Medal, silver, awarded by the School of Medicine in Charing Cross Hospital to Dr W.C. Beatley, as a prize for practical chemistry, English, 1880

William Crump Beatley (1856-1917) was a medical student at Charing Cross Hospital in London when he received this prize medal in 1880. Later he continued his studies in Newcastle, before taking up an appointment as a resident medical officer back at Charing Cross Hospital. Other roles included senior assistant at the County Asylum, Somerset, and resident medical officer at the Newcastle Dispensary – the city where he would spend most of his career.

His time working at the County Asylum almost certainly influenced his publication of 1885 entitled ‘General Paralysis of the Insane. A Study of the Deep Reflexes, and Pathological Condition of the Spinal Cord’.

This award would have been one of a number of prize medals given out each year to the leading students in particular courses being studied such as surgery, anatomy and, as here, for practical chemistry.