Henry Earle (1789-1838), English surgeon. Earle was born in London, third son of Sir James Earle. He was apprenticed to his father in 1805 and three years later became a member of the College of Surgeons. From early in his career he worked on the problems associated with fractures and invented a bed specially designed to help the healing of fractured legs. He moved to St.Bartholemew's Hospital as an assistant in 1815 and in 1827 was appointed surgeon. From 1833 he served as professor of anatomy and surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons and in 1837 became Surgeon Extraordinary to Queen Victoria. He maintained a bitter rivalry with Sir Astley Cooper of Guy's Hospital, mainly concerning Earle's view that it was possible to unite a fracture of the neck of the femur.