Sir William James Erasmus Wilson

FRCS Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional certification, professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an wikt:intercollegiate, ...

FRS (25 November 18097 August 1884), generally known as Sir Erasmus Wilson, was an English surgeon and dermatologist.

Biography

Wilson was born in London, studied at

Dartford Grammar School Dartford Grammar School is a secondary foundation school for boys (ages 11–18) in Dartford, Kent, England, which admits girls to its sixth form (ages 16–18). All of the students joining the school are considered to be from the top 25% of t ...

before

St Bartholomew's Hospital St Bartholomew's Hospital, commonly known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 by Rahere, and is currently run by Barts Health NHS Trust. History Early history Barts was founded in 1123 by ...

in London, and at the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...

, and early in life became known as a skilful surgeon and dissector. It was his sympathy with the poor of London and a suggestion from Mr.

Thomas Wakley Thomas Wakley (11 July 179516 May 1862) was an English surgeon. He gained fame as a social reformer who campaigned against incompetence, privilege and nepotism. He was the founding editor of ''The Lancet'', a radical Member of Parliament (MP) ...

of ''

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, founded in England in 1823. It is one of the world's highest-impact academic journals and also one of the oldest medical journals still in publication. The journal publishes ...

'', of which he acted for a time as sub-editor, which first led him to take up

skin diseases A skin condition, also known as cutaneous condition, is any medical condition that affects the integumentary system—the organ system that encloses the body and includes skin, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this sys ...

as a special study. The cases of scrofula,

anaemia Anemia (also spelt anaemia in British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen. This can be due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin availab ...

, and blood-poisoning which he saw made him set to work to alleviate the suffering of persons so afflicted, and he quickly established a reputation for treating this class of patients. It was said that he treated the rich by ordering them to give up luxuries; the poor by prescribing for them proper nourishment, which was often provided out of his own pocket. In the opinion of one of his biographers, we owe to Wilson in great measure the habit of the daily bath, and he helped very much to bring the

Victorian Turkish bath The Victorian Turkish bath is a type of bath in which the bather sweats freely in hot dry air, is then washed, often massaged, and has a cold wash or shower. It can also mean, especially when used in the plural, an establishment where such a bath ...

into use in Great Britain, and in the process writing a number of works on spas, baths and thermo-therapy, all of which overlap in their content. Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) (Reprinted from the British Medical Journal). Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org). Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) Indeed, his works on spas, baths, and thermo-therapy were directly related to his work on the health of skin. His earliest such works on this topic outlined the relationship between various applications of water, vapour baths, the action of heat and cold through such media on the action of the skin, and the relationship between this and health in general. Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) Moreover, his works had a direct impact on the

hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...

movement of the time (then known as hydropathy), and the overlapping sanitary reform movement. Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) He applauded the establishment of Public Baths and Wash-houses, as "amongst the noblest of the institutions…as they are one of the greatest discoveries of the present age",Wilson, Erasmus (1849), p.viii and dedicated his 1854 book ''Healthy Skin'' to another sanitary reform proponent,

Edwin Chadwick Sir Edwin Chadwick Order of the Bath, KCB (24 January 18006 July 1890) was an English social reformer who is noted for his leadership in reforming the Poor Laws in England and instituting major reforms in urban sanitation and public health. A ...

"In admiration of his strenuous and indefatigable labors in the cause of Sanitary Reform". Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) Nor was Wilson shy of saying what needed to be said in the promotion of sanitary reform. In Metcalfe's (1877) work on sanitary reform and all the above-mentioned overlaps, he describes the Chinese vapour baths. After describing the bathing establishments as a whole, he describes the bathing room itself, "which is about thirty feet by twenty, and is filled with hot steam or vapour":Metcalfe, Richard (1877) p. 19

The entire floor, except a narrow space round the sides, is occupied by a hot-water bath from one to eighteen inches deep. The furnace is outside, and the flues are carried under the centre of the bath. In the hazy light of this room may be seen the perspiring Chinamen disperting themselves in the shallow water, until, when cleansed to their satisfaction, they return to the cooling room, there to regale themselves with cups of tea and pipes of tobacco. All classes of Chinese frequent these bathing establishments. Mr Ellis, in his "Journal of the Embassy to China (1816)," says of this Chinese cleansing apparatus, that it is "disgusting," but says Mr Erasmus Wilson, "What would Mr Ellis say of a country in which there existed no cleansing apparatus whatever? For example, his own.

Wilson wrote much upon the diseases which specially occupied his attention, and his books, ''A Healthy Skin'' and ''Student's Book of Diseases of the Skin'', Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) though they were not received without criticism at the time of their appearance, long remained text-books of their subject. He visited the East to study

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

, Switzerland to investigate the causes of

goitre A goitre (British English), or goiter (American English), is a swelling in the neck resulting from an enlarged thyroid gland. A goitre can be associated with a thyroid that is not functioning properly. Worldwide, over 90% of goitre cases are ...

, and Italy with the purpose of adding to his knowledge of the skin diseases affecting an ill-nourished peasantry. He was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

ed by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1881, and died at

Westgate-on-Sea Westgate-on-Sea is a seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of Kent, England. It is within the Thanet District, Thanet Districts of England, local government district and borders the larger seaside resort of Margate. Its two sandy ...

, Kent in 1884. He had married Charlotte Mary Doherty in 1841; they had no children. After the death of his wife, the bulk of his property, some £200,000, went to the Royal College of Surgeons.

Philanthropic works

He made a large fortune by his successful practice and by skilful investments, and since he had no family he devoted a great deal of his money to charitable and educational purposes. In 1869 he founded the chair and museum of dermatology in the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

, of which he was chosen president in 1881, and which just before his death awarded him its honorary gold medal, which had been founded in 1800 and only awarded on six previous occasions. He also founded a professorship of pathology at the

and paid for the vast medical library at the

Hunterian Museum, London The Hunterian Museum is a museum of anatomical specimens in London, located in the building of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. History In 1799 the government purchased the collection of the Scottish surgeon John Hunter which they p ...

where his bust takes pride of place at the end of the library. In 1878 he earned the thanks of the nation on different grounds, by defraying the expense of bringing the Egyptian

obelisk An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...

called

Cleopatra's Needle Cleopatra's Needles are a separated pair of ancient Egyptian obelisks now in London and New York City. The obelisks were originally made in Heliopolis (modern Cairo) during the New Kingdom period, inscribed by the 18th dynasty pharaoh Thutmose I ...

from

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

to London, where it was erected on the

Thames Embankment The Thames Embankment was built as part of the London Main Drainage (1859-1875) by the Metropolitan Board of Works, a pioneering Victorian civil engineering project which housed intercept sewers, roads and underground railways and embanked the ...

. The

British Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

had not thought it worth the expense of transportation. This is now one of London's best known landmarks. Erasmus Wilson was also closely associated with the Royal Medical Benevolent College in Epsom, Surrey, now

Epsom College Epsom College is a co-educational independent school on Epsom Downs, Surrey, England, for pupils aged 11 to 18. It was founded in 1853 as a benevolent institution which provided a boarding school education for sons of poor or deceased members ...

. One of the boarding houses 'Wilson House' established in 1873 is named after him and carries his name on the foundation stone located to the north east corner of the building, right of the entrance.

Famous statements

1878: "When the Paris Exhibition closes, electric light will close with it and no more be heard of." ''Text above was based on an entry from the 1902 edition of Britannica, It may need some updating or revision''

Published works as known

* Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * (Reprinted from the British Medical Journal). Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * (Reprinted from the British Medical Journal). Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * . Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * . Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * . Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * . Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * . Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) * Full text at Internet Archive (archive.org) Note: Internet Archives lists more copies of some of these titles. Not all were checked. Some may be duplicates, and some may be later editions. The sample above shows that some titles had multiple subsequent editions. Also for books prior to 1881, Wilson did not have the title Sir, as he had not yet been knighted.

References

External links