Regius Professors of Medicine at Oxford

摘要

The supplement on Sir William Osler accompanyingnthis issue of the Journal prompts us to ask thenquestion ‘how did Osler fit the mould of RegiusnProfessors of Medicine (RPMs) before him and ofnthose that have followed?’ It immediately strikesnthe writer that Sir William has probably left angreater legacy for medicine and medical history innOxford than any other RPM, but this is perhapsndue more to his undoubted charisma and personalnmagnetism than to pioneering achievements innclinical medicine or medical research. This isnalready apparent when one simply considers thenlegacies of his predecessor Sir John BurdonnSanderson (1828–1905) and his successor Sir ArchibaldnGarrod (1857–1936), each of whom madenfundamental advances in medical science and yetnis far less well known today.