Robert Barnes (physician)

Robert Barnes
Robert Barnes, 1889 portrait
Born	(1817-09-04)4 September 1817 Norwich
Died	12 May 1907(1907-05-12) (aged 89) Eastbourne
Nationality	English
Occupation	physician, gynaecologist

Robert Barnes (4 September 1817 – 12 May 1907) was an English obstetric physician, known as a gynaecologist, teacher, author and medical politician.

Born at Norwich on 4 September 1817, he was second son and second child of the six children of Philip Barnes, an architect, by his wife Harriet Futter, daughter of a Norfolk squire. Educated at Bruges from 1826 to 1830 and at home, where one of his tutors was George Borrow, Barnes began his medical career in 1832 as an apprentice in Norwich to Dr. Richard Griffin. When his family moved to London he studied at University College, the Windmill Street school, and at St. George's Hospital.

Becoming a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1842, Barnes spent a year in Paris, where he concentrated on mental illness; on his return to London he settled in general practice in Notting Hill. His ambition at this point was to become a medical teacher: he lectured at the Hunterian School of Medicine and on forensic medicine at Dermott's School, and was obstetric surgeon to the Western general dispensary. He graduated M.D. London in 1848, and in 1853 became L.R.C.P. and in 1859 F.R.C.P.

On 1 April 1859, Barnes was elected assistant obstetric physician, and on 14 July 1863 obstetric physician, to the London Hospital. He moved on 24 April 1865 to a similar post at St. Thomas's Hospital, where he had lectured on midwifery since April 1862. In 1875 he left St. Thomas's Hospital, where he was dean of the medical school, to become obstetric physician at St. George's Hospital; there he was elected consulting obstetric physician in 1885. He had also acted as physician to the Seamen's Hospital, the East London Hospital for Children, and the Royal Maternity Hospital.