Sir Louis Edward Barnett (1865–1946) was a New Zealand professor of

surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

and founder of the

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) is the leading advocate for surgical standards, professionalism and surgical education in Australia and New Zealand. Known by its common acronym RACS, it is a not-for-profit organisation, supp ...

. His work at the

Otago Medical School The Dunedin School of Medicine is the name of the School of Medicine that is based on the Dunedin campus of the University of Otago in New Zealand. Students who gain entry after the competitive Health Sciences First Year program or who gain g ...

, where he was one of the school's earliest students, and with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons led to the recognition of

hydatid disease Hydatid may refer to: * Echinococcosis * ''Echinococcus granulosus'', known as the hydatid tapeworm * Hydatid of Morgagni The hydatid of Morgagni can refer to one of two closely related bodily structures: * Appendix of testis (in the male) * Para ...

(see

echinococcus ''Echinococcus'' is a genus within Cestoda, a parasitic class of the platyhelminthes phylum (colloquially known as flatworms). Human echinococcosis is an infectious disease caused by the following species: '' E. granulosus'', '' E. multilocul ...

), a potentially fatal

parasitic disease A parasitic disease, also known as parasitosis, is an infectious disease caused by parasites. Parasites are organisms which derive sustenance from its host while causing it harm. The study of parasites and parasitic diseases is known as parasitol ...

. Working and teaching in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

, Barnett established a national reputation for safe and sound surgery. He was the first surgeon in New Zealand to wear

rubber glove A rubber glove is a glove made out of natural or synthetic rubber. 'Rubber' refers to durable, waterproof, and elastic material made from natural or synthetic latex. Rubber gloves can be unsupported (rubber only) or supported (rubber coating of ...

s and a gauze mask in the operating theatre. Barnett married Mabel Violet Fulton, daughter of

Catherine Fulton Catherine Henrietta Elliot Fulton (née Valpy, 19 December 1829 – 6 May 1919) was a New Zealand diarist, community leader, philanthropist, social reformer and suffragist. She was a founding member of the Dunedin chapter of Women's Christi ...

and James Fulton, on 31 December 1892. They had four sons (including

Miles Barnett Miles Aylmer Fulton Barnett (30 April 1901 – 27 March 1979) was a New Zealand physicist and meteorologist. Born in Dunedin, New Zealand, he studied in that country but obtained his PhD in the United Kingdom at the University of Cambridge. He ...

and Sir Denis Barnett) and a daughter. Barnett retired in 1925 at the age of 60 and moved to

Hampden Hampden may refer to: Places Oceania * Hampden, New Zealand ** Hampden (New Zealand electorate) ** Murchison, New Zealand, known as Hampden until 1882 * Hampden, Queensland * Hampden, South Australia * County of Hampden, Victoria, Australia * Shir ...

where his home is protected today by

Heritage New Zealand Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust; in ) is a Crown entity that advocates for the protection of Archaeology of New Zealand, ancest ...

. He was appointed a

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 ...

in the 1927 King's Birthday Honours. In 1935, he was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver Ju ...

References

*'BARNETT, Sir Louis Edward, C.M.G.', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. 1865 births 1946 deaths New Zealand Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George New Zealand surgeons New Zealand Knights Bachelor University of Otago alumni Academic staff of the University of Otago {{NewZealand-med-bio-stub