Oswald Taylor Brown

Oswald Taylor Brown
Birth name	Oswald Taylor Brown
Nickname(s)	Ossie
Born	(1916-10-11)11 October 1916
Died	26 March 2006(2006-03-26) (aged 89)
Allegiance	Squadron Leader
Service number	100467
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Mentioned in Despatches (3) OBE
Other work	Geriatrician

Oswald Taylor Brown

After Oswald Taylor Brown had been demobilised in 1946 he returned to Glasgow and joined the unit of Professor Noah Morris where he developed his interest in the new speciality of geriatrics.[2] Morris foresaw that demographic changes made it inevitable that competently organised and led services for an ageing population would soon be required.^[1] Morris sent Brown to meet Dr Marjory Warren at the West Middlesex University Hospital, whose pioneering work impressed him and he decided that geriatrics would become his speciality.^[1] On return to Glasgow he was appointed assistant physician at the Southern General Hospital with the task of setting up a new 'geriatric service'.^[2]

In 1951 he was appointed the first consultant physician in geriatric medicine in Scotland, serving Tayside, Perth and Angus.^[2] Further posts would be created throughout Scotland in the 1950s.^[1] The new service was based at Maryfield Hospital but was soon expanded to hospitals throughout Tayside.^[2] The service was based on a combination of acute admission and rehabilitation units, supported by adequate beds for long-term care.^[2] The effective treatment of tuberculosis with Streptomycin freed many beds and he often acknowledged the significant contribution that this made to the expansion of the service.^[2]

Oswald Taylor Brown opened the first university department of geriatric medicine in Scotland.

• Appointed an
  Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1969.^[4]