This is the first scholarly history of Birmingham's teaching hospitals and is the result of a three-year research fellowship held by Jonathan Reinarz. It is also the history of many hospitals that are no longer with us, and this book is therefore a tribute to these institutions that served the city and its population so magnificently in war and peace, going back to the end of the eighteenth century. Both of us have very fond memories from many years either as a medical student and doctor or a patient at the General Hospital.

The author was originally employed by the Centre for the History of Medicine at what was then the University's Medical School to research and write this volume. Although he has now, through the generosity of the Wellcome Trust, become a full-time Lecturer in the History of Medicine and is now the Centre's Director, he continues with this work and over the years we will see ever more about the medical history of the United Kingdom's Second City emanating from his pen. Owing to his efforts, the medical history of our city is firmly on the map.

The original research was funded by the Special Trustees of the Former United Birmingham Hospitals, now split into a number of charities associated with the various NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts that are the successor bodies to the United Birmingham Hospitals. It is important that we acknowledge that this book would not have been possible without their support and those who formed the first Advisory Group, especially the late Dr Ben Davis and the late Dr Joan Lane.

We would also wish to warmly thank the Sir Arthur Thomson Charitable Trust who has made publication possible by a generous grant. The late Sir Arthur was, following his retirement as Vice Principal and Dean of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Birmingham, an ardent sponsor of Birmingham medical history and we are sure he would have greatly enjoyed reading this book.