Abstract
During the 19th century, a series of International Medical Congresses was held in Paris (1867), Florence (1869), Vienna (1873), Brussels (1875), Geneva (1877), Amsterdam (1879) and the seventh in London from 2 to 9 August 1881. It was held at St James' Hall, Piccadilly under the patronage of Queen Victoria, in the presence of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) with Sir James Paget as President and organized by Sir William MacCormack. There were over 3000 participants including Lord Lister, Sir Jonathan Hutchinson, Sir Samuel Wilks, Sir William Bowman, Sir William Gull, Richard Owen, Thomas Huxley and, from abroad, Louis Pasteur, Rudolf Virchow, Moritz Kaposi, Robert Koch, Jean Martin Charcot, Richard von Volkmann, John Shaw Billings, Sir William Osler, Austin Flint and Palmer Howard. 1
Receptions were held at the Royal College of Physicians and the College of Surgeons, South Kensington Museum, the Mansion House, the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries and the Albert Hall and at private parties in the London homes of James Paget, Sir Thomas Spencer-Wells and John Langdon Down. Special services were held at Westminster Abbey and St Paul's. The Congress ended with a dinner and fireworks display at Crystal Palace that included fire portraits of Paget, Charcot and von Langenbeck.
An outstanding social event was a garden party held on Monday afternoon 8 August 1881 at Holly Lodge by Baroness Burdett-Coutts. This was beautifully described by Dr Alec Sakula 2 and is strongly recommended for his portrayal of the hostess and her party and also for the illustrations of the illustrious doctors attending the party.