The Blane Medal

The Blane Medal
“The Presidents of the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Bennett and Mr. Holden, with the Director General of the Medical Department of the Royal Navy, Sir Alexander Armstrong, have awarded this honourable distinction to Staff Surgeon Henry Frederick Norbury, C.B., M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.S.A. of HMS Active, and to Surgeon William Digby Longfield L.R.C.P., Ireland, of H.M.S. Tenedos, for the high character of their respective journals.”

"Both these officers have been lately promoted for their services in the recent war in South Africa. The former was Senior Medical Officer with Colonel Pearson's column at Fort Ekowe, for which he was made a Companion of the Bath; and the latter was severely wounded at the battle of Gingindlovu."

Admiralty, 7th May, 1830.

“Notice is hereby given to the Medical Officers of the Royal Navy, that Sir Gilbert Blane, Bart., first Physician to his Majesty, and formerly Member of the Board for Sick and Wounded Seamen, with the concurrence and approbation of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, has, for the encouragement of Naval Medical Science, and the excitement of an emulation that may conduce to the interests of an important branch of the public service, established a Fund in perpetuity, for the purpose of providing the means of conferring a gold medal, once in every two years, on such two Medical Officers, whether Surgeons, or Assistant-Surgeons acting as Surgeons, as shall produce the most approved journals of their practice, whilst actually serving in King's Ships.

The selection of the journals will, in the first instance, he made by the Medical Commissioners of the Victualling Board, on the 12th of August, 1831, and will consist of not more than ten, nor less than five, of those journals delivered into office between the 12th of July, 1827, and the 12th of July, 1831; and the subsequent selections will be made from those delivered within the period of every two succeeding years; and the adjudication of the medals will, during the life of Sir Gilbert Blane, be made by him, and will subsequently be vested in the Senior Medical Commissioner, the President of the College of Physicians, and the President of the College of Surgeons, London.”

THE BLANE MEDAL.
Obverse: A likeness of the donor.
Reverse: A wounded sailor falling into the arms of a comrade. The name and rank of the recipient are engraved on the Medal. Gold

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2238350/pdf/annrcse00025-0075.pdf

Petty Officer Tom