Woollaston, Robert (1801 - 1865)
by
 
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Asset Name
E003645 - Woollaston, Robert (1801 - 1865)

Title
Woollaston, Robert (1801 - 1865)

Author
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Identifier
RCS: E003645

Publisher
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England

Publication Date
2013-02-27

Subject
Medical Obituaries

Description
Obituary for Woollaston, Robert (1801 - 1865), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Language
English

Source
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Full Name
Woollaston, Robert

Date of Birth
1801

Date of Death
22 August 1865

Occupation
General surgeon
 
Physician

Titles/Qualifications
MRCS April 4th 1823
 
FRCS August 12th 1847
 
Ext LRCP Lond 1856
 
MRCP 1859

Details
Came of the same ancient Staffordshire family as William Woollaston, the moral philosopher, author of *Religion of Nature Delineated* (1724). Lord Macaulay was one of his schoolfellows. He was apprenticed to a leading hospital surgeon in London, and received his medical education at the London Hospital, Guy's Hospital, and in Paris. Electing to practise in Clapham, he was introduced to a good local connection by George Darling, a physician practising in Russell Square. One of his patients was Sir James Mackintosh, the philosopher. He married and removed to Westbourne Terrace, London, where for many years his practice was large and profitable. The sudden death of his wife completely unnerved him; he sold his practice and accepted an appointment as Physician to the Hospital at Scutari during the Crimean War. He became a member of the Imperial Medical Society of Constantinople. After the campaign he returned to England, married a second wife, and resumed practice at Cheltenham, whence he removed to Wolverhampton, where he was appointed one of the Physicians of the South Staffordshire Hospital. After about two years he removed to Stafford, having been elected Physician to the Staffordshire Infirmary and Visiting Physician to the Colon Hill Asylum. Colon Hill was the original seat of his family. In going there and in accepting public appointments he doubtless attained some of his dearest wishes, for he had always had a strong desire to be connected with some public institution. The state of Mrs Woollaston's health, however, now led him to seek a warmer climate. In Rome he studied antiquities, especially mosaics, and was about to continue his pursuit in Pompeii, when exposure to the sun's heat in the streets of Naples brought on congestion of the brain, followed by diarrhoea and inflammation of the lungs. Dr John Topham, whom he had succeeded as Physician to the South Staffordshire Hospital, had preceded him to Rome and was telegraphed for on August 16th, 1865. He came from Sorrento and thrice visited Woollaston, staying the night each time, but, despite all that medical skill could do, Woollaston sank and died on August 22nd. He was buried in the English burial-ground, the service being read by the Rev Pelham Maitland, who had been a Wolverhampton vicar. Publications:- *The Sanitary Advantages of Baths, especially the Turkish, or Roman Bath: A Lecture*, 8vo, Cheltenham, 1860. *A Short Description of the Thermae Romano-Britannicae, or the Roman Baths found in Italy, Britain, France, Switzerland, etc, etc*, 4to, London, 1864.

Sources
His name is spelt WOOLLASTON in the Fellows' *Register*, and WOLLASTON in College *Lists*

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/E003000-E003999/E003600-E003699

URL for File
375828

Media Type
Unknown