Edward Markham Skerritt Obituary

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    MAY II , I ~ . l EDW d.RD M.!.RKEIAM BKERRITT. [ THB tiRITISB\{SDICJ.L JOOJl.lU.Levery manifestation of sadness and regret. The first partof the service was held at St. Pdul'S Church, Clifton, whichwas filled by those anxious to pay a last tribute of respectto one from whom many of them had received so muoo.Among those present wre the. Dean of Bristol,many members of the Medical Faculty of UniversityCollegA, Bristol, and of the .profession in the cityand neighbourhood, and the Chairman and ViceChairman and members of the residen t staff of the BristolGeneral Hospital. The British Medical Association wasrepresented by Dr. Radcliffe Crocker, Treasurer, andMr. Guy Elliston, General Secretary ; the Clergy Daughters'School by Canon Wallace; and Univers ity. College, Bristol,by the Principal and several professors. The Vicar; in ashort address, said that no :nan was more loved than aphysician who did his duty faithfully and tenderly, and hewho was mourned that day was renowned for his sciencean d skill and honoured and loved for the beauty of hischaracter. Dr. Skerrit t,he said, "wore the white flowerofa blameless life;" Another line from the same poemfrom which the quotation is taken may appropriately beused here, as all who knew Dr. Skerritt knew him to beModest; kindly, aU-aooompIished, wise.

    I t may, perhaps, be permitted to one who knew MarkhamSkerritt very much less well tban t h o ~ e who have writtenwhat appears above, bu t one who knew him in more thanona capacity for" many, years, to say that the portraitwhich his friends have drawn with loving hands seems alittle to Diiss one' characteristic. He had, as has beensaid, a somewhat reserved, even dry manner, bu t one hadnot to be long in his company to perceive that he'possessed to an 'eminent degree the saving grace ofhumour. His quickness to see the amusing side of someincident in debate was only equalled by the shrewd judgement with which he found a way out of the difficulty.And this appreciation of humour seemed to unlock hisheart to those who' perceived it , telling them that underthe reserved outside there beat a very human heart, aliveto the hopes, and not unsympathetic with the weaknesses,of human nature..

    Dr. Skerritt's chief recreation was hunting; for manyyears he not only hunted regularly during thewinter months with the Duke of Beaufort's hounds andothers near home, bu t went every summer to Exmoor toenjoy stag hunting. He was an excellent judge of horsesand an admirable horseman, riding with courage temperedwith discretion ; while throwing himself into a run withthe utmost zest, he never failed in the courtesies of a truesportsman.

    Mr. W. M. BEAUMONT (Bath), one of the Honorary Secretaries of the Bath and Bristol Branch, writes: To those ofus who have w o r k ~ d with Dr. Skerritt for the last sixteenyears the intimation of his death comes with a shock sosuddenly paralysing that we realize at once how great isour loss. He on whose counsel we have been accustomedto rely, he' whose advice was always sound and kindly,and he whose judgement ever leaned to mercy's Side, hasgone for ever from the Council of our Branch.I t was. in 1875 that Dr. Markham Skerritt joined theBath and Bristol Branch of the British Medical Association, and during . he following year he read papers onemphysema treated by Lister's method, rheumatic hyperpyrexia, rupture of the spleen, and he joined in a discussion on antiseptic surgery. In the follOwing y ~ a r heopened a discussion on the treatmentof acute rheumatism,and ever eince Dr, Skerritt has been to the front with ableand interesting papers. When a ,vacancy for an honorarysecretary of the Brancb occurred in 1880 Dr. Skerri tt was themember clearly markedout for the position, and he receivedthe unanimous support ()f his colleagues. His co secretarywas the late Mr. Fowler of Bath. and afterwards Mr.R. ,J. H. Scott, in co-operation with both of whom thework of the Branch was carried on most successfully andharmoniously. Mr. Scott resigned the secretaryship ofth e Bath Distric,t in 1891, and when the writer of thesereminiscences came into office he found a. thriving andenerget,ic Branch, or rather two Branches, linked togetherby bonds of mutual respect: the one, Bristol, largelyrepresented by the keen and active teachers in. it s flourishing medical school; the other, Bath, represented by thepractitioners. in an up-to date hydrotherapeutical spa.

    The interests of two such widely-differing constituenciesmight seem to be too incongruous, but it speaks much forthe combined Council of Bath and Bristol that in the longyears of partnership dating from 184q there has never beenany serious dissgreement, but both have worked, harmoniously together. This success, in recent years, wasthe result, in no small measure, of the influence of Dr.Skerritt on the Council.Whether as member of the local Council, or as Secretary,or a s R e p r e s e n t a t i ~ e on the General Council, or as President of the Branch (1896), or as ,TreasurEr of the Association, his whole heart was in. the W9rk.. His energy andforce of character were aided by:a head so ('lel!-r ,and levelthat the impress which he has left on the Branch, as wellas on the Asssciation as a Whole, is marked by the soundness of his judgement and by the wisdom of his businesscapacity.In the loeal council his opinion carried much weight, in, consequence of his judicial method of exprfssing himself.Never a voluminous speaker, he always seemed able tostate his views in few words. His speech rell:\inded one ofthe summing-up of a judge; both sides. of the qUfstionwere duly and f!lirly dealt with, whil st the final impressionleft on the mind of the hearer made it quite clear whatwas the view of the speaker.He had high ideals of medical ethics , and the strictestintegrity; his advice was always in consonance with thebeet, perhaps the old-fashioned, traditions of the

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    6 'T n Ba )I I 0 Ilmmw, I o ~ . u . . EDWARD M ~ K H . ! . M : SKERRITT. fMAY 11, 1907.Association, in the objects and future of which hethoroughly believed. He was honorary local secretaryof the successful annual meeting in Bristol in 1894, andVice-President of the Section of Medicine. He was againVice-President of the Sftme Section at the annual meetingin London in 1895, and had previously been secretary ofthe Section at the annual meeting at Cardiff in 1885.Dr. Skerritt became M.R.C.P.Lond. in 1876, and waselected a Fellow in 1885; at the time of his dt>ath he was'8 member of the Council of the College. In 1897 he gavethe Bradshaw Lecture on Prognosis in Heart Disease.*He was not a voluminous writer. compiled no textbook,and wrote no monograph; of the few articles he published,most had to do with diseases of the heart and lungs, andfor some years he contributed an annual summary of theprogress of knowledge of these .diseases to Cassell's YearBook of Treatment. 'In June, 1875, Dr. Markham Skerritt married the eldestdaughter of Mr. John Heelas of Wokingham. He had onedaughter born in 1880, to whom he was most devotedlyattached. In September, 1905, she died after only a fewhours' illness, and only those who knew Skerritt mostintimately could realize how intensely he sullered fromthis sorrow and how profoundly it altered the tenour ofhis life. His widow compels the respect and admiration, as well as sympathy, of all who know her by thecourage wh h which she bears the sorrows tbat havebefallen her.Mr. ANDREW CLARK, who was Chairman of the CentralDouncil during the three years for which Dr. Skerrittserved as Treasurer of the Association, writes: In responseto the Editor's request, I am pleased to add my testimony ofDr. Skerritt's worth, especially from the administrativepoint of view of the Association. A most pleasant col-'league to work with, we were associated as chief officersof the Association during three eventful years, thoseimmediat ely following the reconstitution. He was alwaysready with his -support and advice whenever dillicultquestions arose or precedents had to be made, and willingly undertook as many journeys to London as werenecessary in the interests of the Association. His specialdepartment was the treasury, and I can testify to ,hiszealousness in guarding the finances and scrutinizingevery demand for payment that was made to him ; with arevenue of over 50,000 in each year, thill is no smallmatter. His quarterly statements of cash received andexpended were clear and c o ~ c i s e , and did not elicit manycomments from either the Joumal and Finance Committeeor the Council. He was an active worker on the' PremisesCommittee, and many of the improvements which will befound in the new premises were his suggestion, for healways had an eye to efficiency with economy. Since the,termination of his period of office he has been a regularattendant at the Council and several Committees, and isone the Association can il l spare at the present time.

    We have received the following from the Chairmanof the Committee of the Bristol General Hospital: Inconsequence of the absence from England of the President of the hospital, Mr. William Proctor Baker, it isonly partiall y practicable to represent the servicesrendered to the institution by the late Dr. MarkhamSkerritt, as he is the only member of the Committeewhose active connexion with the hospital has been whollyconcurrent. This dated from 1875, when Dr. Skerri tt wasfirst elected one of its Honorary Physicians, a post towhich he was three times re-elected, and which he wasstill holding at the time of his lamented death. Duringthe greater part of this long tenure of office, namely, since1884, be was Senior Physician, and consequently fromthat date took the leading part in all professional andother matters connected with the administration of themedical side, as well as in other matters, during the timeswhen he was periodically a member of the Committeeof Management as one of the representatives of thehonorary staff. I t is more for his colleagues on thehonorary staff than for the Committee to speak of hisskill and judgement as a physician; bu t the latter canspeak with the warmest appreciation of him as avalued colleague and helper in many matters connectedwith the hospital, and as one who ever had its bestinterests at heart. His care was not limited to his

    . . BRITISH MBDICAL JOURNAL, November 7th, 1897, p. 1327.

    patients in the wardp, but the best of his skill wasalways gladly and ungrudgingly given to any member ofthe nursing stall who needed medical attention, while inother directions he often gave most valuable help-as, forinstance, by the care and judgement he brought to bearupon the revising and consolidation a few years ago ofthe rules of the hospihl, he being at that time a memberof the subcommittee to which the matter was entrusted.Of the extent of the loss which in common with so manyothers this hospital has sustained by his, it may almostbe said, sudden death it is diffic!11t to speak, particularlyat the present time, when his sound judgement, goodsense, and courteous manner would have been found souseful. The Committee rejoice to think that thememories which they one and al l will retain of EdwardMarkham Sken'itt are those of respect, gratitude, andesteem.Professor SAUNDBY, Birmingham (formerly President ofthe Central Council of the Association), writes: Iknew Dr. Markham Skerritt as a colleague on the Councilof the Association during many years, and was closelyassociated with him in it s work. I have heard of hisdeath with great regret and feel that the Association haslost a faithful supporter, and the members of Council awise, patient, and experienced colleague. He had thesupreme merit of calmness, so t ~ t he viewed all matters

    that came before him in the work of the Association dispassionately, and, being able to give ready and clearexpression to his views, he would have made one of thebest presidents of the Council had he happened to havebeen chosen; but if in the position of Treasurer he wasnot so much at home, he in no respec t failed adequatelyto fulfil it s i m p O l ' ~ t duties. I look back upon our connexion for many years without being able to recall a singleoccasion on which we differed in other than the mostfriendly manner, and I believe he was from first to lastliked and respected by all who worked with him on theCouncil.Dr. J. FARRANT FRY (St. Leonards-on-Sea), ex-Presidentof the South Wales and Monmouthshire Branch, writes:Markham Skerritt must have ha d a host of medical friendswho will deeply regret his death, especially in the West. Fo rmany )'ears I had frequent opportunities of appreciating

    his worth as a consultant, who always cheered his patient,increased the patient's confidence in tb.e medicalattendant, and had the happiest way of suggesting a lineof treatment which his vast experience and acumendictated. More than once has he turned up for a consultation in his light overcoat, which" I dare not take off,"because he had come straight from the hunting field.Greig Smith will always live in my meJD()ry as one of themost delightful surgeons it has been my lot to meet, andMarkham Skenitt was his, equal as a physician. I t willbe difficult for Bristol to replace two such able anddistinguished members of our profession. 'Dr. JAMES STEWART, B.A., F.R.C.P.Ed., writes: Thrownelosely as I was into contact with Markham Skerrittduring my thirty years' residence near Bristol, I ha dunique opportunities of estimating his character and

    capabilities. He was Consulting Physician to my Homefor Inebria tes during all those years as well as my intimatepersonal friend, and he also attended the members of myfamily when his services were required. Like every othermedical brother who had occasion to seek his aid, Ialways found him both ready and willing to give his professional services promptly, carefully, and generously.Soon after Skerrittls arrival in ,Clifton he was markedout by the members of the Bath an d Bristol Branchas one singularly fitted for the position of HonorarySecretary. His punctuality, his courtesy, and histhoroughness earned our warmest gratitude. To theservices he rendered at head quarters and to the wholehearted energy he threw into his work as member of theCentral Council and as Treasurer, test imony will doubtlessbe borne by others. For myself, I may say that, duringthe forty years I have been in the profession, I havenever known any physician more universally respected oresteemed, nor one' in whom more implicit trust was, placed by ai s medical brethren. I!'requently have,l heardgeneral practitioners say, "Skerritt's opinion is a sound onein a difficult or serious case, and moreover you need have

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    MAy II , 1907.] UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. [.,;:-....-=:.... I 16 Ino fear that he will no t act as an honourable consultantalways should." 01 hi s prIvate character an d of hi squalities of head and heart no one could speak too highly.Fo r so accomplished a physician, hi s modesty was remarkable. He was a most devoted husband and father.Personally, I never had a kinder, a more loyal, or moreesteemed friend. SkerrItt was indeed a Christian gentleman of th e highest type. Tlie sympathies of al l of uswill go ou t in a peculiarly warm manner to hi s afflictedwidow in he r irreparable loss an d sad bereavement.THE following lines have been sent to us by one whodescribes himself as "a G.P. unknown to fame, whosename ill of no importance, who had a great regard for th elate Dr. Skerritt." IN MEMORIAM.WP, doctors, in this city of the west,Who held him dear, who knew him kindly, wise,Loyal and true-we mourn the man who lieB,Fltruck down by blund 'ring death. He was our besi,The man we turned to most, did his behestMost often. in our warfare against woeOf mortalllesh ; and now he lieth low,Whom many an anguished wife and mother blest.Did he, we wonder, know. did he surmise,With his shrewd smile wrinkling his lips and eyes,And his clear oauMon weighing every side,How strong we felt when he was there to guide?Alas! he cannot know, unless aboveHe hears our mourning and can tell our love.Bristol, April 30th.

    JO NATHAN F. C. H. MACREADY, F.R.C.S.,CONSULTING SURGEON TO THill GRIlIAT NORTHERN CENTRALHOSPITAL.THB death of Mr. Macready, which took place on April29th as th e result of a cerebral haemorrhage three dayspreviously, has deprived several public institutions of avalued adviser an d a wide circle of old colleagues andfrIends ol'one who commanded both respect an d affection.Born in 1850, th e youngest son ot th e great actor, by hisfirst wife, Jonathan Macready was educated under th e eyeof hi s father, who ha d retired from th e stage in 1851. Th epaternal discipline was strIct, an d inculcated a high senseof duty upon a somewhat shy and retiring disposition.On entering the profession as a student at St .Bartholomew's Hospital , young Macready was soonrecognized as a ma n of more than ordinary promise. Th einfiuence of Sir James Paget and Sir William Savory wasstrongly impressed upon him, an d from them he acquirednot only surgical wisdom, bu t no small share of th e gracefu l eloquence with which they clothed their thoughts inlectures an d addresses. In this he was aided by the carefultraining in elocution derIved from hi s distinguished father.He was appointed Surgeon to th e Great NorthernHospital in 1878, and, being closely associated with Mr.William Adams, he acquired a special interest in orthopaedic surgery, an d was particularly successful indealing with contractions of th e palmar fascia. Hebecame Surgeon to the Truss Society, and made a closestudy of hernia, an d his large work on th e subject iswell known. As Surgeon to the Convalescent Hom es of .tlie Merchant Taylors' Company hi s sound judgement wasgreatly appreciated, an d at th e Victoria Park OhestHospital an d th e Cheyne Hospital for Children hi sservices were always a v ~ i l a b l e when sought for. HecontrIbuted in no small degree to th e rise of th e GreatNorthern Hospital, to which he was Senior Surgeon forfifteen years 'and an actlve member of th e Committee ofManagement for twenty three years. Possessing th evaluable qualities of reticence when silence was mosteloquent and of eloquence when occasion demanded it ,hi s opinion and counsel proved of th e greatest servicewhen, in 1888, the hospital was transplanted into a newdistrict and, like all new institutions, ha d to prove it sclaim to be respected.The many physicians an d surgeons who have held officeupon it s staff an d have passed to those of th e teachingschools, in common with al l his present colleagues, bothmedical an d lay, will cherIsh their recollection of the~ e n t l e , courteous, an d dignified surgeon whose soundjudgpment was ever at hand to solve th e various difficult iesthat are apt to arise in a young and risingcommunity. The kindly acts an d unostentatiol1s aidthat he rendered to so many in a humbler sphere,alt.hough unrecorded, will no t be forgotten.

    UNIVERSITIES AN D COLLEGES.UNIVERSITY OF CAM..BRIDGE.Examinations.THE following candidates have now been approved in all threesubjects of the examination indicated:THIRD M.B. (Part I I ) . -F. O. Arnold, B.A., Trin. ; P. H. Bahr, B.A.,Trin.; G. B. Bartlett, B.A Sid. Suss.; H. Beckton, M.A . CIa;R. Burgess, B.A., Ca.1.; S. P. Chan, B.A . Cal.; S. Churchill,B.A., Trin.; A. I. Cooke, B.A., CaL; A. T. Densham, B.A., Jail.;A. N. Diokson, Down.; H. Dimock, B. A, Sid. Suss.; C. W.

    Greene, B A., Emm.; G. F. Greenwood, B A. Sid. Suss.;C. L. M. Jones l B.A., KlnQ's; A. R. 'Jordan, B.A., Ola. ; B. T.Lang, B.A., Trin.; R. B. Lloyd, II A., Emm.; L. H L.Mackenzie, B.A., Trln.; R. G. MarTtham, B A., Cal.; H. F.Marris, M.A., Cal. ; J. H. B. Martin, B.A., Emm.; L. Nicholls;B.A, Down. ; C. W. Ponder, M.A., Emm.; J. H. Pratt, B.A.,Trin ; O. L. Scarborough. M.A Joh.; A. L. Singer, B.A"King's: E. F. Skinner, M.A., Corp.; A. C. H. Suhr. B.A., Cal.;C. B. Ticehurst, B.A., Joh.; C. Tylor, B.A., Cal. : J. A. Vennililg.B.A., Trln.; B. WahbYt non-call.; R. R. Walker, B.A., Joh.;A. B. Wilson, B.A., Pemo.; R. F. Young, B.A., Chrlsts.Professor Nuttal l wtlJ deliver his inaugural lecture in th eAnatomical Theatre on Wednesday, May 22nd, at 4.30 p m.Owing to the inorease in the work of the Chemical Department, the Syndicate recommend an extension of the ChemicalLaboratory at the estimated oost of 13,500Professor Newton has deputed Mr. BatesoD, of St. John'sCollege. to leoture for him during t h ~ ensuing academio year.UNIVERSIl'Y OJ!' LONDON.COJ.\lVOCATION.A GENERAL meeting of Convocation was held at the Universityon May 7th; Sir E. H. BUSK, Chairman, presided.Sir E. H. Busk and Mr. H. E. Allen were respectivelyre-elected Chairman and Clerk of Convocation.Report of the Standing Oommittte.-Dr. T. L. MEARS presented the report, and moved it s reception, and the resolutionwaqadopted.Lord Lister. - Dr. AMAND ROUTH proposed the ifollowingresolution reoommended by the Standing Uommittee:That a vote of congratulation be conveyed to Lord Lister, a graduateof this University. on his attaining his eightieth birthday. .Mr. G. EAfiTES, M.R., seoonded the proposal, whioh wascarried unanimously. .Appointments to Governing Bodies;-Mr. L. F. WINTLEproposed :That the Senate be respectfully requested to con,ider the desirabilityof graduates of the UniverSity appointed to represent theUniversity on other bodies being members of Convocation.This was duly carried.BU8iness Adjourned from January 18th, 1907.-Certainbusiness whioh oould not be considered at the previous meet

    ing of Convocation was reported by the Annual Committee.Dr. MlCARS who presented the report and moved it s adoptionstated that the paragraphs referring to the incorporatIOn otUniversi ty College, Universit y College' Hospi tal, and University College Boys' School, the opening of the UniversUylibrary, and the election of a member of the Senate by thegraduates in Divinity, which were all now acoomplished, hadconsequently lost some of their interest. The Union Societyof the University had started on it s career of usefulnesp, andhe hoped it might eventually rival the corresponding UnionSocietIes of Oxford and Cambridge. In one rt>spect it differedfrom each of the older SOCieties-namely, that ladies wereadmitted to it s membership.University Oolours.-The Committee appointed to consider this quef'tion recommended that red, white, and blueshould be the University oolours, red being given the prlnoipalplaoe. They also submitted a sample of the blazer andribbon for hatband to the meeting, and recommendE'd theiradoption, and that the colours for the ti e should be in the sameproportions as those in the ribbon, bu t arranged diagonally.Dr. MEARS moved that the blazer and hatband be approved,whioh was dulv carried.Mode of Election of Members of the Senate-Dr. R.MAGUIRE moved:That the standing order rel&tinll to this matter be referred to theStanding Committee for consideration and report.This resolution was adopted.Annual AthleUo Sports.-Mr. WHITEHEAD mentioned thatit was desirable to have challenge cups for p r e ~ e n t a t i o n . t o thewinners of c.ertain sports. Last year Lady Busk hli givensuch aoup. This year a lady had promised one {f otherladies oourd be found to offer five other cups; and he hoped toreoeive shortly the names of ladles willing to assist in thismanner.Eleotion to the Senate.-Sir T. Barlow, Bart., MD., waselected by the graduat8" in medioine and in surgery. Dr. O. W.Kimmins, Dr. S . R. Wells, and Mr. J. Wade, D.So., wereeleoted by the graduates In science.The Standing Oemmittu.-The following graduates,. Dr. R.Maguire, Dr. H. J. Soharlieb, andDr. W. H. Willoox, 'werere-eleoted members of the Committee in the Faoulty ofMedioine. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE. .. The Meroers' Company lectures were commenoed on ]lay10'h by Dr. E. H. Starling, F.R.S., the subject being the