Composite group portrait of members of the International Medical Congress, 1881
The International Medical Congress (French: Congrès International de Médecine) was a series of international scientific conferences on medicine that took place, periodically, from 1867 until 1913.
The idea of such a congress came in 1865, during the third annual Medical Congress of France; Professor Henri Giutrac proposed holding an international medical conference in 1867, taking advantage of the fact that physicians and surgeons from all over the world would surely be in Paris to attend that year's International Exhibition. The first congress was a great success; it enjoyed the patronage of the French Government, having been officially attended by Victor Duruy, Minister of Public Instruction, and had several honorary members selected from foreign diplomatic bodies and learned societies.[1][2]
Held 19 -26 of August 1897. Transport from London to Moscow via Berlin and Warsaw and a return journey via St Petersburg Helsingfors, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Flushing was arranged with Thomas Cook and Son for 45 guineas per person.[8] There is a copy of the conference proceedings in French held by the Wellcome Trust. Which can be accessed here https://wellcomecollection.org/works/mehvfxh9[9]
There was much in the British Medical press about routes to get to the Congress including a detailed explanation in The Lancet of both overland and sea routes.[11] The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company offered doctors in Britain a 25% discount on the cost of the fare from Southampton to Lisbon.[12] The South Eastern and Chatham Railway and the railway service in France also issued reduce price tickets for members wishing to attend the Congress.[13]
The Great Britain and Ireland Committee convened a meeting on 13 July 1903 with Frederick William Pavy as chair. They reported that 150 people attended from Britain and Ireland. The Great Britain and Ireland Committee were unhappy with the radical changes to the Constitution of the congress specifically article 2 "congress shall be composed of Medical Men, Pharmacists, veterinarian and other persons practicing one of the different branches of medical science.... and that anyone who holds a professional or scientific title shall be admitted to take part in the Congress on the same terms as medical men". The opinion of the Great Britain and Ireland Committee was that this made the Congress unwieldy due to the number of people.[14]
The 18th Congress was due to be held in Munich in 1917, as unanimously agreed by the permanent commission of the International Congress at the 17th Congress in 1913. The Bavarian government and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich offered to host it.[16] In 1914, however, World War I began and the 18th Congress was cancelled.
