Thomas Wakley (1795–1862): a biographical sketch

Thomas Wakley—founding editor of The Lancet, member of Parliament, coroner and, for 12 years, all three simultaneously—died 150 years ago. His fullest biography is more than a century old, but still provides a good account of the struggles and achievements of this extraordinary yet at times rather difficult and overstretched man. Nonetheless, there are gaps, and this anniversary provides a chance to fill in a few of them.