EMERITUS professor of medicine from Bristol University Gareth Williams addressed an audience of around 60 people at the Wharf last week.

Professor Williams gave a fascinating account of the life of country gentleman doctor Edward Jenner, who lived in Gloucestershire in the 18th century. Although famous for the discovery of vaccination for smallpox, which led to the eradication of the disease, Jenner also launched his own hot air balloon and studied animals and plants useful for a wide variety of medical research.

Jenner formed a medical society in Gloucestershire where he contributed papers on heart disease and migration of birds and first described the cuckoo evicting the hosts eggs from the nest. Jenner was also a geologist and musician who played the violin and wrote poetry.

Professor Williams has written a book on smallpox which he sells to raise money for the Jenner Museum in  Berkeley in Gloucestershire, which was Jenner's family home where he conducted his famous experiments on cowpox and smallpox.

Three sixth form students from Tavistock College who are studying history and biology were welcomed to the talk. This new learning opportunity was set up through a collaboration between college assistant principle James O'Connell and chair of the Friends of the Wharf Dr Ann Pulsford, who organises the afternoon lectures.