Rudyard Kipling's medical addresses

Abstract

Rudyard Kipling was one of the most widely read writers of prose and poetry during his lifetime. His wide travels-he was born in India and lived in England and The United States and made frequent visits to South Africa-led to many encounters with physicians and medicine. His unique addresses to the medical profession reveal his knowledge of medical subjects. His three major medical addresses concern medical subjects in contrast to most laymen addressing physicians, who typically speak about their own areas of expertise. The influence of Sir William Osler on some of Kipling's stories is also examined.

Keywords: Medical School of Middlesex Hospital; Rudyard Kipling; Sir William Osler; The Royal College of Surgeons of England; The Royal Medical Society.