[3] At the request of physician Joseph F. Payne, who was interested in the history of medicine, the RSM agreed to incorporate one meeting in each session on a historical topic.

[3] Following a failed attempt by Sir D'Arcy Power in 1900 to form a history of medicine section, Sir William Osler then succeeded in founding it by writing 168 personal invitations and planning for "all those who feel that the study of the history of medicine has a value in education".

[3] At that meeting, it was noted that "the contribution to the knowledge of medical history made by the section has been very considerable".

Around three essays in the field of history of medicine or science are chosen to receive the award.

[11][12] The prize was first awarded in 2022 when it was received by BBC journalists for exposing false science relating to ivermectin and COVID-19.

[16][17][18] His brother, Ferdinand Wallis donated £100 in 1927 to fund a lecturer, appointed by the society to speak on the history of dentistry.

[18][19] The Sarah Hughes Trust in conjunction with the HoMS funds an annual lecture, which was first delivered in 2021 as a conversation with between Jed Mercurio and health and social care editor at Channel 4 News, Victoria MacDonald.

[3] Albert John Chalmers, born in Manchester in 1870, was a physician in tropical medicine in Ghana and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

[28] Although the actual room no longer exists, many of its books were displayed in 2016 as part of an exhibition in the RSM library.