–1824) was an English teacher of anatomy and dresser to Sir Astley Cooper. Grainger opened an anatomical school in Webb Street,

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

, London in 1819 after his offer to teach at

Guy's Hospital Guy's Hospital is an NHS hospital founded by philanthropist Thomas Guy in 1721, located in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise the Kin ...

was rejected. The school was successful until the

College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

changed their by-laws to squeeze the independent schools. The Webb Street school was continued by Edward's brother, Richard Dugard Grainger, after Edward's early death.

Adrian Desmond Adrian John Desmond (born 1947) is an English writer on the history of science and author of books about Charles Darwin. Life He studied physiology at London University and went on to study the history of science and vertebrate palaeontology at ...

, ''The Politics of Evolution: morphology, medicine and reform in radical London'' (1989) Chicago, p. 160.

Life

Grainger was born in Birmingham and was the elder son of Edward Grainger, who was a surgeon and later the author of ''Medical and Surgical Remarks'' (1815). After receiving medical instruction from his father, he entered as a student at the united hospitals of St. Thomas's and Guy's in October 1816. He was a dresser to Sir Astley Cooper, who advised him to open an anatomical school in Birmingham after he had become a member of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

. When Charles Aston Key was appointed demonstrator of anatomy by Cooper, Grainger was anxious to be made joint demonstrator with him. Failing in that, he opened an anatomical school and dissecting-room of his own in June 1819. Grainger's school was located in the large attic of a tailor's house in St. Saviour's Churchyard,

. Grainger began with 30 pupils and was successful. In the autumn of 1819, he moved to a location close to Guy's in Webb Street, Maze Pond, in a building had been used as a Roman Catholic chapel. Grainger's school had the favour of the resurrection men, speedily rivalled the hospital schools, and drew pupils from them. In 1821 he built a theatre in Webb Street and was joined by John Armstrong and Richard Phillips. Despite obstacles put in the way of the students by hospital surgeons in London, especially the council of the

, Grainger's school grew. In 1823 he built a larger theatre, and the school had nearly 300 pupils. Grainger died from

consumption Consumption may refer to: * Eating *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically known as consumption * Consumer (food chain), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of n ...

at his father's house in Birmingham, on 13 January 1824, having not quite completed his twenty-seventh year.

References

External links

Bust of Edward Grainger by Peter Hollins
held by the Royal College of Surgeons. ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Grainger, Edward 1797 births 1824 deaths English surgeons