In Memoriam

✍ Scribed by George Makins Sir

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1934
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 135 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-1323
• DOI: 10.1002/bjs.1800218302

✦ Synopsis

died on Thursday, Nov. 2, a few hours short of his eightieth birthday. He was educated a t King's School, Gloucester, and entered St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School in 1871. After qualification he studied a t Vienna and Halle and worked with Roy at the Brown Institute. He was elected t o the staff of St. Thomas's in 1887. He helped Sir William MacCormac in the organization of the International Medical Congress in 1881 and was joint treasurer with Sir Dyce Duckworth of that held in 1913.

He was Consulting Surgeon in the Boer War, and embodied his expericnccs in a book which was translated into several languages. I n the Great War he was again a Consulting Surgeon. In 1917 he came home to bc President of the Royal College of Surgeons-a position that he filled with great distinction. I n the same year he went t o India t o report on the British Station Hospitals.

He was an active member of the British Red Cross and of the Nightingale Fund, Treasurer of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Chairman of the Distribution Committee of the Hospital Sunday Fund, and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Athenaeum.

These bare details of his life show the diversity of his interests and the widespread nature of his influence. Makins by his work earned for himself a tine position in surgery; but he had a greater success than this in that he won the regard and esteem of those around him no matter whether they were old or young. His appearance was striking and dignified; his smile was wonderfully attractive. He had a great store of wisdom, often expressed in unusual terms which were very apposite. This wisdom concerned not only surgery but the everyday things of life. If you went to consult him in an anxious and perturbed state of mind, you soon found things resolving themselves t o their just proportions and your course of action seemed obvious, if not agreeable. He was often late, nevcr in a hurry, and yet accomplished with ease all he had set out t o do.

friends, nurses, and doctors owe him much. The confidence in his judgement can 25 To be with him gave a sense of peace and security.

As a wrgeon he was sure, imperturbable, and constructive;