Nelson's Surgeon: William Beatty, Naval Medicine, and the Battle of Trafalgar

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7525.1150

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Graeme Glass, senior house officer in plastic surgery (graemeglass@hotmail.com)

St George's Hospital, London

The 200th anniversary this year of the Battle of Trafalgar has sparked new life into the subject of Britain's mari-time history. But the work of naval surgeons has rarely been explored in any great detail. Signing up for the navy was often seen as a route by which young men with an interest in surgery and a basic qualification provided by the Company of Surgeons could gain experience before furthering their career in private, civilian practice. For others it was the only opportunity to practise, their level of proficiency being …