Andrew Topping CMG

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

(1890–1955) was a 20th-century Scottish physician and expert in tropical medicine. He played a major role in restoring European hospitals and health services after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Life

He was born in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

on 20 December 1890, the son of Robert Topping, a school inspector, and his wife, Robina Bayne. The family lived at 82 Stanley Street in Aberdeen. He was educated at

Robert Gordon's College Robert Gordon's College is a co-educational Independent school (UK) for day pupils in Aberdeen, Scotland. The school caters for pupils from Nursery through to S6. History Robert Gordon, an Aberdeen merchant, made his fortune in 18th century ...

then studied Medicine at Aberdeen University, graduating in summer 1914. His studies were interrupted by the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

during which he served with the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

in France,

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

and

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

. When demobbed in 1919 he decided to stay in the Middle East, and joined the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in

Abadan Abadan ( fa, آبادان ''Ābādān'', ) is a city and capital of Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, which is located in the southwest of Iran. It lies on Abadan Island ( long, 3–19 km or 2–12 miles wide). The island is bounded ...

as Senior Medical Officer. He returned to Aberdeen in 1922 to pursue a Diploma in Public Health, which he gained in 1923 at the same time as receiving his doctorate (MD). After brief periods in both

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...

and

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

he became Medical Officer of Health (MOH) to the

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

area. From 1930 to 1932 he made observations on maternal mortality and managed to halve the death rate, also doing much to address

venereal disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral se ...

in the area. In 1932 he joined

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

as Medical Superintendent of the Southern Fever Hospital. Then from 1933 to 1939 he was made Senior Medical Officer to a group of London hospitals and laboratories under LCC care. In 1938 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

. His proposers were

Edward Wyllie Fenton Dr Edward Wyllie Fenton FRSE FLS (1889–1962) was a Scottish botanist. He was President of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh 1944–45. Life He was born in Aberdeen on 4 November 1889, the son of Edward W. Fenton, a clerk living at 13 Bon Acco ...

, Kenneth Braid,

Alexander Charles Stephen Dr Alexander Charles Stephen FRSE PRPSE (17 December 1893 – 3 June 1966) was a 20th-century Scottish zoologist. Life He was born on 17 December 1893 in Garvock manse, near Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire the son of Rev William Stephen. He was educ ...

, and Alfred Cameron. At the outbreak of the

he was appointed Deputy to Sir Allen Daley overseeing all London's hospitals. In 1943/44 he worked with Sir Archibald Gray composing a major report on the state of all London hospitals. In 1944 he was appointed Acting Director of European Health to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. He had a staff of over 100 spread over 30 countries. In 1945 he became official Deputy Director in charge with the rehabilitation of European health services. Returning to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

he lectured in public health at Charing Cross Hospital and became medical examiner to several universities, and the first Professor of Preventative and Social Medicine at Manchester University. He resigned in 1950 to become full-time Dean of the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London.The Medical Officer (magazine) obituary Sept 1955 He was created a Companion of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

(CMG) in 1954. He died on 26 August 1955 aged 64.

Family

In 1914 he was married to Alfreda ("Freda") Margaret Wood MA the daughter of Lyon Wood, a chemist in Stonehaven. One son was killed in childhood. A second son and daughter went on to be doctors.

Publications

*''Public Health Planning''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Topping, Andrew 1890 births 1955 deaths Health professionals from Aberdeen People educated at Robert Gordon's College Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh