John Braxton Hicks

John Braxton Hicks
John Braxton Hicks
	Braxton Hicks, 1881
Born	John Braxton Hicks; February 23, 1823; Rye, Sussex, England
Died	August 28, 1897 (aged 74); Brackley, West Northamptonshire, England
Education	Guy's Hospital Medical School
Alma mater	University of London (MB); (MD)
Occupation	Obstetrician
Employer(s)	Royal College of Physicians; Guy's Hospital Medical School; St Mary's Hospital, London; Fellow of the Royal Society; Hunterian Society
Known for	Specialization in obstetrics and identifying Braxton Hicks contractions
Parent	Edward Hicks (father);
Family	Athelstan Braxton Hicks (son)

John Braxton Hicks FRS FLS^[1] (23 February 1823 – 28 August 1897) was a 19th-century English medical doctor who specialised in obstetrics.

Early life and education

He was born to banker Edward Hicks (b. 1785 - d. 1861) in Rye, Sussex.^[2] He was educated privately and in 1841 entered Guy's Hospital Medical School. He obtained his MB at the University of London in 1845 and an MD in 1851. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1866.^[3]

Career

In 1856 Hicks was appointed assistant obstetric physician at Guy's Hospital and full physician in 1868. In 1888 he became obstetric physician at St Mary's Hospital, London. Hicks was the first physician to describe the bipolar and other methods of the version of a fetus. In 1872, he described the uterine contractions not resulting in childbirth now known as Braxton Hicks contractions.

In 1862 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society by virtue of his interest in Natural History, about which he wrote numerous papers.^[4] He gave the Hunterian Oration to the Hunterian Society in 1868 and was elected their president for 1879.^[5]

Personal life

Hicks fathered coroner Athelstan Braxton Hicks (b. 1854 - d. 1902).

Death

Hicks died at Barratt Homes of The Brackens, Brackley, West Northamptonshire, England on August 28, 1897 at age 74 and is buried at St Thomas Church, Winchester, Hampshire. In his honor, an obstetric ward at St Thomas' Hospital was named after him (now currently closed).

References

^ Desmond, Ray, ed. (25 February 1994). "Hicks, John Braxton". Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturists Including plant collectors, flower painters and garden designers. CRC Press. p. 340. ISBN 9780850668438.
^ Boase, Frederic (24 May 2024). "Lymington Hampshire public records - Death of Edward Hicks". Retrieved 23 May 2024.
^ "Proceedings of the Linnaean Society" (PDF). Retrieved 1 October 2010.
^ "Library and Archive Catalogue". Royal Society. Retrieved 1 October 2010.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Presidents of the Society and Orators, 1826–1906" (PDF). Hunterian Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2012.