Dr Thomas Hodgkin, Dr Martin Delany, and the "return to Africa".

The medical accomplishments of Thomas Hodgkin (1798-1866) are well known. The introduction of the stethoscope and creation of the pathological museum at Guy's Hospital, London, his lectures on morbid anatomy, and his description of the disease that bears his name have earned him an acknowledged place in nineteenth-century British medical history. Not as well known are Hodgkin's non-medical interests and activities, yet in his own time he was famous as a philanthropist and humanitarian. Indeed, his obituary in the British Medical Journal characterized him as "a sincere and judicious promoter of the good of his fellow men".3 Among these non-medical concerns were a life-long opposition to slavery and support for the colonization of American blacks in Africa. In pursuit of these causes, Hodgkin became involved with a black American doctor, Martin R. Delany (1812-1885), whose racial pride and separatist beliefs led him to seek a homeland for his people in Africa. From 1858 to 1861, Delany was busily engaged on three continents promoting his plans; throughout this period Hodgkin was similarly involved. The following study, based largely on