Carstairs Cumming Douglas

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 ...

(1 October 1866 – 28 September 1940) was a Scottish physician, educator and medical author. He was Professor of Medical Jurisprudence and Public Health for 41 years at Anderson's College in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. His 1907 publication, ''School Hygiene'', led to the widespread use of

carbolic soap Carbolic soap, sometimes referred to as red soap, is a mildly antiseptic soap containing carbolic acid (phenol) and/or cresylic acid (cresol), both of which are phenols derived from either coal tar or petroleum sources. History In 1834, German c ...

in Scottish schools which lasted for most of the twentieth century.

Life

He was born on 1 October 1866 in

Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy ( ; sco, Kirkcaldy; gd, Cair Chaladain) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh and south-southwest of Dundee. The town had a recorded population of 49,460 in 2011, ...

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

, the third son of Robert Douglas. Robert's brother, Carstairs' uncle, was the missionary Carstairs Douglas, after whom he was named. He was educated at

George Watson's College George Watson's College is a co-educational Independent school (United Kingdom), independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a Scottish education in the eight ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. He took a year out to visit

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

before beginning his studies in medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

in 1884. He graduated with an MB CM in 1890 gaining a further BSc in Public Health in 1891. He won several prizes during his university career including the Ettles Prize, the Buchanan Scholarship in Midwifery and the Leckie-Mactier Fellowship. This allowed him to finance further postgraduate study in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. He began his working life in 1892 as assistant to Dr Haldane in Bridge of Allan, taking up private practice in his own right later that year in

Skelmorlie Skelmorlie is a village in North Ayrshire in the south-west of Scotland. Although it is the northernmost settlement in the council area of North Ayrshire, it is contiguous with Wemyss Bay, which is in Inverclyde. The dividing line is the Kelly B ...

Wemyss Bay Wemyss Bay (; ) is a town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in Inverclyde in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is in the traditional county of Renfrewshire. It is adjacent to Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire. The town and villages have always ...

on the coast of

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Àir a Tuath, ) is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and so ...

. He was given his first doctorate (MD) in 1896 and a further (DSc) in 1901. In 1898 he moved to

to practice medicine and lecture at Anderson’s College. He was given his professorship in 1901 and later became a governor of the college. He served multiple additional roles, including pathologist to Glasgow Maternity Hospital, director of the West of Scotland Research Laboratory, and Examiner in Public Health at the Scottish universities. He also acted as chief medical officer to both the Liverpool and London Insurance Company and Globe Insurance Company (advising on medical-related claims). In 1901 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

Alexander Crum Brown Alexander Crum Brown FRSE FRS (26 March 1838 – 28 October 1922) was a Scottish organic chemist. Alexander Crum Brown Road in Edinburgh's King's Buildings complex is named after him. Early life and education Crum Brown was born at 4 Bellev ...

Sir William Turner Sir William Turner (7 January 1832, in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster – 15 February 1916, in Edinburgh) was an English anatomist and was the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1903 to 1916. Life Turner was born in Lancaster ...

, Sir James Ormiston Affleck and Sir

Alexander Russell Simpson Sir Alexander Russell Simpson FRCPE FRSE LLD (20 April 1835–6 April1916) was a Scottish physician and Professor of Midwifery at the University of Edinburgh. He invented the axis-traction forceps also known as the obstetrics forceps which ...

. In middle life he lived at 2 Royal Crescent in the Charing Cross district of Glasgow. He died in Glasgow on 28 September 1940.

Family

He married Anita Helena Lockhart, daughter of the artist

William Ewart Lockhart William Ewart Lockhart (14 February 1846 – 9 February 1900) was a Scottish people, Scottish Victorian painter, born in Eaglesfield, Dumfries and Galloway, Eaglesfield and later raised by his grandparents in Sibbaldbie and then Annan, Dumfri ...

Publications

*''Chemical and Microscopical Aids to Clinical Diagnosis'' (1899) *''Laws of Health and School Hygiene'' (1907) (generally referred to simply as "School Hygiene")

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, Carstairs Cumming 1866 births 1940 deaths People educated at George Watson's College Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People from Kirkcaldy Alumni of the University of Edinburgh