Hamilton Bailey FRCS,
FACS - Surgical Tutor par Excellence
By Nihal D Amerasekera
To
medical students and doctors the name Hamilton Bailey is synonymous
with Surgery for his extraordinary contribution to surgical literature.
His books Demonstrations in Clinical Surgery and A
Short Text Book of Surgery which he co-authored with McNeill Love
became our text books. They were bench-books for surgeons
during their training. His book titled Emergency
Surgery was greatly respected by practicing surgeons. These
books are still in print, updated and widely read. They still command worldwide
sales. With such knowledge and expertise I assumed he lead a charmed life of
luxury basking in his wealth and affluence. I thought he was an eminent
consultant in a prestigious London teaching hospital with a lucrative Harley
Street practice. I was proved wrong on all counts.
For
many years I followed the swallows on their migration to southern Spain for the
luxury of autumn sunshine. The Costa Del Sol is a paradise for sun-worshippers.
I made my annual pilgrimage in September to Fuengirola, a quiet town, far from
the madding crowd. On one such occasion I visited the city of Malaga, the
largest coastal city in Andalucia. It is a fascinating place with Moorish and
Roman ruins and the Picasso Museum. As I walked its pretty tree
lined streets I came across an English Cemetery. I took a stroll along its
well-heeled passages. As usual I read some of the tombstones as I passed by and
surprisingly came across the name of Hamilton Bailey. This aroused my curiosity
and fascination to research his life. I wondered why he lay in a distant
foreign field so far away from home.
Hamilton
Bailey was born to Scottish parents in 1894. His father was a doctor and his
mother, a nurse. She suffered from depression and drank heavily. His sister had
schizophrenia and was in and out of mental institutions. Thus his
childhood wasn’t ideal. Despite his difficulties he entered the
London Hospital Medical School at the age of 16 and qualified in 1916. While
training in surgery at the London Hospital he developed an infection in one of
his fingers which had to be amputated. This was the era before antibiotics. It
was a tragedy for a budding surgeon.
In
1927 he published his first book Demonstrations in Clinical Surgery. A
Short Text Book of Surgery soon followed in 1932. His
co-author was his friend and colleague McNeill Love. His wife
who was a photographer did the magnificent illustrations for his books.
Meanwhile he made many unsuccessful applications for consultant posts in
several hospitals. In 1930 he finally got his break at the Royal
Northern Hospital in Holloway, North London. It was not considered an elite
London teaching hospital. His reputation spread as a charismatic
teacher and a fine lecturer. He was one of the first to organize a drill for
cardiac arrest. Hamilton Bailey became a Hunterian Professor at the Royal
College of Surgeons.
With
his large frame and self confidence he was demanding and domineering. Those who
knew him have said he had few social graces, had no respect for authority and
no rapport with patients or colleagues. It is a sad indictment for an elegant
author and a superb lecturer with so many publications to enhance the
profession.
Tragedy
struck his family when his only child died in a railway accident in 1943. His
mental health suffered and his behaviour became erratic. His temper
was uncontrollable at times. In 1949 Hamilton Bailey gave up his surgical
practice and sought psychiatric help. He was sectioned and
incarcerated for 3 years and was unresponsive to treatment. When
they were planning a prefrontal leucotomy a young registrar
suggested trying out a new drug. He was started on
Lithium. Although he made a remarkable recovery he never worked in
medicine again. In 1951 he retired and bought a house in the hills
near Fuengirola close to Malaga, in Spain, to enjoy its Mediterranean climate.
There he continued to write and maintained contact with his surgical friends in
England.
While
enjoying his retirement he developed signs of acute intestinal obstruction. He
was rushed to the hospital in Malaga where he had an abdominal operation.
Hamilton Bailey died in 1961, aged 66, of septicaemia and
peritonitis after surgery to remove a cancer of the colon. He was buried in the
English cemetery in Malaga, Spain. There are many doctors who visit
the grave to pay homage to this brilliant teacher. They come not only from the
UK but from all over the world.
There
can be few doctors of my generation who do not remember Hamilton Bailey
gratefully. Unlike many consultants of his era he never chased money nor
accumulated wealth for himself. His erratic behavior and tantrums
are perhaps due to his difficult childhood and mental illness. I
sincerely hope history will judge him kindly and remember his many
contributions to surgery and his brilliance as a teacher and
author. He changed the face of surgical teaching in the 20th century.
None of
our lives are what it appears from the outside. When I delve into
the lives of famous people I realize amidst their success they too have their
share of misfortunes and tragedies. There are many events in our lives that are
beyond our control. What amazes me most, in our lives, is the
awesome force of destiny.
PS – Philip G Veerasingam
Association Of Sir Nicholas
Attygalle with Hamilton Bailey
From 1925 to 1929, Dr.
Nicholas trained in the United Kingdom, and returned to Ceylon, with MRCS, LRCP
(Lond), DLO (Lond) and FRCS.
His attempt to secure a
post as ENT Surgeon, GH Colombo was not acceded to by the Department of
Health.
He was posted as the District Medical Officer, Nawalapitiya. later he was appointed Demonstrator in Anatomy at the Colombo Medical School in 1931
He was posted as the District Medical Officer, Nawalapitiya. later he was appointed Demonstrator in Anatomy at the Colombo Medical School in 1931
He was selected to be
trained as the Gynaecologist of the General Hospital, pending the retirement of
Dr. Lucian De Zilva.
Dr. Nicholas was the first
Ceylonese to obtain MRCOG (Gr Britain).
From Great Britain he
proceeded to Vienna, as it was the practice then and followed a course in
Gynaecological Pathology and Physiology where he also studied operative
techniques in Gynecology.
He qualified to be
enrolled as a member of the Austrian Medical Association.
On his return he succeeded
Dr. Lucian De Zilva as the Gynecologist of the General Hospital in 1935.
1. Among his close associates who made a significant
contribution to Medicine are those such as Prof. F. J. Browne of the
University College Hospital.
2. Mr. Gwillim had a
special link with Ceylon. Mr. Gwillim’s early education was at Wesley College,
as his father worked for the Ceylon Railway. He returned as an examiner at MBBS
and MOG examinations and also introduced vaginal hysterectomy to the University
Ward headed by Prof. Attygalle.
3. Dr. Samson Wright was a
great Physiologist whose text book on Applied Physiology was very popular.
4. Sir Johnson was the
President of the Royal College of Surgeons and was the Surgeon to the Royal
family.
5. Mr.McNeil Love co-authored ‘Baily & Love’s
Text-book of Surgery’- dubbed the ‘Yellow peril’ by some.
Dr. Nicholas Attygalle was
appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Ceylon in 1944.
He succeeded Prof. W. A.
E. Karunaratne as the Dean of the Faculty in 1945 and held the post with
distinction until 1953.
He succeeded Sir Ivor
Jennings as the first Ceylonese Vice Chancellor in 1955 and held this post
until 1966.
In 1952, he was
appointed to the Senate.
Was made its President in
1953.
Please
click on the web-linnk below:-
http://comsaa.blogspot.com/2013/10/some-milestones-in-history-of-colombo.html
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Phillipo,
Great contribution that brings n back many memories. Had the pleasure
of working at the Royal Northern Hospital, Holloway Road (better known
as a prison fr females -I mean Holloway Road). R.L.A.Jayawera was a
consultant at Royal Northern, a close friend of Sheriffa and he helped
me to get a job at the RNH..It was a popular hospital for it had a bif
private wing- most top consultants in London Hospitals also w did a
session or two at RNH to use the private wing. Piyasena too worked at
RNH under Sheila Sherlock's husband -G.James if I remember correctly.
RNH was known as the home of Hamilton Bailey and McNeil Lowe (I hope the
spelling is correct) . During our period, The President of the College
of Surrgeons- Murley if I remember right was a full time surgeon. Karals
Philip
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link to our own medical luminaries who provided healthcare and medical education during those difficult early years of the 20th Century. We must remember them for their immense contribution to medical life in those days. When I now walk the long corridors of the GHC I am reminded of the golden age of medical education which we enjoyed and the Medical staff who made it so special.