Notes of lectures by John Clark
TitleNotes of lectures by John Clark
ReferenceMS0081/2
Level of descriptionseries
DateEarly 19th century
Admin./ biographical historyJohn Clark was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, and was baptised in December 1760. He was the eldest son of a local surgeon, John Clarke. The family moved to London and lived in Chancery Lane, where John attended St Paul's School. On 4th March 1779 he obtained his Diploma of Membership of the Company of Surgeons, and began to study medicine. From 1779-1882 he attended anatomy lectures and dissections given by Dr. William Hunter and Mr Cruickshank, lectures on medicine, materia medica and chemistry by Dr. Fordyce, lectures on midwifery and related subjects by Dr. Osborn and Dr. Denman and the lectures on surgery by John Hunter.
He soon decided to specialise in midwifery. In order to be licensed in midwifery with the College of Physicians, Clarke would have to leave the Company of Surgeons. He did so in 1785, and he obtained his licence in midwifery from the College of Physicians in 1787, after examinations in physiology, pathology and therapeutics. Clarke's first publication, "An Essay on the Epidemic Disease of Lying-in Women of the years 1787 and 1788" (London: J. Johnson, 1788) was dedicated to his teachers Dr. Osborn and Dr. Denman. The publication concerned puerperal fever. The paper was well received.
Clarke had a good reputation as a successful clinician and was described as having indomitable industry and perseverance and great acuteness of perception. He inspired confidence in his patients and gained the admiration of his colleagues. He was an excellent teacher and his lectures were very popular.
In 1791 Clarke obtained his MD degree from the University of Frankfurt on the Öder in Prussia. In 1793 he published "Practical Essays on the Management of Pregnancy and Labour" which was designed for medical students. He included his earlier work on puerperal fever and also chapters on other complications of pregnancy, antenatal and postnatal care and management of labour.
Clarke was interested in academic matters, and was a member of several learned societies, for example the Lyceum Medicum, and the Society for the Improvement of Medical and Chirurgical Knowledge. Clarke made contributions to papers published by the latter society. In 1793 and 1798 the Royal Society accepted two papers from Clarke.
Clarke gave courses on Midwifery and the Diseases of Women and Children with Dr. Osborn, both at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and at his home in New Burlington Street. He was the author of a successful textbook, "The London Practice of Midwifery," first published in 1803. It included a significant section on the diseases of children, and examples of cases.
Clarke had a dispute with the Royal College of Physicians concerning the rights of a licentiate in midwifery to practice as a Physician. This went on for several years, but was probably resolved by 1814, as Clarke read a paper at the College which was published in Medical Transactions. "On the effects of certain Articles of Food, especially Oysters, on Women after Childbirth." Medical Transactions 1815;5:109-35.
Clarke was a founder member of The Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, now The Royal Society of Medicine. He was a member of its Council from 1809, and became vice president in 1814.
In 1815 Clarke published the first volume of his book on the diseases of children, writing passionately about the high mortality rate among children in London. The promised second volume of this book was never published because Clarke died at the age of 54, probably from cancer of the stomach. He was buried in the Parish Church of Tamworth in Staffordshire.
Clarke's midwifery practice devolved to his younger brother Charles Mansfield Clarke and later to his nephew Thomas Stone.
[Source: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/greenhall/tht/history/Wigginton.htm. This website gives a transcript of a lecture given at the Royal College of Surgeons in 2001 by Dr Kenneth Ross Hunter. The above information was extracted from this transcript.]
He soon decided to specialise in midwifery. In order to be licensed in midwifery with the College of Physicians, Clarke would have to leave the Company of Surgeons. He did so in 1785, and he obtained his licence in midwifery from the College of Physicians in 1787, after examinations in physiology, pathology and therapeutics. Clarke's first publication, "An Essay on the Epidemic Disease of Lying-in Women of the years 1787 and 1788" (London: J. Johnson, 1788) was dedicated to his teachers Dr. Osborn and Dr. Denman. The publication concerned puerperal fever. The paper was well received.
Clarke had a good reputation as a successful clinician and was described as having indomitable industry and perseverance and great acuteness of perception. He inspired confidence in his patients and gained the admiration of his colleagues. He was an excellent teacher and his lectures were very popular.
In 1791 Clarke obtained his MD degree from the University of Frankfurt on the Öder in Prussia. In 1793 he published "Practical Essays on the Management of Pregnancy and Labour" which was designed for medical students. He included his earlier work on puerperal fever and also chapters on other complications of pregnancy, antenatal and postnatal care and management of labour.
Clarke was interested in academic matters, and was a member of several learned societies, for example the Lyceum Medicum, and the Society for the Improvement of Medical and Chirurgical Knowledge. Clarke made contributions to papers published by the latter society. In 1793 and 1798 the Royal Society accepted two papers from Clarke.
Clarke gave courses on Midwifery and the Diseases of Women and Children with Dr. Osborn, both at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and at his home in New Burlington Street. He was the author of a successful textbook, "The London Practice of Midwifery," first published in 1803. It included a significant section on the diseases of children, and examples of cases.
Clarke had a dispute with the Royal College of Physicians concerning the rights of a licentiate in midwifery to practice as a Physician. This went on for several years, but was probably resolved by 1814, as Clarke read a paper at the College which was published in Medical Transactions. "On the effects of certain Articles of Food, especially Oysters, on Women after Childbirth." Medical Transactions 1815;5:109-35.
Clarke was a founder member of The Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, now The Royal Society of Medicine. He was a member of its Council from 1809, and became vice president in 1814.
In 1815 Clarke published the first volume of his book on the diseases of children, writing passionately about the high mortality rate among children in London. The promised second volume of this book was never published because Clarke died at the age of 54, probably from cancer of the stomach. He was buried in the Parish Church of Tamworth in Staffordshire.
Clarke's midwifery practice devolved to his younger brother Charles Mansfield Clarke and later to his nephew Thomas Stone.
[Source: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/greenhall/tht/history/Wigginton.htm. This website gives a transcript of a lecture given at the Royal College of Surgeons in 2001 by Dr Kenneth Ross Hunter. The above information was extracted from this transcript.]
Scope and ContentThe collection contains 11 manuscript notebooks of Dr John Clarke's lectures on Midwifery. The first 6 notebooks are contained in a paper envelope titled "Midwifery by Dr Clarke Accoucheur".
Extent11 files
LanguageEnglish
Conditions governing accessBy appointment only. See College website for contact details of the Archives.
Persons keyword John Clarke, 1761-1815, physician
SubjectWomens health, Pediatrics, Medical treatment
