John Freke (surgeon) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Freke
Born	1688 England
Died	1756 England
Occupation	Surgeon

John Freke (born 1688, died 1756) was an important English surgeon. He helped make surgery a separate and respected medical job, different from barbers who used to do some surgery too.

Early Life and Training

John Freke grew up in the countryside. His father was a minister. When he was 17, he became an apprentice to Richard Blundell, a well-known surgeon in London. This meant he learned surgery by working closely with Blundell.

A Pioneer at St Bartholomew's Hospital

In 1726, John Freke became an assistant surgeon at St Bartholomew's Hospital, often called Barts. Just one year later, he was put in charge of preparing anatomical and surgical items for study.

First Eye Specialist

In 1727, the leaders of Barts Hospital decided they needed surgeons who focused on specific areas. Freke was chosen to treat eye diseases. This made him the very first eye surgeon, also known as an ophthalmic surgeon, at the hospital.

His Time as a Surgeon

Freke worked as a surgeon at Barts from 1729 to 1755. He also helped run the hospital as a Governor from 1736 to 1756. He trained other important surgeons, including Edward Nourse, who later trained Percival Pott. In 1745, Freke helped create the Company of Surgeons, an important group for surgeons.

Medical Inventions and Discoveries

John Freke designed several medical tools, including a better type of obstetric forceps, which are instruments used in childbirth. He was also the first person to write about a rare genetic condition called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. This condition causes muscles and other soft tissues to turn into bone.

In 1748, he wrote a book called Essay on the Art of Healing. In this book, he talked about important points related to breast cancer. He also warned about the danger of not removing infected lymphatic tissue (part of the body's immune system).

Studying Anatomy

In 1752, a law called the Murder Act 1752 was passed. This law allowed the bodies of convicted murderers to be used for studying anatomy (the structure of the body). Since Freke was in charge of preparing anatomical items, he could use these bodies to help medical students learn more. The hospital even rented a house to receive the bodies.

Beyond Medicine

John Freke was interested in science outside of his medical work. In 1729, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, a famous scientific group. He wrote many articles for their journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

Ideas on Electricity

In 1746, he wrote a book about electricity. He believed that lightning and electricity were the same thing. This was an important idea at the time. The book was later republished with a shorter title, Treatise on the Nature and Property of Fire.

Friends with Famous People

Freke was also friends with well-known artists and writers. He is mentioned in the famous book Tom Jones. He was a friend of the artist William Hogarth and might have been the model for a character in one of Hogarth's famous artworks. He was also close with the writer Samuel Richardson and was one of the few people who got to read Richardson's book Clarissa before it was published.

Images for kids

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  1746 copy of Freke's "An essay to shew the cause of electricity, and why some things are non-electricable"

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  Title page to "An essay to shew the cause of electricity, and why some things are non-electricable"

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  Preface to "An essay to shew the cause of electricity, and why some things are non-electricable"

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  First page of "An essay to shew the cause of electricity, and why some things are non-electricable"