South, John Flint (1797-1882)
TitleSouth, John Flint (1797-1882)
ReferenceMS0232
Level of descriptionfonds
Date1811-1871
Admin./ biographical historyJohn Flint South was a Surgeon and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (1843). He was one of the original 300 Fellows. He attended St. Thomas' Hospital, London where he was articled pupil to Henry Cline the younger, who was then a surgeon at the hospital. Flint South also attended Sir Astley Cooper's lectures on anatomy, acted as prosecutor to the Lectures on Anatomy at St. Thomas', and then was appointed Conservator of the Museum and Assistant Demonstrator of Anatomy for a term of three years in December 1820. He was elected Demonstrator of Anatomy jointly with Bransby Cooper in February 1823, and on the retirement of Sir Astley Cooper he was appointed Lecturer on Anatomy in 1825. He was elected as Assistant Surgeon to St. Thomas' in April 1834 and then Surgeon in July 1841. He resigned from this post in April 1863.
He was a Member of the College Council from 1841 to 1873. In 1844, he delivered the Hunterian Oration, and from 1845 to 1847 he was Professor of Human Anatomy, a Member of the Court of Examiners from 1849 to 1868, Chairman of the Midwifery Board in 1859, and a Member of the Dental Board from 1864 to 1868. He served as the College's Vice-President during the years 1849, 1850, 1858, and 1859, and was elected President in 1851 and 1860. As Vice-President in 1859 he signalized his year of office by getting the body of John Hunter re-buried in Westminster Abbey, and wrote the inscription for his monument.
The last twenty years of his life were spent in gathering materials for a history of English surgery. The materials he accumulated became unmanageable, were afterwards edited by D’Arcy Power at the request of his widow, and were published under the title The Craft of Surgery in 1886. The original manuscript volumes containing a transcript of the Court Minutes of the Barber-Surgeons’ Company of London, 1540—1745, got scattered and some found their way to Canada.
For more information of Flint South's life and career, please visit his profile on Plarr's Lives of the Fellows: https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/results?qu=john+flint+south&te=ASSET.
He was a Member of the College Council from 1841 to 1873. In 1844, he delivered the Hunterian Oration, and from 1845 to 1847 he was Professor of Human Anatomy, a Member of the Court of Examiners from 1849 to 1868, Chairman of the Midwifery Board in 1859, and a Member of the Dental Board from 1864 to 1868. He served as the College's Vice-President during the years 1849, 1850, 1858, and 1859, and was elected President in 1851 and 1860. As Vice-President in 1859 he signalized his year of office by getting the body of John Hunter re-buried in Westminster Abbey, and wrote the inscription for his monument.
The last twenty years of his life were spent in gathering materials for a history of English surgery. The materials he accumulated became unmanageable, were afterwards edited by D’Arcy Power at the request of his widow, and were published under the title The Craft of Surgery in 1886. The original manuscript volumes containing a transcript of the Court Minutes of the Barber-Surgeons’ Company of London, 1540—1745, got scattered and some found their way to Canada.
For more information of Flint South's life and career, please visit his profile on Plarr's Lives of the Fellows: https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/results?qu=john+flint+south&te=ASSET.
Scope and ContentThe collection contains lecture notes taken by John Flint South of lectures delivered by John Abernethy, William Brande, Henry Cline, Sir Astley Cooper, William Lawrence, and Benjamin Travers. The collection also contains anatomical sketches by South and letters written to him while at school and early in his studies of medicine, as well as letters written later in his career concerning his appointments and activities.
Extent7 boxes
LanguageEnglish
System of arrangementThe lecture notes are arranged into series and files according to the lecturer. The sketches and letters are arranged into files.
Conditions governing accessThis collection is available to everyone for research. It can be consulted in our Research Room at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 38-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE. It is essential to book in advance so we can ensure material is available. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk to book a Research Room appointment.
Conditions governing reproductionCopies of material in the archives can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents. Some items within this collection may remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study. Permission to publish material, in print or online, must be sought in advance from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and, where appropriate, the copyright holder. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk in the first instance.