Born about the year 1815 and was the son of Anthony Brownless, Esq, a connection of the Maitland and Lauderdale families. He was educated at home by private tutor and then in the house of the Rev C E Smith, of Badlesmere, Kent. He was apprenticed to Mr Charles Wilks, surgeon, of Charing, Kent, and, while diligently continuing his classical studies, showed great aptitude for medicine and made himself thoroughly conversant with pharmacy and the structure of the human skeleton. While at Charing an accident happened which greatly handicapped his education: a horse fell on him and he received such an injury to the right knee that chronic disease of the joint was set up. In the summer of 1834 his health had so suffered that he was sent for a long voyage to St Petersburgh, Norway, and Denmark, and in 1835 he visited New York, other parts of the United States, and Canada. He was then able to return to Charing, where until October, 1836, he saw much of an extensive Poor Law practice. He became a student at St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1836. At the end of the session he was considered one of the best anatomists in the school, and, notwithstanding a severe attack of fever with delirium which kept him in bed for weeks before the examinations, he came out second in anatomy and physiology. Study and ill health had pulled the indomitable student down considerably, and issues around his knee-joint compelled him to limp on crutches during the greater part of the session. He now made another voyage in search of health to Portugal and Spain, and spent the summer at Malaga, Cadiz, and Seville. In the autumn of 1837, his knee being still very painful, he gave up his hospital work, hired a farm from his father at Goudhurst, and amused himself with agriculture and the study of diseases of animals. Returning, though still on crutches, to St Bartholomew's in 1839, he continued his studies there and at the Royal General Dispensary. He acted as Clinical Assistant in the out-patients' department of the hospital and made the post-mortem examinations. In 1840 he obtained a certificate of honour for midwifery and the first prize for forensic medicine at St. Bartholomew's. After qualifying in 1841 he began to practise in Islington in 1842, but soon became assistant to John Painter Vincent (qv) at his old hospital, and gave his whole time to the wards for the next two years. He prepared himself to become a consulting and operating surgeon, and after practising as such at 4 Albion Place, Lonsdale Square, from 1843-1845, repaired to Liège and entered the University, where he devoted himself to anatomy and pathology - subjects for which that university was famous. He made his mark at Liège and became the friend of the well-known Professor of Anatomy, Dr Spring. He returned to London early in 1846 and look a house in Charterhouse Square, continuing to study for the College Fellowship. Fearing, however, that it would be long before he obtained an appointment on a hospital staff, he took the MD degree of St Andrews, and in February, 1847, was elected Physician to the Metropolitan Dispensary in Fore Street. His rise was now rapid, for he was kind and attentive to patients, accurate in diagnosis, and successful in treatment. In September, 1847, he was elected Physician to the Royal General Dispensary, Aldersgate Street, with which he had been previously connected, and continued to hold his other post. He not only acquired a large practice, but was an admirable teacher of anatomy, pathology, and practical medicine. Dr Protheroe Smith retired from the office of Assistant Teacher of Practical Midwifery at St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1848, and the post was offered to Brownless, who, however, declined it. In August, 1849, in consequence of the refusal of the Committee of the Metropolitan Dispensary to reform the Apothecary's Depart¬ment, in which there had long been gross neglect of the patients, Brownless tendered his resignation of the office of Physician, and upon his leaving it almost all his patients followed him to the Royal General Dispensary. He resigned his post at the Royal General Dispensary in September, 1849, on account of ill health, and retired temporarily from private practice. His popularity at the Dispensary had been so great that the patients presented him with a testimonial at a public meeting of the subscribers, held at the Literary and Scientific Institution, Aldersgate Street, on October 9th, 1849. A large body of the Governors of both Institutions followed this good example, and voted 'a splendid testimonial' in acknowledgement of Brownless's public services. This was presented to him on May 7th, 1850, by the High Bailiff of Southwark, presiding over a public meeting at the Clarence Hotel, Aldersgate Street. The testimonial consisted of a finely illuminated memorial on vellum and a piece of plate, weighing upwards of 200 oz. Brownless afterwards went out to Australia, where he was elected Physician to the Melbourne Benevolent Asylum. In 1854 he was elected Physician to the Melbourne Hospital, and held that post until 1866, when he was appointed Consulting Physician and a Life Governor. He was a founder of the Medical School of the University of Melbourne and its first MD. For twenty-nine years in succession he was elected Vice-Chancellor of the University, and succeeded Dr Moorhouse, afterwards Bishop of Manchester, as Chancellor in 1887. He was a member of several important Government Commissions, and in 1870 was made a Knight of St Gregory the Great, and in 1883 a Knight Commander of the Order of Pius by successive Popes, who thus conferred on him papal nobility. At the time of his death, or not many years before, he was Medical Referee to the Victoria and Intercolonial Assurance Companies, and, besides his other offices, at one time held those of Physician to the Industrial and Reformatory Schools, to the Magdalen Asylum at Abbotsford, and to the Orphanage of St Vincent de Paul. His death occurred at Melbourne, where he had practised at 2 Victoria Parade, on December 3rd, 1897. He had married twice: (1) in 1842 to Ellen, daughter of W Hawker, MD, of Charing, and (2) in 1852 to Anne, daughter of William Hamilton, Captain, Rifle Brigade, of Eden, Co Donegal. Publications: "On the Treatment of Diseases of the Joints." - *Lancet*, 1846, ii, 241; 1847, i, 434. *The Merits of Mr. J. Painter Vincent: an Address*, 8vo, London, 1847. This pamphlet, which is in the College Library, is a eulogy of John Painter Vincent (qv), Surgeon to St Bartholomew's Hospital. *An Address delivered at a Public Meeting of the Subscribers to the Vincent Testimonial*, 8vo, London, 1847. *Addresses delivered in the University of Melbourne*.