William Thomson (surgeon)

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For the Scottish physician, see William Thomson (physician).

William Thomson
Born29 June 1843
Downpatrick, Ireland
Died13 November 1909(1909-11-13) (aged 66)
Dublin
NationalityIrish
OccupationSurgeon

Sir William David Thomson

CB (29 June 1843 – 13 November 1909) was an Irish surgeon.[1] He was the brother-in-law of the novelist Bram Stoker.[2]

Biography

Thomson was born at

F.R.C.S.
Ireland.

On obtaining his medical degrees he became house surgeon to the Richmond Hospital, Dublin, and demonstrator of anatomy in the Carmichael School. Next year he was elected visiting surgeon to the Richmond Hospital, a post he held to his death. In 1873 he was also appointed lecturer in anatomy in the Carmichael School. In 1882 he became the first general secretary of the newly formed Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, his principal duty being to edit its 'Transactions.' From 1896 to 1906 he was direct representative of the Irish medical profession on the General Medical Council. From 1896 to 1898 he was president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and in 1897 was knighted. In December 1899 he was invited by Lord Iveagh to organise a field hospital for service in South Africa. In February 1900 he set out and accompanied Lord Roberts in his march to Pretoria. He proved his powers of rapid organisation by establishing, immediately on entering that capital, a hospital of 600 beds in the Palace of Justice, and it was in great part due to him and his colleagues that Pretoria escaped the outbreak of enteric fever which proved disastrous elsewhere. Lord Roberts mentioned his services in despatches. He returned home in November 1900, and he and his colleagues were entertained at a public banquet at the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin (24 Nov.).

While in South Africa he was appointed surgeon in ordinary to

British Medical Journal.' In 1901 he delivered the address in surgery at the annual meeting of the British Medical Association held at Cheltenham, choosing as his subject 'Some Surgical Lessons from the South African Campaign' (British Medical Journal, 1901, vol. ii.). His most notable publication was an exhaustive and judicial report on the poor law medical service of Ireland, undertaken in 1891 at the request of Ernest Hart
, editor of the 'British Medical Journal.' The report must form the basis of any inquiry into, or reform of, the poor law medical service. As an organiser, Thomson was at his best. He had a large share in the reorganisation of the school of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland during 1880–90, and in the organisation of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, formed in 1882 by the amalgamation of several old societies, whose interests and aims were not always concordant.

Thomson, who was a polished speaker and ready debater, died at his residence, 54 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, on 13 November 1909. He was buried at Mount Jerome cemetery, Dublin. A mural tablet was erected in the Richmond Hospital, to commemorate his thirty-six years' services as surgeon, and his share in the rebuilding of the hospital in 1899. He married on 27 June 1878 Margaret Dalrymple, younger daughter of Abraham Coates Stoker, chief clerk in the office of the chief secretary, Dublin Castle, and sister of Sir

William Thornley Stoker, first baronet, surgeon, and of Bram Stoker
, novelist. He left a son and daughter.

References

Specific
  1. ^ a b "Sir William David Thomson, M.D." bramstokerestate.com. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Chapter 3 - Stoker Medical Circles". Cambridge University Press. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
General

Wikisource This article incorporates text from a publication now in the

Rowlette, Robert James (1912). "Thomson, William (1843-1909)". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography
(2nd supplement). Vol. 3. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

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