Cover image for
Resource Name:
Resource Type:
External Resource
Metadata
Asset Name:
E004025 - Evans, Arthur Henry (1872 - 1950)
Title:
Evans, Arthur Henry (1872 - 1950)
Author:
Royal College of Surgeons of England
Identifier:
RCS: E004025
Publisher:
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England
Publication Date:
2013-05-29
Description:
Obituary for Evans, Arthur Henry (1872 - 1950), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Language:
English
Source:
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Full Name:
Evans, Arthur Henry
Date of Birth:
6 January 1872
Place of Birth:
Neath, Glamorganshire
Date of Death:
20 March 1950
Place of Death:
Dorking
Occupation:
Titles/Qualifications:
OBE 1919

MRCS 29 July 1895

FRCS 9 December 1897

MB BS London 1897

MD 1898

MS 1901

LRCP 1895
Details:
Born at Neath, Glamorganshire on 6 January 1872, the second son of Samuel Evans, a master ironmonger, and his wife, Sarah Ann Woolacott; Samuel Evans served as High Constable of Neath. A H Evans was educated at Neath Proprietary School and the Westminster Hospital, which he entered with a scholarship in 1890. He learnt biology from H G Wells, afterwards famous as a novelist; won the Bird gold medal at the hospital; took the Conjoint qualification in 1895; and served as house surgeon to Charles Stonham. Evans then went to Liverpool as house surgeon to W Thelwall Thomas, for whom he always retained a profound regard, and was influenced to an active interest in orthopaedics by Robert Jones. He took the London MB BS with honours and the Fellowship in 1897, and the London MD in 1898. Stonham, who considered him the best house surgeon he had ever had, invited him to go as his assistant to South Africa, where he saw active service with the Imperial Yeomanry Field Hospital. He was taken prisoner by De Wet at Roodevaal, but was soon set free by Methuen's troops. He was mentioned in despatches and won the campaign medal with three clasps. After the war he settled in London and was elected assistant surgeon to the Westminster Hospital in 1902, one of the first Westminster students to attain to the honorary staff of his own hospital. He was in due course promoted surgeon, and was elected consulting surgeon on retiring in 1937. Evans was a most versatile surgeon; he kept up his interest in orthopaedics; had a large practice among music-hall and opera singers as a laryngologist, being himself a sound musician and a natural comic actor; was a pioneer in thoracic and thyroid surgery at the Royal Hospital for Diseases of the Chest; and gave his Hunterian lectures at the College in 1919 on the surgery of the gall-bladder. He was also on the staff of the Royal Masonic Hospital, the London Temperance Hospital (he was a life-long total abstainer), the Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich, and the Royal Bethlehem Hospital (Bedlam). With Sir James Purves-Stewart he collaborated in writing a book on nerve injuries; Purves-Stewart had served with him in the Boer war, and was his colleague as physician to the Westminster Hospital. During the war of 1914-18 Evans served as a captain, RAMC, at the 4th London General Hospital and at Alford House, Park Lane, Hospital for Officers. He was also Inspector of Surgical Instruments to the War Office, and was awarded the OBE. Evans married in 1908 Dorothy, youngest daughter of Lawrence Briant, JP, who survived him with a daughter and three sons. Two of the sons were surgeons, Arthur Briant Evans, FRCS, being on the staff of the Westminster Hospital. His last years were clouded by progressive Parkinsonianism, and he died on 20 March 1950, aged 78, at his home, Littlebourne, Forest Green, Dorking. He had practised at 86 Brook Street, W Evans was a man of irrepressible joie-de-vivre, a natural comedian and wit. He could be thoroughly serious, but never solemn. Publications:- *Nerve injuries and their treatment*, with Sir James Purves-Stewart. London, 1916; 2nd ed 1919. Cancer of the tongue: radium treatment, with Stanford Cade. *Brit J Surg*. 1927, 15, 55. Developmental enterogenous cysts and diverticula. *Brit J Surg*. 1929, 17, 34. A rubber oesophagus. *Brit J Surg*. 1933, 20, 388.
Sources:
*The Times*, 23 March 1950, p 8e

*Lancet*, 1950, 1, 647, by A A

*Brit med J*. 1950, 1, 791

Information from his son, A Briant Evans, FRCS
Rights:
Copyright (c) The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Collection:
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format:
Obituary
Format:
Asset
Asset Path:
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004000-E004099
Media Type:
Unknown