George Still
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Sir George Frederic Still, KCVO (27 February 1868 – 28 June 1941) was an English
paediatrician Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...
, author of five medical textbooks, and publisher of hundreds of papers. Still first described a form of
juvenile idiopathic arthritis Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common, chronic rheumatic disease of childhood, affecting approximately one per 1,000 children. ''Juvenile'', in this context, refers to disease onset before 16 years of age, while ''idiopathic'' r ...
as well as the common functional Still's murmur, both of which bear his name. He was also one of the first to describe ADHD. He is frequently referred to as the "Father of British Paediatrics".


Early life

Still was born on 27 February 1868 in
Highbury Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor house was sit ...
, London. He was the only boy of eight children born to George Still and Eliza Still (née Andrew). To distinguish him from his father, the junior Still was known by his middle name Frederic. Still was awarded a scholarship to attend the Merchant Taylors' School, a boys public school in London. He was from a working-class family who would otherwise have not been able to afford the fees. He was further awarded a scholarship to attend
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College, often referred to simply as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and one of t ...
. He
matriculated Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...
in 1885 and received first-class honours in the
Classical Tripos The Classical Tripos is the taught course in classics at the Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge. It is equivalent to Literae Humaniores at Oxford. It is traditionally a three-year degree, but for those who have not previously studied ...
and Winchester Prizeman award during his college years. He graduated with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1888, and then entered
King's College London School of Medicine GKT School of Medical Education (abbreviated: GKT) is the medical school of King's College London. The school has campuses at three institutions, Guy's Hospital (Southwark), King's College Hospital (Denmark Hill) and St Thomas' Hospital (Lambeth ...
, graduating in 1893.


Background

In 1897, Still published his doctoral thesis describing a form of childhood febrile arthritis today known as Still's disease. During the Gloulstorian Lectures on the topic of "On Some Abnormal Physical Conditions in Children", Still talks about "moral control" and his lecture is based on the same symptoms that is known as ADHD now. Still's descriptions are very similar to those of ADHD, but "most of the symptoms listed by Still and described in his cases do not refer to ADHD." Lange and colleagues still state how he was very influential regarding what is now ADHD, and we must give Still credit for contributing to these topics discussed today. Other medical terms named after him include Still's murmur and Still's rash. During most of his adult life, Still's
avocation An avocation is an activity that someone engages in as a hobby outside their main occupation. There are many examples of people whose professions were the ways that they made their livings, but for whom their activities outside their workplaces ...
was reading works from antiquity in their original languages. He studied the " classics" during his undergraduate training which led him to be fluent in Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Arabic. His choice of profession, however, was medicine and he devoted his life to paediatrics, writing prolifically about childhood diseases and serving as Secretary of the Children's Clinical Club. Still worked at
Guy's Hospital Guy's Hospital is an NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. ...
and the Hospital of Sick Children alongside James Goodhard who was his mentor. His life was dedicated to improving afflicted children's chance at survival, and particularly patients at
Great Ormond Street Hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospit ...
. He was knighted upon retiring in 1937.


Accomplishments/Publications

* Granted Physician to the royal household and Knight Commander of the Victorian Order by King George VI. * Established the department for the diseases of childhood at Guys Hospital in 1893. * Interested in the ability to prevent disability in adults by treating those in kids. * Taught the first class in the United Kingdom about children's diseases at King's College. * Invited to give Goutstonion lecture in 1902, later the Lumleian lecture (1918), and the Fitzpatrick Lectures (1928 & 1929). * Disease now known as Still's was named after Still and is the disease he described in his article "''Form of Chronic Joint Disease in Children.''" * One of his famous books is titled "''Common Disorders and Diseases of Childhood."'''' ''This book includes topics on breast-feeding, Rickets, intestinal worms, Jaundice in children, Pneumonia, and many more other diseases where he specifically writes about different illnesses. * Still was awarded the Dawson Williams Prize in 1934. * He was made an honorary fellow of the
Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chamber ...
in 1937. These awards boosted his credentials and made him a well-respected pediatrician.


Organisations

Still was involved in many organisations that helped promote his work.  He was the Chairman of the Medical Committee at King's, a part of the Society for Waifs and Strays, and the National Association for the Prevention of Infant Mortality for twenty years.  He also helped give care to families who did not have the funds for treatments. Still hosted a meeting at his home with other paediatric physicians, and was the president of the British Pediatric Association. 


Impact

Today, George Frederic Still's ideas are still being applied and accepted worldwide.  Some examples of the disorders that he wrote about are
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 ma ...
,
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, i ...
, Stills disease, disorder of speech, ADHD, and many more. Thanks to Still, psychologists and physicians have now been able to expand research and be able to produce with treatment plans as well as expand his knowledge. 


Death

Frederic Still died in
Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...
at the age of 73 on 28 June 1941.


References

* * *


External links

*
The Diseases of children
' (1910), by George Frederic Still
George Frederic Still biographical data compiled from research sources indicated therein
{{DEFAULTSORT:Still, George Frederic British paediatricians Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood People from Islington (district) 1868 births 1941 deaths