Surgical research in the United Kingdom: past, present and future

The history of surgical research in the United Kingdom leading to the foundation of the Surgical Research Society (SRS) is briefly reviewed. The tendency of the SRS has been to become increasingly rigorous, reductionist and a forum for work which is not only a high standard but also largely completed. This has had both good and potentially bad effects. Surgeons should realize that their major involvements in research will lie in the relatively untidy field of clinical science, and it is hoped that this view will continue to influence the activities of the SRS.