Sir Donald Macleod Douglas, (28 June 1911 28 January 1993) was a Scottish academic surgeon. His schooling and medical undergraduate education were at

St Andrews St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourth-largest settleme ...

following which he embarked at an early stage on an academic career, winning a scholarship to pursue research at the

Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, private American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, healthcare, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science ...

, Minnesota. After further research at the

Royal Postgraduate Medical School The Royal Postgraduate Medical School (RPMS) was an independent medical school, based primarily at Hammersmith Hospital in west London. In 1988, the school merged with the Institute of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and in 1997 became part of Imperial ...

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 The Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland is a British medical association founded in 1920 with the twin aims of the ''advancement of the science and art of surgery and the promotion of friendship amongst surgeons''. Association of Su ...

and of the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The RCSEd has five faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical and healthcare specialities. Its main campus is locate ...

and was knighted in 1972.

Early life

Donald Macleod Douglas was born in St Andrews in 1911. His father was William Douglas, a schoolteacher and his mother Christina Douglas (née Broom). He was educated at

Madras College Madras College, often referred to as Madras, is a Scottish comprehensive secondary school located in St Andrews, Fife. It educates over 1,400 pupils aged between 11 and 18 and was founded in 1833 by the Rev. Dr Andrew Bell. History Madras Col ...

, St Andrews going on to study medicine at the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

, and graduating

MB ChB A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

in 1934. He was awarded a university blue for rugby.

Early career

After junior hospital appointments in Dundee and London, the award of a Commonwealth Fellowship enabled him to travel to the United States, where from 1937-1939 he was a fellow in surgery at the

Mayo Foundation Mayo Clinic () is a private American academic medical center focused on integrated healthcare, education, and research. It maintains three major campuses in Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; and Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. Mayo Cl ...

, Rochester, Minnesota. He obtained the degree of

Master of Surgery The Master of Surgery (Latin: Magister Chirurgiae) is an advanced qualification in surgery. Depending upon the degree, it may be abbreviated ChM, MCh, MChir or MS. At a typical medical school the program lasts two to three years. The possessi ...

from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

before returning to the United Kingdom in 1939 to become first assistant in Surgery at the

in London. In that same year he became a Fellow of 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 surgery, surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wa ...

and was awarded the degree of Master of Surgery ( ChM) by the University of St Andrews. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he joined the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

(RAMC) as a surgical specialist. During this period, he saw service with the Eighth Army in North Africa and tended the injured at the

Battle of El Alamein There were two Battles of El Alamein in World War II, both fought in 1942. The battles occurred during the North African campaign in Egypt, in and around an area named after a railway stop called El Alamein. * First Battle of El Alamein: 1–27 ...

. He was then posted to Iraq where, because of his academic experience, he was seconded to act as Professor of Surgery in the

University of Baghdad The University of Baghdad (UOB) (, also known as Baghdad University) is a public university, public research university in Baghdad, Iraq. It is the largest university in Iraq and the tenth largest in the Arab world. History The College of Isl ...

. He was demobilised with the rank of lieutenant-colonel and was awarded the military MBE for wartime service.

Academic career

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 The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

. This post carried a major responsibility for research and he acted as deputy director of

Wilkie Wilkie may refer to: People * Wilkie (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) * Wilkie Bard (1874–1944), American vaudeville and music hall entertainer * Wilkie Clark (1920–1989), American entrepreneur and civil rights activist ...

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 The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) was established in 1729, and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest voluntary hospital in the United Kingdom, and later on, the Empire."In Com ...

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. 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 Dundee Royal Infirmary, often shortened to DRI, was a major teaching hospital in Dundee, Scotland. Until the opening of Ninewells Hospital in 1974, Dundee Royal Infirmary was Dundee's main hospital. It was closed in 1998, after 200 years of opera ...

. 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.

Honours and awards

In 1965, he became Surgeon to the Queen in Scotland. He was president of the

from 1963 to 1964, president of the Surgical Research Society of Great Britain from 1966 to 1968 and president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1970 to 1973. In 1965 he was elected a member of the

Harveian Society of Edinburgh The Harveian Society of Edinburgh was founded in April 1782 by Andrew Duncan (physician, born 1744), Andrew Duncan. The Society holds an annual Festival in honour of the life and works of William Harvey, the physician who first correctly des ...

and served as President in 1974. In 1972, he was created

knight bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

and was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) from the University of St Andrews. He was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh but resigned in 1978.

Family

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. Douglas died at Blairgowrie Cottage Hospital on 28 January 1993.

Selected publications

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 tissu
''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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, Donald 1911 births 1993 deaths People from St Andrews People educated at Madras College Alumni of the University of St Andrews Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 20th-century Scottish surgeons British Army personnel of World War II Royal Army Medical Corps officers Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Academics of the University of St Andrews Knights Bachelor Office bearers of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh Members of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh Members_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire