Abstract
Introduction
2013 is the tercentenary of the death of Sir Patrick Dun. When Dun died in 1713, he left the proceeds of his estate to enhance medical education in Dublin by funding chairs in medicine. He showed remarkable innovation, but it took 95 years, five Acts of Parliament, two House of Commons enquiries and a House of Lords enquiry before Dun’s wishes were brought to fruition and systematic clinical education was available for Dublin medical students. The passage of the final School of Physic Act in 1800 insured that a hospital would open in his name and regular clinical education was provided. The physician, Richard Steevens, who died 3 years earlier in 1710, left the proceeds of his estate to found a hospital, which opened, in his name, in 1733.
Materials and methods
The contemporary primary sources have been analysed and material from relevant secondary sources has been included where appropriate.
Conclusion
Dublin was the beneficiary of these bequests and if circumstances had been more favourable, and the proceeds had been used more efficiently at the start of the eighteenth-century, Dublin could well have rivalled Edinburgh as the seat of medical education in the eighteenth century. In the early nineteenth century, it would fulfil that role and equal Edinburgh as one of the primary centres of medical education in Europe.
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Notes
Dun’s will is not extant, but there is a copy in Belcher’s biography of Dun, 50.
Belcher, writing in 1866, had access to more complete records.
‘An Act for vacating the King’s Professorship of Physic in Dublin’: This was a private act, and there is a hand-written copy in RCPIA, RCPI/4/5/1/2. It is very rarely listed in official documents and the date given is 1741, but it is not possible to locate it in the 1741 list of private legislation. Thus, 1748 is more likely to be the correct date.
JKQCPI, 5 May 1783.
25 Geo iii, c. 42, 1785, ‘An Act for establishing a Complete School of Physick in this Kingdom’.
25 Geo iii, c. 42, cl 33–34.
25 Geo iii, c. 42, cl 2. This was surprising as the KQCPI had previously stated that no member of their college could practise midwifery.
Henry Quin was to receive 1/3 of the profits of the estate until his death, which amounted to approximately £300 annually.
31 Geo iii, c. 35, 1791, cl 3.
35 Geo iii, c. 22, 1795.
JKQCPI, 9 September, 1795.
40 Geo iii, c.84, 1800.
40 Geo iii, c. 84, cl 4 and 6.
The commissioners were: Rt Hon Sackville Hamilton; George Knox; Arthur Browne, doctor at laws; Francis Hutchinson; William Digges LaTouche; Abraham Wilkinson, together with the Provost of Trinity College and President of the College of Physicians.
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Mullaney, S. Sir Patrick Dun and the Complete School of Physic in Eighteenth-century Dublin. Ir J Med Sci 184, 167–173 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-014-1082-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-014-1082-7