I first met Scotty when I was an intern in the Casualty Department in my first week at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 1958. Scotty was the senior surgical registrar. Three of us new graduates had each seen the same patient and managed him poorly. Scotty took us all aside and explained what we shoul

George Northcroft was born on 17 June 1911 in Harley Street, London, at the house of his father, a well-known orthodontist. His medical education was at St John's College, Cambridge, and the London Hospital, where he qualified in 1937. He began his career in neurosurgery with an appointment at th

John Conrad Neely was born in Bromley, Kent on 29 March 1901, the son of William Neely, a stationer and Clara Rebecca, née Cope. He was educated at Hodder School, Stoneyhurst College and Hertford College, Oxford, before entering Guy's Hospital Medical School for clinical studies. He qualified in 192

David Dawson was a consultant surgeon at Plymouth Hospital. He was born on 21 July 1921 in Pinner, Middlesex. His father was John Alexander Dawson CBE, a civil engineer. His mother, Margaret Cruikshank, was the daughter of a medical practitioner. David was their third child and second son. His elder

John Hunter Williams was born at Wharewhitu Private Hospital in Dannevirke. His father Charles Skinner Williams was an Orthopaedic and General Surgeon (who was also involved in veterinary Orthopaedics) in the Manawatu area. He was given the name John Hunter in memory of the 18th century Scottish ana

Patrick Boulter, or ‘Paddy’ as he was affectionately known, was a consultant surgeon to the Royal Surrey County Hospital and the Regional Oncology Centre, Guildford, Surrey. He was elected president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and served from 1991 to 1994. He was born in Annan, D

Always known by his second given name, Adrian Marston was an internationally-admired surgeon, a polylinguist and educationalist who also made significant advances in the understanding of the splanchnic circulation and intestinal failure. Born to Jeffrey Marston, a major in the Royal Artillery, an

Brian O'Connor established the Institute of Orthopaedics at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital at Oswestry. Born in Brisbane on 27 September 1929, his father was Edward O'Connor, an engineer. His mother was Eileen Maloney, the daughter of a ship owner. He was educated at St Joseph'

Malcolm was born into a medical family in 1928. His father, Malcolm (Senior), was an ear nose and throat surgeon, one of Malcolm's brothers became a paediatrician and the other a psychiatrist. Malcolm was educated at Medbury Preparatory School and at Christ's College. After spending a year at Canter