Thomas George Wilson
FRCSI FRCSE
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...
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 ...
FACS FRSM MRIA HRHA (1 July 1901 – 6 November 1969) was an eminent
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...
surgeon and medical administrator specialising in
otorhinolaryngology
Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspeciality within medicine that deals with the surgical a ...
, a field to which he made significant contributions. Wilson was also an accomplished author, artist and sailor. He was known as 'T.G' and was a leading figure in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
society until his sudden death in 1969.
Early life and education
Wilson was born at Maryville Park on 1 July 1901 to Robert Charles Wilson, a stockbroker, and Frances Lucinda
Kellett, of distant kin to
Sir Henry Kellett.
He had two other siblings, an elder brother Charles Herbert, and a younger sister, Frances Edna, who went on to marry
Sir Charles Read.
It was often thought that Wilson was the natural son of
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
- the suggestion was spurred on by his academic interest in
Sir William Wilde, Oscar's father, but the suggestion – which was widespread in Dublin society at the time – was denied by Wilson, who stated in 1942, 'I've often been called a bastard, but whatever I am I'm not a Wilde bastard.' The confusion is probably explained by the fact that Sir William Wilde had a natural son called Dr Henry Wilson.
[An Assembly of Irish Surgeons: Lives of Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in the 20th Century by J. B. Lyons (Dublin: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and The Glendale Press, 1983, pp. 141–147)]
He was educated at Mountjoy School (now merged to form part of
Mount Temple Comprehensive School
Mount Temple Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. The school operates under the patronage of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, and has, as a primary objective, the provision of state-funded second-le ...
) and
Trinity College, Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
.
Surgical career
Wilson was appointed house surgeon to the ENT Department of the
Cheltenham General and Eye Hospital. He subsequently took the examination for the fellowship of the
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland's first private university. It was established in 1784 ...
(FRCSI) in 1927. Following this, he was appointed assistant surgeon to Thomas Graham at the
Royal City of Dublin Hospital
The Royal City of Dublin Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Ríoga Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) was a health facility on Baggot Street, Dublin, Ireland.
History
The hospital was first established by a group of doctors from the Royal College of Surgeons in ...
(
Baggot Street
Baggot Street () is a street in Dublin, Ireland.
Location
The street runs from Merrion Row (near St. Stephen's Green) to the northwestern end of Pembroke Road. It crosses the Grand Canal near Haddington Road. It is divided into two sections:
...
). Various consultant/specialist appointments followed this: at
Dr Steevens' Hospital
Dr Steevens' Hospital (also called Dr Steevens's Hospital) ( ga, Ospidéal an Dr Steevens), one of Ireland's most distinguished eighteenth-century medical establishments, was located at Kilmainham in Dublin Ireland. It was founded under the terms ...
, at
Drumcondra Hospital
Drumcondra Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Dhroim Conrach) was a voluntary hospital on Whitworth Road in Dublin, Ireland. It became an annex to the Rotunda Hospital in 1970.
History
A dispensary was provided at Cole's Lane, to serve the poor of parishes ...
,
The National Children's Hospital,
Harcourt Street
Harcourt Street is a street located in Dublin City, Ireland.
Location
It is a little over in length with its northerly start at the south-east corner of St Stephen's Green and terminates in the south at the point where Adelaide road become ...
, and from 1928 to 1966 Wilson was laryngologist at Mercer's Hospital. Wilson was also consultant to the Royal Hospital, Donnybrook from 1935 to 1969, honorary
aurist
Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , ''-logia'') is a branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Audiologists treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage. By employing various ...
to the Mageaugh Home, Dublin, and laryngologist to the Royal National Hospital for Consumption, Newcastle (
County Wicklow
County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by t ...
). He was also in charge of a private practice whilst holding many consulting posts (the majority of which were honorary).
He was made a fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland and founded its section on the History of Medicine in January 1956, where he was honorary secretary until 1963 – at which point he became president of the section. Wilson had previously been president of the section of Laryngology and Otology (1946–48). He was elected a member of the
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...
and a 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’ chambers ...
in London in 1937. However, Wilson was most influential within the
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland's first private university. It was established in 1784 ...
, whose council he joined in 1944. He became vice-president in 1956, remaining in the role until 1957. In 1958, he became president, where he served a record three years as president from 1958 to 1961. After becoming the longest-serving president, he then became secretary and honorary librarian in 1962. Whilst president, Wilson oversaw the creation of the Faculty of Anaesthetists in 1959 and the Faculty of Radiologists in 1960. Wilson also helped to arrange international reciprocal agreements with other bodies.
[Dictionary of Irish Biography, vol 9, 983–5 (Royal Irish Academy/Cambridge University Press, 2009 & www.dib.cambridge.org)]
Honours, awards and legacy
Wilson was awarded honorary fellowships of the
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...
in 1961, 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. The ...
in 1963 and of the
American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913.American College of Surgeons Online "What is the American College of Surgeons?"/ref>
See also
*American College of Physicians
The American College o ...
in 1963. He delivered the Felix Semon Lecture at the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
in 1964. He was elected a member of the James IV Association of Surgeons (founded in 1965) and President of the section of Laryngology 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 ...
in 1966. He also served as President of the Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum (CORLAS), an international group of scientists, during its 1958 Dublin meeting. He was also a founder member and first President of the Irish Otolaryngological Society in 1970.
The T.G. Wilson Medal is named after him. Wilson was also awarded honorary membership of the
Royal Hibernian Academy
The Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the RIA, the academy retained the word "Royal" after most of Ireland became in ...
(RHA) as well as a professorship of anatomy at the
National College of Art and Design
The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of th ...
.
[''Dr Thomas Wilson'', ]The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
, Friday 7 November 1969[TG Wilson, Litt. D., MB, BCh, BAO, FRCSI", British Medical Journal, 22 November 1969, pp 500–501]
He became chairman of the
Commissioners of Irish Lights
The Commissioners of Irish Lights ( ga, Coimisinéirí Soilse na hÉireann), often shortened to Irish Lights or CIL, is the body that serves as the general lighthouse authority for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and their adjacen ...
in 1968, having previously been a commissioner, and subsequently wrote the ''Irish Lighthouse Service'', which featured drawings and colour plates of his oil paintings.
For his literary and art achievements, Wilson was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Literature in 1941 by
Dublin University
The University of Dublin ( ga, Ollscoil Átha Cliath), corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a university located in Dublin, Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dubl ...
. During his career, Wilson published various articles arguing in favour of the claim that
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish Satire, satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whig (British political party), Whigs, then for the Tories (British political party), Tories), poe ...
suffered from
Ménière's disease
Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected initial ...
, which is now widely accepted by the medical circle.
Personal life
In 1928, he married Mary Hume Babington, daughter of
The Rt Hon. Sir Anthony Babington, with whom he had two sons and two daughters.
His eldest son,
Anthony Babington Wilson, is a former business executive and artist and author.
[The Irish Independent, 8 February 1956]
Wilson was subject to legal repercussions in 1942 when he was found to be hindering the arrest of a person liable to internment during the neutrality of the
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between th ...
in the
Second World War
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 part of a group that assisted British servicemen stranded in Ireland to escape across the border to
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
. He was fined £200 and sentenced to 12 months in prison, which was subsequently suspended on the agreement of a personal bail of £500. His barrister was
JA Costello, who later became
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
.
Wilson died suddenly of a heart attack on 6 November 1969 when staying at the
Royal Hospital, Chelsea
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for some 300 veterans of the British Army. Founded as an almshouse, the ancient sense of the word "hospital", it is a site located on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea. It is an in ...
.
Publications
*''Victorian Doctor: the Life of
Sir William Wilde'' (London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1942)
*''The mental and physical health of
Dean Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, ...
'' (Norwich: Jarrold and Sons Ltd., 1958)
*''The death masks of
Dean Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, ...
'' (Norwich: Jarrold and Sons Ltd., 1960)
*''Diseases of the Ears, Nose and Throat in Children'' (London and New York: William Heinnemann Medical Books Ltd 1955 & Grune & Stratton 1962)
*''The Irish Lighthouse Service'' (Dublin: A. Figgis, 1968)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, T. G.
1901 births
1969 deaths
Otolaryngologists
Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons
People educated at Mount Temple Comprehensive School
Medical doctors from Dublin (city)
20th-century Anglo-Irish people
20th-century Irish painters
Irish male painters
Alumni of Trinity College Dublin
Members of the Royal Irish Academy
Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
20th-century surgeons
20th-century Irish male artists