28 October 2005
The Medical World of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin: revolutionary, scientist, statesman, printer, philosopher – physician?
Celebrating Benjamin Franklin’s lifelong interest in medicine and in honour of the 300 th anniversary of his birthday, the Royal Society of Medicine will be showcasing a new exhibition exploring the medical world of the eighteenth century and Franklin’s contributions.
The Medical World of Benjamin Franklin – will reveal aspects of Franklin’s life and works that have not received recognition in the past.
Where could people in the eighteenth century turn for medical care? What sorts of treatments were available? Who were the leading practitioners of the day and what sort of training did they receive?
It is the first time such an exhibition is being held in London.
The Medical World of Benjamin Franklin answers each of these questions, demonstrating the developments of medical thought and practice in the urban centres where Franklin lived and worked – Philadelphia, London and Paris.
Most importantly, The Medical World of Benjamin Franklin offers a window into Franklin’s diverse medical thoughts. Like many educated men during the Enlightenment, Franklin displayed a broad concern for social and personal improvement. However, he had strong feelings about medicine and health and commented on medical topics frequently and intelligently, both in his private and public writings.
The exhibition, which is being jointly presented by the Royal Society of Medicine and The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, brings together books, documents and artifacts from both institutions’ libraries, as well as from the Wellcome Library and Aberdeen University Library.
Visitors can explore Franklin’s concerns about diet, exercise, and moderation, his promotion of fresh air and ventilation, his advocacy of smallpox inoculation, and his exploration of electrical medical treatments. Franklin’s inventive nature in the medical realm will also be on display through inventions like bifocal spectacles and the flexible urinary catheter. Consideration of Franklin’s own health problems, including gout and a painful bladder stone, and they way he dealt with them, allows viewers a deeper understanding of Franklin’s personal attitudes toward wellness, suffering and even death.
The exhibition will be on display from 31st October 2005 until 27th January 2006.
Exhibition details:
Where: The Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE.
When: Monday, 31 October 2005 to Friday, 27 January 2006.
Price: Entrance is free.
Opening times: Monday - Friday 10.00am - 4.00pm
Until 7pm on Wednesdays
Saturday & Sunday - closed
