Sir Donald Macleod Douglas, MBE, FRCS, FRCSE, FRSE (28 June 1911 – 28 January 1993) was a Scottish academic surgeon. His schooling and medical undergraduate education were at St Andrews following which he embarked at an early stage on an academic career, winning a scholarship to pursue research at the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota.
Quick Facts Born, Died ...
Sir Donald Douglas |
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Born | (1911-06-28)28 June 1911
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Died | 28 January 1993(1993-01-28) (aged 81)
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Nationality | British |
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Education | Madras College |
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Alma mater | University of St Andrews |
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Occupation | Surgeon |
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Known for | Professor of Surgery Universities of St Andrews/Dundee
President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh |
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After further research at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London he served in World War II as a surgical specialist with the Eighth Army in North Africa and was seconded from military duties to serve as Professor of Surgery in Baghdad.
As professor of Surgery in St Andrews and Dundee, he developed research interests in wound healing and the design of operating theatres. He was president of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland and of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and was knighted in 1972.
After the war, he became senior lecturer at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and in 1947 was appointed reader in experimental surgery at the University of Edinburgh. This post carried a major responsibility for research and he acted as deputy director of Wilkie Surgical Research Laboratories. Here he continued his earlier research studies on gastro-intestinal physiology and the use of radio-isotopes in surgical research. Working under Professor James Learmonth he had clinical responsibilities in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and with Learmonth developed an interest in the surgery of vascular disease. During this period he began research into the factors influencing wound healing, which became a topic on which he continued to research and publish throughout his career.[3] In 1951, he was appointed as the first full-time professor of surgery at the University of St Andrews with clinical responsibilities at Dundee Royal Infirmary.[2]
His surgical department in Dundee developed vascular and cardiovascular surgery. In his academic department, the major research interests were wound healing and surgical infection. With a reputation as an effective administrator and organiser he was involved in the design of hospital wards and operating theatres of Ninewells Hospital, Dundee which opened in 1974. He retired from the chair in 1976.[4]
He was married with two daughters and two sons, one of whom, Sir Neil Douglas, was president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.[7]
Douglas died at Blairgowrie Cottage Hospital on 28 January 1993.[8]
Douglas, D.M., & Mann, F.C. (1941). Effect of Peritoneal Irritation on the Activity of the Intestine. British Medical Journal, 1 4180, 227-31
Douglas, D.M. (1948). Repair of large herniae with tantalum gauze; an experimental and clinical study. Lancet, 1 6512, 936-9
Douglas, D.M. (1949). Tensile strength of sutures; loss when implanted in living tissue.Lancet, 2 6577, 499-501
Douglas, D.M. (1962). Operating-theatre design. Lancet, 2 7248, 163-9
Douglas, D.M. (1962) Problems and responsibilities of the university surgical unit. British Medical Journal 2(4782):469-72.
Douglas, D.M., Howie, G.F., & Lyall, M. (1973). Late results of autogenous-vein grafting and lumbar sympathectomy in ischaemic limbs. Lancet, 1 7801, 459-61
"Sir Donald Douglas". The Scotsman. 30 January 1993.