Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with February 14.

Events

1852 – Great Ormond Street Hospital for children opened in London as the first UK hospital offering dedicated inpatient care for children. Originally known as The Hospital for Sick Children, it was founded by Dr. Charles West (1816–1898) to combat high infant mortality, and started with only 10 beds in a townhouse.

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Births

1806 – Joseph François Malgaigne (1806- 1865) was a French Surgeon. Described Malgaigne Fracture (1847); invented the Malgaigne Hook and External fixation techniques; published two ground breaking textbooks the Manuel de médecine opératoire (1834) and Traité des fractures et des luxations (1847)

1881 – Sir Vincent Zachary Cope (1881-1974), English surgeon; described Cope obturator test (1919), Cope psoas test (1921), and Cope’s sign (1970)

1900 – George Kenneth Mallory (1900-1986), American pathologist; described Mallory–Weiss Lesion (1929)

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Deaths

2015 – Ben J. Wilson (1920-2015), American surgeon; coined the term “Necrotizing Fasciitis” (1951)

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Further reading

• Glasper EA. Charles West and Florence Nightingale: Children’s healthcare in context. OUPblog