{{Short description|Medical society in London, United Kingdom}} [[File:Sydenham Society in 1847.jpeg|thumb|The symbol of the Society in the translation of Theodor Schwann's ''Microscopical Researches'']] The '''Sydenham Society''' was a medical society instituted in 1843 in London with the goal of improving the dissemination of medical text by means of translation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Dunglison |first=Richard J. |date=December 1856 |title=The Sydenham Society of London |journal=Atlanta Medical and Surgical Journal |volume=2 |issue=4 |page=253 |pmc=8846825 |pmid=35825330}}</ref> The society was considered "defunct" in late 1857 before being resurrected as the "New Sydenham Society" (1859–1907).<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Aronson |first=Jeffrey K. |date=2022-12-16 |title=When I use a word . . . . Sydenham Societies |url=https://www.bmj.com/content/379/bmj.o3030 |journal=BMJ |language=en |volume=379 |article-number=o3030 |doi=10.1136/bmj.o3030 |issn=1756-1833 |pmid=36526274}}</ref>
It was named after the English physician Thomas Sydenham (1624–89).<ref name=":1" />
== Prospectus == The prospectus of the Society by the time of its foundation in 1843 stated that:<ref name=":1" />
''The Sydenham Society has been founded for the purpose of meeting certain acknowledged deficiencies in the diffusion of medical literature, which are not likely to be supplied by the efforts of individuals. It will carry this object into effect by distributing among its members —''
''1. Reprints of standard English medical works, which are rare and expensive.''
''2. Miscellaneous Selections from the ancient and from the earlier modern authors, reprinted or translated.''
''3. Digests of the most important matters contained in old and voluminous authors, British and foreign, with occasional biographical and bibliographical notices.''
''4. Translations of the Greek and Latin medical authors, and of works in the Arabic and other Eastern languages, accompanied, when it is thought desirable, by the original text.''
''5. Translations of recent foreign works of merit.''
''6. Original works of great merit, which might be very valuable as books of reference, but which would not otherwise be published, from not being likely to have a remunerating sale,—such as classified Bibliographies, and alphabetical Indexes to periodical publications and other valuable voluminous works.''
== Translations == [[File:Sydenham Society Coat of Arms on Book Cover.jpeg|thumb|A coat of arms present in the cover of books edited by the society. ]] The members of the Society produced several medical translations. As of 1856, membership in the society costed five dollars. Every year, the members received "three volumes, handsomely bound in a uniform manner in cloth, gilt edged". New members could acquire any previous volume for two dollars and fifty cents, or combinations of 3 volumes for five dollars.<ref name=":0" />
As of 2024, the works translated by the society have already fallen in the public domain and are available from online sources such as the Internet Archive.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine |url=https://archive.org/search?query=sydenham+society&and%5B%5D=year:%5B1843+TO+1857%5D |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=archive.org}}</ref>
The volumes edited by the society included:<ref name=":0" /> {| class="wikitable" ! Title ! Author ! Translator ! Original language ! Translation publication date ! Source |- | Sydenhami Opera Omnia | | | | | |- | Hasse's Pathological Anatomy | | | | | |- | A treatise on the Smallpox and Measles | Rhazes | William Alexander Greenhill | Arabic | 1848 | <ref>{{Cite book |last=Razi |first=Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya |url=http://archive.org/details/b21301943 |title=A treatise on the small-pox and measles [electronic resource] |last2=Greenhill |first2=William Alexander |last3=Todd |first3=Robert Bentley |last4=Sydenham Society |last5=King's College London |date=1848 |publisher=London : Sydenham Society |others=Foyle Special Collections Library King's College London}}</ref> |- | The Forks of Hewson, portrait and plates | | | | | |- | Dupuytren's Lectures on Diseases and Injuries of Bones | | | | | |- | Dupuytren on Lesions of the Vascular System &c. | | | | | |- | Memoirs of the French Academy of Surgery | | | | | |- | Feuchtersleben's Medical Psychology | | | | | |- | Microscopical Researches (Schwann) + Contributions to Phytogenesis (Schleiden) | Schwann and Schleiden | Henry Smith (presumably Henry Spencer Smith) | German | 1847 | <ref>{{Cite book |last=Schwann |first=Theodor |url=http://archive.org/details/b33098128_0001 |title=Microscopical researches into the accordance in the structure and growth of animals and plants |date=1847 |publisher=London : [The Sydenham Society] |others=Wellcome Library}}</ref> |- | Works of W. Harvey, M.D | | | | | |- | Genuine Works of Hippocrates (2 volumes) | | | | | |- | Essays on Puerperal Fever, and other Diseases Peculiar to Women | | | | | |- | Works of Sydenham, translated from Latin (2 volumes) | | | Latin | | |- | Unzer and Prochaska on the Nervous System | | | | | |- | Annals of Influenza | | | | | |- | Romberg on Diseases of the Nervous System (2 volumes) | | | | | |- | Manual of Human Histology (2 volumes) | Kölliker | George Busk and Thomas Huxley | German | 1853 | <ref>{{Cite book |last=Kölliker |first=Albert |url=http://archive.org/details/b24757275_0002 |title=Manual of human histology |last2=Busk |first2=George |last3=Huxley |first3=Thomas Henry |last4=Sydenham Society |last5=Royal College of Physicians of London |date=1853 |publisher=London : Sydenham Society |others=London Royal College of Physicians}}</ref> |- | Rokitansky's Pathological Anatomy (4 volumes) | | | | | |- | Hunter on the Gravid Uterus with 34 plates | | | | | |- | Wedl's Pathological Histology | | | | | |- | Oesterlen's Medical Logic | | | | | |- | Velpeau on Diseases of the Breast | | | | | |- | Works of Arataeus, Greek and English | | | Greek | | |}
== Presidents == In the term 1849-1850, the society was presided by Sir James Clark.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sydenham Society |url=http://archive.org/details/reportofgeneralm07sydeuoft |title=Report of the general meeting |date=1846–49 |publisher=London |others=Gerstein - University of Toronto}}</ref>
Presidents of the New Society included renowned physicians Charles James Blasius Williams, Thomas Watson, James Paget, George Burrows, and Caesar Hawkins among others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The New Sydenham Society: a letter to the editor of the Lancet |url=https://archive.org/details/b22294156/page/2/mode/1up |access-date=2025-06-16 |website=archive.org}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Medical associations based in the United Kingdom Category:1843 establishments in England Category:Organisations based in London