Wright, Andrew John Metfor (1882 - 1953)
by
 
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Asset Name
E005514 - Wright, Andrew John Metfor (1882 - 1953)

Title
Wright, Andrew John Metfor (1882 - 1953)

Author
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Identifier
RCS: E005514

Publisher
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England

Publication Date
2014-06-23
 
2014-10-31

Subject
Medical Obituaries

Description
Obituary for Wright, Andrew John Metfor (1882 - 1953), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Language
English

Source
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Full Name
Wright, Andrew John Metfor

Date of Birth
7 November 1882

Place of Birth
Bristol

Date of Death
11 June 1953

Place of Death
Clifton Down

Occupation
ENT surgeon

Titles/Qualifications
MRCS 9 November 1905
 
FRCS 9 June 1910
 
MB BS London 1907
 
MB BCh Bristol 1910
 
LRCP 1905

Details
This obituary appeared in volume four: Born at Bristol on 7 November 1882 the fourth child and third son of William Wright, wine merchant, and his wife a daughter of Dr William Budd FRS (for whom see *DNB*), he was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton and University College, Bristol, qualified with the Conjoint diplomas in 1905, and graduated with honours in the University of London in 1907. Bristol University was incorporated in 1908, and he took the medical degrees there also in 1910, in which year he passed the Fellowship. Wright settled in Bristol as a laryngologist. He served as registrar in the ear nose and throat department at the Royal Infirmary and was appointed surgeon for the ear nose and throat in the United Hospital in 1913. He was also laryngologist to the Chesterfield Nursing Home and had a large private practice. During the war of 1914-18 he served as a combatant officer, and later took an active part in public life at Bristol. He represented Clifton in the City Council 1943-52 and served on the health committee. He was President of the section of laryngology and otology at the Royal Society of Medicine, and was appointed Semon lecturer in the University of London for 1949. He was made consulting aural surgeon to the United Hospitals on his retirement in 1946. He reorganised the Frenchay Hospital after the American Army Medical Service had left it on the conclusion of the war of 1939-45, and served as chairman of the Corsham and Frenchay hospital group on the formation of the National Health Service in 1948. From 1945 to 1950 he was director of postgraduate medical studies in Bristol University. Wright married in 1917 Margaret MacFarlane, who survived him but without children. They lived at Harley Cottage, Clifton Down where he died on 11 June 1953 aged 70. A very large and representative congregation attended the memorial service in Bristol Cathedral on 16 June. He was an excellent committee-man, known for his dry humour. Publications: Aural vertigo, a clinical study.* J Laryng* 1938, 53, 97-112. Labyrinthine destruction in the treatment of vertigo by injection of alcohol through the oval window. *Ibid*, p. 594. Labyrinthine giddiness, its nature and treatment. *Brit med J* 1938, 1, 668. Ménière's disease. *J Laryng* 1944, 59, 334-341. Tonsillar function - review of the evidence; the Semon lecture. *J Laryng* 1950, 64, 1-11. The following obituary appeared in volume five: Andrew John Metford Wright was born at Clifton, Bristol on 7 November 1882. He was educated at Blundell's School and the Bristol Medical School qualifying with the Conjoint Diploma in 1905. After a series of junior hospital appointments at the Bristol Royal Infirmary he graduated MB BS in the University of London in 1907 with honours in medicine and surgery. In 1910 he took the degree of MB BCh Bristol and also the FRCS. Wright became surgical registrar at Bristol Royal Infirmary in 1911, and deciding to specialize in otolaryngology he was appointed surgeon to the ear, nose, and throat department in 1913. When war broke out in 1914 he served first in the Royal Engineers at home and overseas, and in 1916 received a commission in the RAMC. After the war he returned to his practice and also became secretary of the Bristol Medico-Chirurgical Society. In 1921 he was appointed lecturer in ENT in Bristol University and in 1923 was elected Vice-President of the Section of Laryngology and Otology at the Annual Meeting of the BMA at Portsmouth. He held a similar position at the Winnipeg meeting in 1930. In 1934-35 he was President of the Bath, Bristol and Somerset Branch of the BMA, and in the Royal Society of Medicine he was President of the Section of Otology in 1945-46 and of Laryngology in 1947-48. In 1943 he joined the Bristol City Council and was Chairman of the Health Committee from 1947-52. In 1946 he was made Director of Postgraduate Studies in the University of Bristol, and gave the Semon Lecture in the University of London in 1949. In spite of all these distinctions Wright was a diffident and retiring person and rather unapproachable. His hobbies were bird-watching and sailing. When he died after a very short illness on 11 June 1953 his wife survived him.

Sources
*Lancet* 1953, 1, 1315
 
*Brit med J* 1953, 2, 49
 
Information from Mrs Margaret Wright
 
Source for Volume five obituary *Brit med J* 1953, 2, 49

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/E005000-E005999/E005500-E005599

URL for File
377697

Media Type
Unknown