Professor Richard Lorraine de Chasteney Holbourne Saunders

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

FRMS (29 May 1908–21 December 1995) was a 20th century South African anatomist. He received international acclaim for his x-ray and electron microscopy investigations of neurological conditions.

Life

Saunders was born on 29 May 1908 in

Grahamstown Makhanda, formerly known as Grahamstown, is a town of about 75,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated about northeast of Gqeberha and southwest of East London. It is the largest town in the Makana Local Mun ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, the son of Lucy Anderson (née Meiklejohn) and Col Frederick Anastasius Saunders, an army surgeon. He studied medicine at

Rhodes University Rhodes University () is a public research university located in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, Rhodes University is the prov ...

then 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 ...

, graduating with an MB ChB in 1932, In 1940 he received his

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

(MD) with a dissertation on

spina bifida Spina bifida (SB; ; Latin for 'split spine') is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the vertebral column, spine and the meninges, membranes around the spinal cord during embryonic development, early development in pregnancy. T ...

. He lectured in anatomy at the University of Edinburgh from 1933 to 1937. In 1937 he emigrated to Canada to take up a post as associate professor of Anatomy at

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

being appointed by Prof H. G. Grant. He became Assistant Professor in 1942 and full Professor in 1948. In 1946 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were Donald Mainland,

James Couper Brash James Couper Brash, MC, FRCSE, FRSE (24 October 1886 in Cathcart – 19 January 1958 in Edinburgh) was a leading anatomist and embryologist in Britain. Early life and family James Couper Brash was born in Cathcart in Scotland, the son of ...

William Frederick Harvey Lieutenant-Colonel William Frederick Harvey CIE FRCPE FRSE (1873-11 September 1948) was a Scottish expert on public health, serving for many years improving conditions in India. Life Harvey, the son of Robert Harvey, attended Dollar Academy ...

, and

William Ogilvy Kermack William Ogilvy Kermack FRS FRSE FRIC (26 April 1898 – 20 July 1970) was a Scottish biochemist. He made mathematical studies of epidemic spread and established links between environmental factors and specified diseases. He is noteworthy for b ...

. He died on 21 December 1995 in

West Jeddore, Nova Scotia West Jeddore is a rural community of the Halifax Regional Municipality in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. History Battle at Winnepang (Jeddore Harbour) On July 22, 1722, immediately after the declaration of Dummer's War, Governor R ...

, Canada. His body was returned to Scotland for burial at

Ardchattan Ardchattan and Muckairn is a civil parish within Argyll and Bute in Scotland. It lies north of Oban, bordering Loch Etive and includes Glen Ure, Glen Creran, Barcaldine, Benderloch, Connel, Bonawe and Glen Etive. At the 2001 census, Ardch ...

Kirk near

Oban Oban ( ; meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William, Highland, Fort William. During the tourist seaso ...

Family

He married Dr Sarah Cameron, and together they had a son, Alistair Corstan de Cusance Maxwell Saunders.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, Richard Lorraine de Casteney Holbourne 1908 births 1995 deaths People from Makhanda, Eastern Cape Alumni of the University of Edinburgh South African anatomists Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh