Keith Waldegrave Monsarrat (11 January 1872 – 28 April 1968) was an English physician, surgeon, philosopher and writer.

Biography

Monsarrat was born in

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...

. He was educated at

King William's College King William's College (nicknamed KWC or King Bill's; gv, Colleish Ree Illiam) is an independent school for pupils aged 3 to 18, located near Castletown on the Isle of Man. It is a member of the International Baccalaureate and Headmasters' and ...

on the Isle of Man. In 1890 he joined 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 ...

as a medical student and graduated with an MB ChB in 1894. He worked at

Nottingham General Hospital Nottingham General Hospital was a major hospital in Nottingham, England. It was founded in 1781 and closed in 1992. History The hospital was the result of a legacy from John Key, a wealthy banker, who had left money in his will for hospitals t ...

and Great Yarmouth Hospital. He moved to Liverpool and obtained

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 C ...

in 1897. He married the same year and took up medical practice in Liverpool. In 1898, he was appointed assistant surgeon to the Cancer Hospital in Liverpool and as assistant surgeon to Liverpool Children's Infirmary a year later. He was made honorary surgeon to

David Lewis Northern Hospital The David Lewis Northern Hospital was located in Great Howard Street, Liverpool. It was first established in 1834 and closed in 1978. History The hospital had its origins in a facility which was established in Leeds Street to deal with victims of ...

, a position he held until his retirement in 1932. He was appointed lecturer in clinical surgery at

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

in 1907 and dean of the faculty of medicine from 1908 to 1914. He was a territorial officer and was posted to the 37th General Hospital in Salonika during

World War I 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 awarded the

Serbian Order of St. Sava The Royal Order of St. Sava is an Order (distinction), Order of merit, first awarded by the Kingdom of Serbia in 1883 and later by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was awarded to nationals and foreigner ...

. He received the

Territorial Decoration __NOTOC__ The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a military medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army. This award superseded the Volunteer Officer's Decoration when the Te ...

in 1920. He returned to his surgical practice in 1927 and was elected to the

General Medical Council The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public" by c ...

. He became President of the

Liverpool Medical Institution The Liverpool Medical Institution is a historic medical organisation based in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Its building on the corner of Mount Pleasant and Hope Street was opened in 1837, but the site has been used as a medical library since 1779. ...

in 1930. Monsarrat was a member 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 ...

. He retired in 1932 at the age of 60 to devote himself to philosophy and writing. He authored numerous books. However his retirement from 1932 was short-lived as he was called upon to organise the wartime services in Liverpool. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he was group officer for the Emergency Medical Service and also carried out committee work at the Ministry of Health in London. He married Mrs Adami in 1947 and finally retired from all committee work. He was made an honorary life member of the

in October 1967 as he had attained 70 years of membership. He was a member of

The Wayfarers' Club The Wayfarers' Club is a senior mountaineering club founded in Liverpool, England, in 1906. In the century of the existence of the Club, Wayfarers have left footprints in every continent and countless countries. In recent years, members' activ ...

and was its president in 1919. His son

Nicholas Monsarrat Lieutenant Commander Nicholas John Turney Monsarrat FRSL RNVR (22 March 19108 August 1979) was a British novelist known for his sea stories, particularly '' The Cruel Sea'' (1951) and ''Three Corvettes'' (1942–45), but perhaps known best in ...

was a novelist.

Selected publications

*''Surgical Technics in Hospital Practice'' (1898) *''The Red Halls and Other Verses'' (1920)
''Health and the Human Spirit''
(1923) *''Human Understanding and its World'' (1937) *''Human Powers and their Relations'' (1938) *''My Self, My Thinking, My Thoughts'' (1942) *''Thoughts, Deeds and Human Happiness'' (1946) *''Human Desires and Their Fulfilment'' (1950) *''On Human Thinking'' (1955) *''K. W. Monsarrat: A Tribute on the Occasion of His 90th Birthday'' (1962) *''On Human Wisdom'' (1964)

References

External links

K. W. Monsarrat
at PubMed {{DEFAULTSORT:Monsarrat, K. W. 1872 births 1968 deaths 20th-century British medical doctors 20th-century British philosophers Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Medical School British surgeons People educated at King William's College People from Kendal Military personnel from Cumbria British Army personnel of World War I Royal Army Medical Corps officers Territorial Force officers