Care and Diligence - the professional life of James Pearse, sea surgeon, courtier and the founder of naval medicine

Abstract

James Pearse was the most distinguished English military surgeon of the late 17th century. He established the basic principles of naval surgical care and was a notable innovator and administrator during the Second and Third Dutch wars. He was a friend and colleague of Samuel Pepys, a courtier, a gossip and a royal confidant. His work, though now largely forgotten, had a profound influence on the development of the Royal Naval Medical Service during the following two centuries.