Medical innovations in British stamps

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Postage stamp was a British innovation. First introduced on 6th May 1840, it was a beginning for pre-paid postage, we still follow world-wide. Since then British postage stamps have a unique tradition. Only human figure on these postage stamps is either the monarch, or members of the royal family. British post (or Royal Mail) has only rarely deviated from this tradition. In this regard, British postage stamps on medical innovations are different. As compared to stamps from other countries, that depict inventors or discoverers, British stamps rather celebrate the concept. Royal Mail may name the person behind the concept, but will never add a face to the name.

A collage of some of the British postage stamps, that show medical innovations
Millennium series

As per Georgian calendar, year 2000 was dawn of a third millennium. Between 1999-2000 Royal Mail issued a total of 48 postage stamps (in 12 sets of 4 stamps each) as its millennium series. The first set of four in this millennium series depicts four inventions – Time-keeping, Steam engines, Photography, and Computers. While none of these innovations are medical, today these have an important supporting role in all health transactions.

First set of four millennium series stamps issued in January 1999. Royal Mail pre-announces its postage stamp issues and designs. This allows commercial or private first day covers with their own designs and cancellations. Above image is of first four stamps in the series, affixed on a private cover. All stamps also depict names of its designers. This is a feature common to all millennium stamps.
Patient’s tale

Issued in March 1999 third set of four stamps in the millennium series was named as “Patient’s tale”. There are four medical innovations in this set – a test tube baby, penicillin, nursing care and vaccination. While postage stamps do not show human figures, privately issued covers give them a place. Please see these four stamps affixed on Benham covers and cancellations.

First successful IVF Birth was on 25th July 1978 (Louise Brown). This technique of artificial fertilisation of an ovum with a sperm was pioneered by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards in St George’s hospital in London. In contrast to current privacy standards, Birth of Louise and her subsequent years were widely televised. Postage stamp on IVF shows sculpture of a foetus. Patrick Steptoe is mentioned on the cover.
Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin in 1928. He was awarded 1945 Nobel Prize for this discovery. This was the first antibiotic, and changed the way we treat infections. The postage stamp shows Penicillium notatum, a green fungus which is the source of this substance.
Florence nightingale (1820-1910) organised nursing care. She is responsible for a structured nursing care across the world, and a shift from a disorganised system of care to a distinct healthcare profession. Postage stamp shows nurses in the current era. Florence nightingale is watermarked on the cover.
Edward Jenner developed the first Vaccine against small-pox in 1798. This system of vaccination (or variolization)was adopted worldwide. However further developments in vaccination occurred only after Louis Pasteur 1880.
The Citizen’s tale

Seventh set in the series (issued in July 1999), was on citizen’s rights. This set has four themes – voting rights for women, right to health, right to education and rights to citizens or Magna Carta. These rights are a basis for Public health and universal health-care delivery. Medical innovations are meaningless, unless its benefits transcend to the communities.

Royal Mail first day cover on Citizen’s rights. These postage stamps affixed on private Benham covers are in subsequent images.

Magna Carta, or a charter of royal roles and responsibilities came into being in 1215. Barons and feudals had initially drafted it as a check on monarchy. While original charter had a focus on feudal rights, subsequent British parliaments added more citizen’s rights. Today we consider it as a basis for all subsequent citizen right charters. Key rights in this charter were freedom, liberty, justice, and lawful assembly.

For centuries, education was a prerogative of the rich and influential. In 1870, Britain established elementary education act. Later in 1891, British government abolished fees from the elementary schools. These developments became a basis for universal education. Education is the key to health.

Right to health postage stamp depicts a tap. This makes it a very unusual health-theme postage stamp. It is used to symbolise developments in health and sanitation. In 19th century Joseph Bazalgette (1819-1891) constructed sewage system in London. This, along with clean piped water supply system were one of the first developments in Public Health.

Right to Health

After years of struggle, and despite queens as British Monarchs, Women got their right to vote only in 1918. Suffragettes were the activists who were flag bearers of this struggle. Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughters Christabel, Sylvia and Adela Pankhurst were the first prominent suffragettes from Manchester, England. Political empowerment is an important tool to end gender biases in healthcare innovations and delivery.

The scientist’s tale

This eighth set in the millennium series was issued in August of 1999. While three stamps in this set are on astronomy, electricity, and evolution, the fourth is on DNA – backbone of all biologic processes.

Concept of chromosomes and genes, came from Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), who was an Austrian biologist. Later Swiss chemist Friedrich Miescher identified DNA in 1860s. American biologist James Watson and English physicist Francis Crick discovered its structure in 1953. This worked earned them a Nobel Prize in 1962, and opened us up to genetic and molecular medicine.

Postage stamp, cancellation and cover, all show double helix structure of DNA. The cover also shows Dr Francis Crick, and English physicist behind this discovery.
Mind and Matter

First twelve millennium series sets looked back on past developments. Royal Mail issued another twelve sets in the year 2000. These sets attempt to look at the future. 21st set in the series is titled – mind and matter. Only medical part in this set is brain, that is all set to be stimulated by our environs.

The first stamp is a Giant view of a Brazilian ant, from a Bristol museum. The second stamp is a photograph – “Gathering water lilies”. Third stamp is X-ray of a child holding a computer mouse. Fourth stamp is on Scottish cultural resources network.
Six medical breakthroughs

The last set of stamps in this blog, are not from the millennium series. This set of six-stamps was issued on 16th September 2010. This set shows breakthroughs, that define medical care today.

  • Beta-blockers – A drug that is used in patients with heart disease, migraines, certain thyroid conditions and even at times in anxiety. This drug slows down heart rate, and was synthesised by James Black in 1962. He was awarded Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1988.
  • Penicillin – First antibiotic, discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. This discovery changed the way we manage infections.
  • Total hip replacement – In 1962, John Charnley combined a stainless steel ball joint with a low friction polymer. This artificial hip was the first successful hip-transplant.
  • Artificial eye lens – Harold Ridley developed the first perspex replacement for eye lens. First such surgery was done in 1949, and it changed the way we manage cataracts today.
  • Malaria transmission – In 1890 Ronald Ross discovered malaria cycle. This earned him Nobel Prize in 1902, and also was a beginning of our war against the mosquito.
  • CT scan – Geoffrey Hounsfield developed a computerised X-ray scanner between 1967-1971. This generated cross-sectional images of human body. Today, CT scans are mainstay of medical imaging.

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