History
Is Sir Astley Cooperˈs 1823 advice to medical students still relevant?
Abstract
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In an 1823 lecture to medical students on the principles and practice of surgery, London surgeon Sir Astley Cooper raised many issues still discussed among doctors today, including:
- the importance of studying anatomy;
- factors leading to what would now be called “adverse events”; and
- the possible legal consequences of making errors.
- Cooper stressed the need for open communication between doctors and patients.
- Cooper practised surgery during a period when old medical guild controls were breaking down and before new professional regulatory bodies had developed.
- Cooper's lecture suggests that the important principles that underpin competent, caring professional practice endure today.
