Book reviews
John Crawford Adams is a retired London surgeon and medical historian who lived in Regent's Park for more than 30 years, and his research on the area has been meticulous. What had begun as the Harley Estate became the Portland Estate through the marriage of the Harley's daughter, Margaret, to the second Duke of Portland. Margaret's parents, Edward and Henrietta Harley, had inherited the land from the Duke of Newcastle. This account follows the history of Harley Street with notes on some of its famous inhabitants. They include Joseph Lister, later Lord Lister, Lord Dawson of Penn, Lord Horder, Sir Robert Jones, Sir Thomas Fairbank, Sir William Arbuthnot Lane, Sir George Frederick Still, Sir Frederick Treves and Sir Victor Horsley. The names of the streets that criss-cross Harley Street are linked with their origins, making it a more interesting walk in the area.
Residents of the area have enjoyed the elegant amenities of nearby Regent's Park from about 1840 onwards. The author has added historical notes on the development of the park. It includes profiles of John Fordyce, who preserved its open space, and architect John Nash, who prepared a plan to link the park with Westminster. There is an interesting account of the buildings in the park and of the zoo, the Colosseum, the Diorama, the open-air theatre and Queen Mary's Gardens. It seems a pity that the three medical colleges, Royal College of Physicians (RCP), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology and Royal College of Ophthalmology, have not been included. The RCP is mentioned in passing and is stated in a map of the area. All three colleges undoubtedly warrant a chapter in a second edition of this fascinating and worthwhile read of a richly medical area.
- © 2009 Royal College of Physicians
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