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Metadata
Asset Name:
E007828 - Block, Joseph (1921 - 1995)
Title:
Block, Joseph (1921 - 1995)
Author:
Royal College of Surgeons of England
Identifier:
RCS: E007828
Publisher:
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England
Publication Date:
2015-09-02
Description:
Obituary for Block, Joseph (1921 - 1995), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Language:
English
Source:
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Full Name:
Block, Joseph
Date of Birth:
12 August 1921
Place of Birth:
Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa
Date of Death:
2 January 1995
Occupation:
Titles/Qualifications:
MRCS and FRCS 1949

MB ChB Cape Town 1943

MCPS South Africa 1952

FRCS Edinburgh 1963

MCM South Africa 1982
Details:
Joseph Block ('Joe') was born on 12 August 1921 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa. Both his parents had emigrated from Switzerland and were graduates of Zurich University; his father became a lawyer and his mother a professor of languages. He was educated at President Brand School, Grey College and the University of Cape Town, graduating in medicine in 1943. His training hospital posts were in Durban and he served as captain in the South African Medical Corps from 1944 to 1946. To specialise, he came to England in 1949, taking the Fellowship in the same year. He worked at several hospitals, including the Crumpsall in Manchester and the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, at the latter working under Professor Norman Dott. On completion of his training in neurosurgery in 1954 he returned to South Africa, and was appointed neurosurgeon to Johannesburg General Hospital and Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto. The latter's renown in treatment of neurological trauma owes much to his pioneer work. For political reasons he returned to Britain in 1961, working first at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. In 1963 he moved to the Dundee Royal Infirmary, where he established the neurological service. He was an ideal choice: a strong inspirational leader and a natural manager, the easy rapport he had with both patients and staff determined the success of the unit. His publications, such as *Stab wounds of the spinal cord* (1962) reflected his experience in the management of trauma. Poor health necessitated early retirement but he retained his interest in sport, particularly bowls; he was a founder member of the Montieth Probus Club and a keen bridge player. He died on 2 January 1995, survived by his wife Sheelah, née Woods,whom he married in 1961, and their two daughters, Rose, an anaesthetist and Jennifer, a lawyer.
Sources:
*Dundee Courier and Advertiser* 4 January 1995
Rights:
Copyright (c) The Royal College of Surgeons of England

Image Copyright (c) Image provided for use with kind permission of the family
Collection:
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format:
Obituary
Format:
Asset
Asset Path:
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E007000-E007999/E007800-E007899
Media Type:
JPEG Image
File Size:
118.75 KB