Sir Dawson Williams (17 July 1854 – 27 February 1928) was a British physician and the longest serving editor of the ''

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origi ...

'' (''BMJ''). He gave up his medical practice to edit the ''BMJ'' and published influential studies into "mental healing" and bogus medications that exposed numerous preparations as "valueless" and containing only minute quantities of what was claimed. He retired in 1928 after thirty years of editorship.

Early life and education

Dawson Williams was born in

Ulleskelf Ulleskelf is a village and civil parish in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, four miles from Tadcaster on the River Wharfe. Its name comes from the Scandinavian personal name ''Úlfr'', while ''skelf'' is an Old English term mea ...

, Yorkshire, on 17 July 1854 to the reverend John Mack Williams, previously the rector of

Burnby Burnby is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Hayton, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately south-east of the market town of Pocklington and north-west of the market town of Market Weighto ...

and of Irish and Welsh descent, and his wife Ellen Monsarrat, of Spanish and Huguenot descent. He was the eldest son of seven children, and educated at

Pocklington Grammar School Pocklington School is an independent school in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1514 by John Dolman. The school is situated in of land, on the outskirts of the small market town, from York and from Hull. I ...

, subsequently going on to

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

(UCL) to study arts. He stayed on at UCL to study medicine, graduating in 1878, and then taking up junior posts at UCL, the

Victoria Hospital for Children The Victoria Hospital for Children, which later merged into St George's Hospital, was a hospital in Tite Street, London. History The hospital was established at Gough House in Tite Street as the South Western London Hospital for Children in Octob ...

and the

Brompton Hospital Royal Brompton Hospital is the largest specialist heart and lung medical centre in the United Kingdom. It is managed by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. History Consumption in the 19th Century In the 19th century, consumption was a co ...

. At one time, he aspired to join the

Indian Medical Service The Indian Medical Service (IMS) was a military medical service in British India, which also had some civilian functions. It served during the two World Wars, and remained in existence until the independence of India in 1947. Many of its officer ...

, but changed direction to paediatrics. In 1882, he married Catherine (died 1917), daughter of the Scottish land-owner Robert Kirkpatrick-Howat, and they had one daughter.

Career

After ten years as physician to the East London Hospital for Children from 1884, Williams became full physician and then

consultant A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servic ...

. He met his lifelong friend,

Herbert R. Spencer Herbert Ritchie Spencer (16 January 1860 – 28 August 1941) was professor of obstetrics at University College London. Spencer wrote numerous articles and books on gynaecological and obstetric topics, as well as on the history of midwifery and ...

at UCL, which consequently established a close tie between UCL and the ''BMJ''. Spencer ultimately followed Williams to

Harley Street Harley Street is a street in Marylebone, Central London, which has, since the 19th century housed a large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery. It was named after Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.< ...

, and Williams frequently published works by Spencer. He wrote several articles including contributions to

Clifford Allbutt Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt (20 July 183622 February 1925) was an English physician best known for his role as president of the British Medical Association 1920, for inventing the clinical thermometer, and for supporting Sir William Osler in fou ...

’s ''System of Medicine'', and in 1898, he published ''Medical Diseases of Infancy and Childhood''. He was closely connected with the ''British Medical Journal'' throughout his career, being first a reporter, then principal sub-editor, and then assistant editor in 1895. He succeeded the editor, Ernest Hart, in 1898, following which he gave up much of his clinical practice, ultimately leaving it completely from 1902 to dedicate his whole time to the journal's editorship which he held for thirty years. In 1904, Dawson commissioned Edward Harrison, a renowned pharmacist, to analyse the contents of a variety of proprietary drugs. The results, including the drug costs, were published in a series of articles that lasted until 1908, and exposed numerous medications as "valueless" and containing only minute quantities of what was claimed. Some of this work was reproduced in 1909 in ''Secret Remedies. What they Cost and What they Contain'', which sold more than 60,000 copies within two years. A follow-up, ''More Secret Remedies'' (1912), was published but was less successful. Some of his other ''BMJ'' editorial activities included publishing a series of specially commissioned articles on "mental healing", where significant contributions came from eminent medical professionals including

, Henry Morris, H. T. Butlin, and

William Osler Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet, (; July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919) was a Canadian physician and one of the "Big Four" founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Osler created the first Residency (medicine), residency program for spec ...

. In 1917, he was succeeded as editor of the ''BMJ'' by

Norman Gerald Horner Norman Gerald Horner (1882–1954) was a physician, surgeon, and medical editor. Biography After education at Tonbridge School, N. Gerald Horner matriculated in October 1899 at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, graduating there B.A. in 1902, ...

, who had been his assistant.

Later life

In 1919, he received the CBE. In 1921 he was knighted and also awarded the gold medal of merit of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

. During the last two decades of his life he suffered from the after-effects of a car accident and later from bronchitis and heart failure. He died on 27 February 1928,Williams, Sir Dawson.
''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

''. Retrieved 18 August 2018. at his home near Bourne End, Buckinghamshire.

Selected publications

* ''Medical Diseases of Infancy and Childhood''. Cassell, London, 1898. (Second edition 1900 by

Frank Spooner Churchill Frank Spooner Churchill (26 August 1864 – 27 February 1946) was an American paediatrician who took a special interest in infant feeding. A graduate of Harvard University, as a paediatrician Churchill took a particular interest in public health, ...

)

References

External links

Sir Dawson Williams
at National Portrait Gallery {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Dawson 1854 births 1928 deaths 19th-century English medical doctors Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians People educated at Pocklington School British paediatricians English magazine editors People from Selby District Knights Bachelor English medical writers Alumni of University College London Medical doctors from Yorkshire Medical journal editors