Douglas Chalmers Watson (1870 – 7 April 1946)

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

, F.R.C.P.Ed. was a Scottish

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and writer.

Biography

Watson 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 ...

and 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 ...

. He graduated in 1892 and obtained the Wightman Prize in Clinical Medicine. He was house physician at the

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, or RIE, often (but incorrectly) known as the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, or ERI, was established in 1729 and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest v ...

and

Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh The Royal Hospital for Sick Children was a hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, specialising in paediatric healthcare. Locally, it was commonly referred to simply as the "Sick Kids". The hospital provided emergency care for children from birth to ...

. His first wife was Mona Geddes. He joined 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 ...

in 1897 and was secretary of the Section of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the London Annual Meeting in 1916. Watson was the editor of the ''Encyclopaedia Medica''. In 1900, he took his M.D. thesis on the value of bone marrow extract in the treatment of chronic skin diseases. He was elected F.R.C.P.Ed. in 1901 and obtained his M.D. in 1904. He studied nutrition in the laboratories of Sir

Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer Sir Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer FRS FRSE FRCP LLD (2 June 1850 – 29 March 1935) was an English physiologist. He is regarded as a founder of endocrinology: in 1894 he discovered and demonstrated the existence of adrenaline together with G ...

. Watson authored the treatise "The Influence of Variations of Diet on the Tissues and Organs of the Body". He was appointed assistant physician to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in 1907. Watson conducted clinical research and contributed papers on

autointoxication Colon cleansing, also known as colon therapy, or colon hydrotherapy, or a colonic, or colonic irrigation encompasses a number of alternative medical therapies claimed to remove unspecified toxins from the colon and intestinal tract by remov ...

and treating

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intensit ...

rickets Rickets is a condition that results in weak or soft bones in children, and is caused by either dietary deficiency or genetic causes. Symptoms include bowed legs, stunted growth, bone pain, large forehead, and trouble sleeping. Complications may ...

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...

and

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

. He founded the Patriotic Food League in 1915 to assist the public with information on the subject of food values and preparation of foods. He authored ''Food and Feeding in Health and Disease'' and ''The Book of Diet''. Watson married a second time, to the actress

Lily Brayton Elizabeth "Lily" Brayton (23 June 1876 – 30 April 1953) was an English actress and singer, known for her performances in Shakespeare plays and for her nearly 2,000 performances in the First World War hit musical ''Chu Chin Chow''. Early life ...

, in 1938. He died at Fenton Barns in 1946.

''Food and Feeding in Health and Disease''

His main work ''Food and Feeding in Health and Disease'' was positively reviewed by the medical community. It was described as a "valuable contribution to the literature of dietetics". It contains an appendix with a series of 22 papers by Watson and collaborators, "a record of experimental observations on the influence of diet on the structure of tissues."

Selected publications

''Food and Feeding in Health and Disease: A Manual of Practical Dietetics''
(1910, 1913)
''The Book of Diet''
(1913)
''The "Vital" Factor in Diet: A Theory of the Nature of Vitamins''
(''

Edinburgh Medical Journal The ''Scottish Medical Journal'' is a general medical journal, which publishes original research in all branches of medicine, review articles, history of medicine articles, and clinical memoranda. The editor-in-chief is Ghulam Nabi (University ...

'', 1931)
''Radiation in Relation to Human and Animal Nutrition. With a Theory as to the Nature of Vitamins''
(''

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine The ''Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal. It is the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Medicine with full editorial independence. Its continuous publication history dates back to 1809. Since July ...

'', 1931)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Douglas Chalmers 1870 births 1946 deaths 20th-century Scottish medical doctors Alternative detoxification promoters Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Diet food advocates Dietitians Physicians of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh