William Stokes (1 October 1804 – 10 January 1878) was an Irish physician, who was
Regius Professor of Physic at
Trinity College Dublin. He graduated from the
University of Edinburgh Medical School with an MD in 1825 later returning the practice in Dublin at
Meath Hospital. He went on to create two important works on
cardiac and
pulmonary diseases – A Treatise on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases of the Chest (1837) and The Diseases of the Heart and Aorta (1854) – as well as one of the first treatises on the use of the
stethoscope. He emphasised the importance of clinical examination in forming diagnoses, and of ward-based learning for students of medicine.
In 1858 he was elected a foreign member of the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In June 1861 he was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society as: "The Author of A work on the Diseases of the Lungs, and of a work on the Diseases of the Heart and Aorta – and of other contributions to Pathological Science. Eminent as a Physician".[1] He was elected President of the
Royal Irish Academy for 1874–76.[2]
Brian, V A (March 1977). "The man behind the name: William Stokes 1804–1878". Nursing Times. 73 (9): 311.
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Burchell, H B (March 1970). "The early use of the stethoscope in Scotland: William Stokes' contributions as a medical student". Biomedical Library Bulletin. 13: 2–4.
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