John Davy Rolleston FSA FRCP (25 February 1873 – 13 March 1946) was an English physician and

folklorist Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currenc ...

, who published extensively on infectious diseases and the

history of medicine The history of medicine is both a study of medicine throughout history as well as a multidisciplinary field of study that seeks to explore and understand medical practices, both past and present, throughout human societies. More than just histo ...

. Overshadowed by his brother,

Sir Humphry Rolleston Sir Humphry Davy Rolleston, 1st Baronet, (21 June 1862 – 23 September 1944) was a prominent English physician. Rolleston was the son of George Rolleston (Linacre Professor of Physiology at Oxford) and Grace Davy, daughter of John Davy an ...

, he established himself as an

epidemiologist Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and risk factor, determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decision ...

, gave the

Fitzpatrick Lecture The Fitzpatrick Lecture is given annually at the Royal College of Physicians on a subject related to history of medicine. The lecturer, who must be a fellow of the College, is selected by the president and may be chosen to speak for two years suc ...

at the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

in 1935-1936 and became involved in numerous other learned societies and medical bodies, including The Royal Society of Medicine and the Society for the Study and Cure of Inebriety. He became the president of three sections of the Royal Society of Medicine, London, including the History of Medicine Section from 1924 to 1926.

Early life and family

John Rolleston was born in Oxford on 25 February 1873 to

George Rolleston George Rolleston MA MD FRCP FRS (30 July 1829 – 16 June 1881) was an English physician and zoologist. He was the first Linacre Professor of Anatomy and Physiology to be appointed at the University of Oxford, a post he held from 1860 until ...

, Linacre professor of anatomy and physiology at the University of Oxford, and Grace Davy, the niece of

Sir Humphry Davy Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet, (17 December 177829 May 1829) was a British chemist and inventor who invented the Davy lamp and a very early form of arc lamp. He is also remembered for isolating, by using electricity, several elements for the ...

. His brother was Sir Humphry Rolleston (1862–1944). He was educated at

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

, and from 1891 at

Brasenose College Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the m ...

, University of Oxford, as a classical scholar, before going on to

Charing Cross Hospital Charing Cross Hospital is an acute general teaching hospital located in Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom. The present hospital was opened in 1973, although it was originally established in 1818, approximately five miles east, in central Lond ...

in 1895 and qualifying in 1900. He married Mary Edith Waring in 1917, the daughter of Mr C. E. Waring, of Cardiff, and they had a son and a daughter.

Medical career

His medical career began in 1902 with an appointment to the Fever Hospital Service of the Asylums Board as assistant medical officer at Brook Hospital, before moving to the

Grove Fever Hospital The Grove Hospital, originally the Grove Fever Hospital, was a hospital for infectious diseases opened in Tooting Grove, London. History The hospital was opened as the Grove Fever Hospital in Tooting Grove, London in 1899. It became the Grove Mi ...

. Rolleston remained here throughout the First World War when it was acquired by the military. His interest in infectious diseases was reflected in his handbook on ''Acute Infectious Diseases'', published in 1925, where he highlighted the seriousness of

otitis media Otitis media is a group of inflammatory diseases of the middle ear. One of the two main types is acute otitis media (AOM), an infection of rapid onset that usually presents with ear pain. In young children this may result in pulling at the ear, ...

as a complication of

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...

and his experience with the ineffectiveness of using vaccines to treat

whooping cough Whooping cough, also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease. Initial symptoms are usually similar to those of the common cold with a runny nose, fever, and mild cough, but these are followed by two or ...

. In 1926, Rolleston became the medical superintendent of the Metropolitan Asylums Board Infection Hospital Service. The London County Council took over the Metropolitan Asylums Board Hospitals four years later, resulting in a post as medical superintendent of the

Western Fever Hospital The Western Fever Hospital, Fulham, originally the Western Hospital, was set up as a public hospital for isolating smallpox by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in Fulham, London, in 1877. In 1933 the LCC took over its management. In 1949 the site ...

, Fulham, where he remained until retirement. His medical career therefore, was largely spent in the study of infectious diseases and paediatrics. He was elected a fellow of the

in 1931,Listing for Rolleston papers at the Wellcome Collection.
Pitt Rivers Museum. Retrieved 12 July 2018. and was a member of a number of medical bodies including the French Society of Paediatrics. He was president of the Society for the Study and Cure of Inebriety and campaigned against the abuse of alcohol and use of tobacco. At the Royal Society of Medicine, he held presidency positions in the sections of epidemiology, paediatrics and clinical medicine.

History of medicine

Like his brother, Humphry, he advocated

humanism Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...

and was interested in the history and philosophy of medicine, a subject on which he was regarded as an authority. In 1922, he served as general secretary of the International Congress of the History of Medicine held in London and was an original member of the history of medicine section 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’ chambers ...

, later a member of its council and eventually its president between 1924 and 1926. He served the section throughout his life. In 1931, he published one of the most complete biography's of

Jean-Baptiste Bouillaud Jean-Baptiste Bouillaud (16 September 1796 – 29 October 1881) was a French physician born in Bragette, now part of Garat, Charente. Bouillaud was an early advocate of the localization of cerebral functions (especially of speech). He received ...

and in 1937, he published ''The History of the Acute Exanthemata'', based on his Fitzpatrick lectures (1935–36), presented at the Royal College of Physicians. Rolleston was a noted

and fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societ ...

Death and legacy

Rolleston died on 13 March 1946, his career and reputation somewhat overshadowed by the imposing personality of his brother, Humphrey. His papers are part of the Rolleston collection held by the Wellcome Collection. His grandson is journalist Frank Gardner.

Selected publications

* ''Acute Infectious Diseases: A Handbook for Practitioners and Students''. William Heinemann, London, 1925.
"Jean Baptiste Bouillaud (1796-1881). A Pioneer in Cardiology and Neurology"
''Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine'', Vol. 24, pp. 1253–1262. *
The History of the Acute Exanthemata: The Fitzpatrick Lectures for 1935 & 1936
'. William Heinemann, London, 1937.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolleston, John Davy 1873 births 1946 deaths People from Oxford 20th-century English medical doctors Presidents of the History of Medicine Society Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians John Davy British folklorists British medical historians Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Anti-smoking activists British temperance activists British epidemiologists