Born at Epsom on 20 March 1850, the second child and eldest son of William Harsant, chemist, and Sarah Wilkinson, his wife. He was educated at the City of London School. At Guy's Hospital he was gold medallist in surgery, and served as house surgeon in 1874 and resident obstetric officer. He then acted as house surgeon at the Bristol General Hospital. He was soon appointed assistant surgeon to the Bristol Royal Infirmary, where he was placed in charge of the newly-established aural department. He became surgeon in 1885 and resigned the office in 1902, having been disabled by the loss of his right index finger which was amputated for a poisoned wound contracted during an operation. He was then elected consulting surgeon to the Royal Infirmary and for the rest of his life undertook private practice at Clifton. From 1887 to 1893 he lectured on anatomy in the Bristol Medical School. In 1899 he was president of the Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Society and for many years he was a member of the editorial staff of the *Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Journal*. He married Margaret Evans in June 1881, who died before him. He died at Tower House, Clifton Down Road, Bristol on 10 February 1933, and was buried at Canford Cemetery, Clifton.