Thomas Wakley (1795–1862) was an English surgeon and prominent medical reformer who founded the medical journal The Lancet in 1823[1][2]. The magazine was created to expose corruption in the unregulated British medical profession, push for reforms in metropolitan hospitals and spread the word about medical discoveries and advances[1]. Wakley used his position as editor to publish medical reports and editorials calling for major health reform, making the journal a platform for both medical and social advocacy[1]. The Lancet was extremely successful, reaching a circulation of approximately 4,000 copies by 1830[2]. Wakley was involved in campaigns for the extension of suffrage, the abolition of slavery and the reform of medical institutions, including the Royal College of Surgeons.[2][3] In 1839 he was elected coroner of Middlesex, where he continued to expose wrongdoing and lawlessness, such as in the case of Thomas Austin, whose death in the workhouse he investigated publicly and scientifically[3]. The Lancet has been published continuously since its founding in 1823 and remains one of the leading medical journals in the world[1].