Herbert John Paterson

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

FRCS Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an intercollegiate basis by the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons (the Royal ...

(10 March 1867 – 21 May 1940) was a British surgeon and

gastroenterologist Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- “belly”, -énteron “intestine”, and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, ...

Early life

He was born on 10 March 1867 at 308 Renfrew Street 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 ...

, the son of the Rev Dr Hugh Sinclair Paterson (or Patterson). His father was trained as a medical missionary for the Free Church of Scotland, but at that time was minister of St Mark's Free Church on Argyle Street. His mother, Hugh's second wife, was Catherine Maria (née Anderson). In 1872, the family moved to London when his father obtained a post as minister of the Belgrave Church. They moved to 20 Bassett Road in

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road Ma ...

, a large three-storey and basement townhouse, in 1879.

Education and career

He was educated at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

, graduating

Doctor of Medicine 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 ...

(MD). He later became senior surgeon at the

National Temperance Hospital The National Temperance Hospital was a hospital in Hampstead Road, London, between Mornington Crescent and Warren Street. History The hospital opened as the London Temperance Hospital on 6 October 1873 by initiative of the National Temperance Lea ...

, honorary surgeon to the

King Edward VII Hospital for Officers King Edward VII's Hospital (formal name: King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes) is a private hospital located on Beaumont Street in the Marylebone district of central London. Agnes Keyser, later known as Sister Agnes, established the hospit ...

and Hunterian Professor of Surgery at the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. T ...

. During 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 ...

, he was honorary surgeon-in-charge of the Queen Alexandra's Hospital for Officers in

Highgate Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross. Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisat ...

, for which he was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in January 1920. He was a champion of nurses and served as medical honorary secretary of the

Royal British Nurses' Association The Royal British Nurses' Association was founded in December 1887 by Ethel Bedford-Fenwick. It described itself as a union or organisation of nurses for professional objects and campaigned for the establishment of a register of nurses. It want ...

Personal life

In 1901, Paterson married Tempé Langrish Faber, daughter of the politician George Henry Faber. They had no children and his will therefore left a large sum to Trinity College, Cambridge, which was used to fund the Paterson Medal for promising medical students. He died on 21 May 1940 in Glasgow.

Publications

* * *''Indigestion'' (1929) *''A Surgeon Looks Back'' (1941 -posthumous autobiography)

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paterson, Herbert 1867 births 1940 deaths Medical doctors from Glasgow Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Scottish surgeons British gastroenterologists Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England People from Notting Hill English surgeons English people of Scottish descent