The history of these institutions is somewhat complicated. According to Snell, in July 1826 the Medical and Surgical Society held its 7th anniversary meeting at the Angel Inn, and it may therefore be presumed that the Society had begun its activities circa 1819. In November 1820 a meeting of the Governors of the General Infirmary was held to consider `the propriety´ of allowing 'Medical Gentlemen and others of the town' to become subscribers to the Infirmary's library. In 1834 there was established the Medico-Chirurgical Book Society, which circulated books to its members, an annual dinner being prescribed by the Rules at which officers for the year were elected, under which members could be fined 5 shillings for non-attendance.

In 1858 the Sheffield Medical Library was established for members of the profession with the object of establishing a `Permanent Library open to every qualified Medical Man practising legitimately in Sheffield and its neighbourhood´, and in 1861 the Medico-Chirurgical Book Society amalgamated with it. In February 1888 this body amalgamated in turn with the Medico-Chirurgical Society which had been founded some years earlier.

Another early institution, the Medical Society of Sheffield and the Neighbourhood, had been founded in 1841. In the early years it conducted its business with vigour, but latterly suffered a loss of interest and in 1867 became defunct. The Medico-Chirurgical Society came into being in 1869 at a meeting of the profession held at the Medical School and chaired by Dr Bartolomé, an eminent figure in the history of medicine in Sheffield, who was elected President for the first year. As the new body formally adopted the rules of the defunct Medical Society of 1841 it effectively became its direct successor.