The Epidemiological Society of London was a British medical society founded in 1850 with the objective of investigating the causes and conditions which influence the origin, propagation, mitigation, and prevention of epidemic disease. In 1907 it merged with the

Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society of London The Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society of London (RMCS), created in 1805 as the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, was a learned society of physicians and surgery, surgeons, that received a Royal charter in 1834, and a supplement chart ...

and became a part of the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society based at 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK. It is a registered charity, with admission through membership. Its Chief Executive is Michele Acton. History The Royal Society of Medicine (R ...

as the Epidemiological Section and then Epidemiology and Public Health section. __TOC__

History

Following a severe outbreak of

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

in England in 1831-32 a London physician, J.H.Tucker, proposed in a letter to the ''Lancet'' that a society should be formed to specifically study epidemics. The first meeting of the Epidemiological Society of London took place on 6 May 1850 in Hanover Square, London. At a follow-up meeting in July, chaired by Sir Astley Cooper, a constitution was agreed and officers appointed. Benjamin Guy Babington, a Guy's Hospital physician, was elected as the first president of the society, whose agreed objectives were: * to institute rigid examination into the causes and conditions which influence the origin, propagation, mitigation, and prevention of epidemic diseases * to institute...original and comprehensive researches into the nature and laws of disease * to communicate with government and legislature on matters connected with the prevention of epidemic diseases. The seal of the society included the Latin words, ''venienti occurrite morbo'' (confront disease at its onset). For the first ten years of its existence the society's activities were reported in the ''Lancet'', the ''British Medical Journal'', the ''Medical Times'' and the ''Sanitary Review''. Thereafter the proceedings were reported in ''Transactions of the Epidemiological Society of London''. The society held regular meetings at which papers were presented. In 1860, the National (British) Association for the Promotion of Social Science (NAPSS) - a Department of Public Health - had as its Head of the Sub-Committee the founding President of the Epidemiological Society: B.G. Babington. Reports from members of the Epidemiological Society were recorded at the NAPSS; the two societies being linked courtesy of their members holding a scientific interest in matters epidemiological - e.g.: The society's published transactions from 1858 include a report from the Epidemiological Society which is followed by a miscellaneous paper delivered by T. M. Greenhow: "Health; how preserved, how impaired". Greenhow's nephew, Dr E Headlam Greenhow, is listed as delivering a paper: "Public Health Statistics". Dr E.H. Greenhow had held the "Chair" of the Epidemiological Society in May 1853. In 1900 the Epidemiological Society held its final Commemoration Dinner. In 1907 it became the Epidemiology and State Medicine section of the

Awards

The Jenner Medal was instituted by the society in 1896 to commemorate the centenary of

Edward Jenner Edward Jenner (17 May 1749 – 26 January 1823) was an English physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. The terms ''vaccine'' and ''vaccination'' are derived f ...

’s first vaccination of a boy against smallpox. It features on one side the head of Jenner and on the other the globe emblem of the Epidemiological Society. It was first presented in 1898 to Sir

William Henry Power Sir William Henry Power, (15 December 1842 – 28 July 1916) was a British medical doctor. Biography William Power was born on 15 December 1842 in London, the eldest son of the surgeon William Henry Power and his wife Charlotte Smart. He studie ...

Past Presidents

References

{{authority control Epidemiology organizations

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Professional associations based in the United Kingdom Scientific organizations established in 1850 Medical and health organisations based in London 1850 establishments in the United Kingdom