Archibald Watson

Archibald Watson

Watson met Baron Ferdinand von Mueller and was advised to take up a scientific career,^[1] Watson went to Europe to study medicine, obtaining the degrees of M.D., University of Göttingen, M.D., University of Paris, and F.R.C.S., England. After doing post-graduate work at Paris he was for some time demonstrator of anatomy to Professor J. Cantlie at the Charing Cross Hospital medical school.

In 1883 he went to Egypt as surgeon with Hicks Pasha's Sudan force, and in 1885 became first Elder professor of anatomy at the newly founded medical school at Adelaide.^[3] He taught also pathology (showing an early interest in biological means of controlling the rabbit pest),^[4] surgical anatomy, and operative surgery. He held this position for 34 years.^{[citation needed]} During this time, he was also responsible for the collection of human remains of Indigenous Australians, some of which were shipped to overseas institutions. (In the 21st century, the Museum started pursuing an active policy of repatriation and reburial of these remains.)^[5]

During the

Watson visited China, South America, Japan, Russia and New Zealand, where he usually watched leading surgeons perform operations; although he regarded Sydney's Sir Alexander MacCormick as superior.^[2]

Late life

Watson resigned his university chair at the end of 1919 and spent many years travelling, visiting places as far apart as Iceland and the Falkland Islands. He journeyed round Australia gathering marine specimens and fishing. The 'Archibald Watson Prize' at the University of Adelaide was founded by public subscription in 1935. For the last two years of his life, he lived on Thursday Island where died on 30 July 1940, three days after turning 91. He was unmarried. He is commemorated by a memorial lecture at the invitation of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. His portrait (by William Beckwith McInnes) hangs in the Adelaide University's anatomy department.^[2]

References