Medical Society of the County of Kings collection

The Medical Society of the County of Kings was founded in 1822, though the impetus for its founding had occurred in 1806, when the New York State Legislature, alarmed by increasing numbers of individuals falsely passing themselves off as medical professionals, passed "An Act to Incorporate Medical Societies for the Purpose of Regulating Physic and Surgery in this State." In accordance with the Act, each county in New York was to incorporate its own medical society comprised of its resident practicing physicians, and each medical society was to have a Board of Censors that examined and licensed medical practioners. The Medical Society of the County of Kings met at various locations in Brooklyn throughout most of the 19th century, until its first official building was constructed at 356 Bridge Street in 1887. A larger second building was opened in 1900 at 1313 Bedford Avenue.

Throughout the 19th century, the Society played a distinguished role in the development of the medical profession. In the first two decades after its founding, the Society concerned itself solely with the regulation of medical practice, but in the 1840s it also began to hold scientific meetings in which medical professionals could exchange information. Papers and case reports presented at these meetings were published in the New York Journal of Medicine. The Society also published its medical transactions in pamphlet form for distribution among its members, and these pamphlets later evolved into the monthly periodical The Proceedings, which was the predecessor of the distinguished Brooklyn Medical Journal, established in 1888. The Society also operated a highly regarded medical library, which was established in 1844 and grew to become the fifth largest medical library in the United States.

In 1870, the Society began establishing specialized sections, with the Brooklyn Pathological Society being the first. Several more were to follow in the ensuing decades. In the 1920s, the Society took on an educational role as well, providing graduate extension courses at the Long Island College of Medicine and holding highly attended lecture series at its building on Bedford Avenue. In 1933, the Society's name was legally changed to the Medical Society of the County of Kings and Academy of Medicine of Brooklyn to reflect its dual professional and educational roles, and it remained a vital resource for Brooklyn physicians throughout the rest of the 20th century. As of 2023, the Society continues to function as a regulating organization for Brooklyn medical professionals, examining and defending the credentials of its member physicans and encouraging the dissemination of accurate medical knowledge. The Society is now based in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bay Ridge.