Financed through the will of Dr Richard Steevens (1653-1710), and brought into existence by his surviving twin sister, Griselda, Dr Steevens' Hospital (1733) rapidly became a vital institution in the city of Dublin's provision of health care. In its origins, it was promoted by leading citizens, including Jonathan Swift and William King. Throughout its long period of activity, it advanced medical science in both the clinical and educational spheres. Abraham Colles (1773-1843) was only one of its world-renowned surgeons and physicians. To its doors were brought the victims of Invincible crime in 1882.T. P. C. Kirkpatrick's magisterial account of Steeven's was the greatest of his many medical publications, rich in detail, attentive to historical context, and ably conveying the professional significance of the work undertaken throughout the decades and centuries. Privately distributed by subscription in 1924, it is now re-published to mark the 275th anniversary of the hospital's opening, together with all the original photographs.
