Article ID: CBB000831629

Thomas Spencer Wells, Bt FRCS (1818--97) and His Contributions to Naval Medicine (2007)

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Sir Thomas Spencer Wells (1818--97) is best remembered both as a gynaecological surgeon, who introduced ovariectomy, and as the one who introduced the surgical forceps named after him. Far less is known of his career in the Royal Navy (RN) as an assistant surgeon and then a surgeon, and his contributions to naval medicine. Wells enlisted for the RN at the age of 23 years and for most of his naval career (1841--56) he served at the Naval Hospital, Malta (1841--48). However, from 1851 to 1853 he was surgeon and sanitary officer on the sloop, HMS Modeste. Most of Wells' contributions to the health of sailors were of a preventive nature, especially involving ventilation, in RN ships. He was also an enthusiast for quarantine and vaccination.

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Description Focuses on his years in the navy rather than on his more well-known gynecological work.


Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB000831629/

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Authors & Contributors
McLean, David
M. D. Brinsden
I. Saeed
Magno, Giovanni
S. K. Khan
Cevolani, Enrico
Concepts
Medicine
Physicians; doctors
Surgery
Medicine and the military; medicine in war
Biographies
Naval and maritime medicine
Time Periods
19th century
18th century
20th century, early
20th century
Places
Great Britain
Italy
England
United States
Bologna (Italy)
Americas
Institutions
Great Britain. Royal Navy
Real Tribunal del Protomedicato
Real Escuela de Cirugia
Royal College of Surgeons, London
University of Edinburgh
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