FARRE, FREDERIC JOHN

[1883]

Admin history: Frederic John Farre (1804-1886) was born in Charterhouse Square, London, on 16 December 1804, the son of John Richard Farre, physician. He obtained a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA with first class honours in Mathematics in 1827, and graduated MA in 1830. During this time he undertook his medical studies at St Bartholomew's Hospital (St Barts). In 1831 Farre was appointed lecturer on botany at St Barts. In 1836 he was appointed assistant physician to the hospital. He graduated MD in 1837. In 1838 he was elected fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and became closely involved with the work of the College. He was censor there in 1841 and 1842, and from 1843-45 he lectured on 'materia medica'. From 1843, until his death, he was physician to the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital. He was a member of the council of the Royal College of Physicians from 1846-48. In 1854 he became full physician and lecturer on 'materia medica' at St Barts, on which subject he became an authority. In the same year he served again as censor for the College. Farre became an examiner for the College, 1861-62, and an examiner in 'materia medica' for the University of London. He was one of the editors of the first 'British Pharmacopoeia' (1864), and the following year was involved in editing an abridged version of Jonathan Pereira's 'Elements of Materia Medica' (1865). In 1866 he published a paper on the 'Treatment of Acute Pericarditis with Opium' in the 'St Bartholomew's Hospital Reports', which recommends the disuse of the then popular but injurious mercurial treatment. He served a second time as councillor and as an examiner of the Royal College of Physicians, from 1866-67, and was treasurer there from 1868-83. In 1870 he retired from his position as physician at St Barts, although he continued to lecture there for another six years. Upon his resignation as treasurer of the College, in 1883, he presented the College with a manuscript history of its proceedings, compiled by himself. He finally became vice-president there in 1885. He died in his home at Kensington on 9 November 1886, at the age of 81. Farre's father, John Richard Farre was the son in law and executor of William Crawley. Crawley was part owner of the Caledonia estate. In the last list of assets before the abolition of slavery, 33 enslaved people were listed. When slavery was abolished in 1834, compensation was awarded to previous owners of enslaved people, based on the asset lists of their holdings. As executor, John Farre was awarded £514 compensation in 1835 as part owner of the estate. Sources: 'Dictionary of National Biography', Vol. XVIII, Leslie Stephen (ed.) (London, 1889) [DNB, 1889, pp.229-30] 'Lives of the Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of London, Vol. IV, 1826-1925', compiled by G.H. Brown (London, 1955) [Munk's Roll Vol.IV pp.18-9] 'Obituary - Frederic John Farre', 'The Lancet', Vol. II 1886, pp.1003-04 'Obituary - Frederick John Farre', 'British Medical Journal', Vol. II 1886, pp.1001-02 https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/41049 accessed February 2021‎