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J. Anat.
(2008)
212
, pp705–706 doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2008.00912.x
© 2008 The Author Journal compilation © 2008 Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
OBITUARY
Peter Kynaston Thomas, 28 June 1926–25 January 2008
Professor P. K. Thomas, who was Editor of
Journal ofAnatomy
from 1990 to 2001, died on 25 January at homeafter a long illness.
PK’s interest in science developed early. The notice onthe garden shed at his boyhood home in Wales said‘Laboratory – Keep out.’ He did not have a medicalbackground (the family firm imported timber), but afterleaving school he decided to study Medicine and obtaineda bursary to University College London where he was
awarded a First in Anatomy in 1947. He was very fortunatein studying under J. Z. Young who was head of theAnatomy Department and who sparked his interest inperipheral nerves, beginning with the lateral line nerve ofthe trout, which could conveniently be removed withoutdamaging the dietary value of the remains of the fish.Even at this early stage, he made significant advancesin understanding the process of nerve growth duringdevelopment.
PK qualified in 1950 and then undertook an MD on‘Pubic and facial hair growth in white women’ in 1956 – asomewhat strange choice for such a shy person. During thistime he held a variety of house jobs in London Hospitals.In 1957 he became a Senior Registrar in Neurology at theNational Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, QueenSquare, starting an association which continued for therest of his life. There he became interested in electrophysi-ological investigations of peripheral nerve function, addinga new dimension to his earlier anatomical studies.
In 1961 he went to Canada and spent a year at MontrealGeneral Hospital and McGill University. Whilst there hewas fortunate to have the opportunity of learning the newtechnique of electron microscopy with David Robertson.He saw the value of its application to the study of nervestructure and so, on his return to England and Consultantposts at the Royal Free Hospital and the National Hospitalfor Neurology and Neurosurgery, he and Michael Kidd setup the Electron Microscopy Lab in Maida Vale Hospital.The first electron microscope was a Siemens 1a, whichis now in the Science Museum in Kensington. In those earlyyears he had an ultramicrotome in his office so that hecould cut his own sections, but, to his regret, he rapidlybecame too busy to continue such time-consuming work.
He was a proponent of the use of nerve biopsies inthe diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy combined withelectrophysiological and clinical studies and was unusualin carrying out all these investigations himself. At this time,he became particularly interested in diabetic neuropathyand Guillain-Barré syndrome and started experimentalwork on the latter disease. In the early years he was doingclinical sessions and taking nerve biopsies in many LondonHospitals. When the opportunity arose in 1969, heconsolidated his activities in one centre and set up theDepartment of Neurology at the Royal Free Hospital in Gray’sInn Road. Funds were raised to convert adjacent officespace and buy a new Siemens 101 electron microscope.Here the combination of light and electron microscopyand electrophysiology continued with a flow of interesting
Obituary
© 2008 The AuthorJournal compilation © 2008 Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
706
nerve and muscle biopsies. Difficult cases were referredto him because of his growing reputation as a first classclinician. He also led research projects on degeneration ofmyelinated fibres and unmyelinated axons, vitamin Edeficiency, Friedreich’s ataxia and many other pathologies.His guidance of a succession of PhD students and visitingresearch fellows from all over the world made the lab avibrant and exciting place to work.
In 1974 the Royal Free Hospital moved to a new buildingin Hampstead and PK was awarded a personal chair in theUniversity of London. Four years later the Royal FreeHospital School of Medicine moved in its entirety to theHampstead site. The Department of Neurology movedfinally to the Medical School adjoining the Hospital Building.
As the new science of Neurogenetics developed (led byhis wife, Anita Harding), he became very involved with thisapproach, especially in relation to hereditary demyelinatingdiseases. This extended to include investigations of severalinherited diseases found in the Roma populations ofEastern Europe; he would travel to very remote regions tostudy rare syndromes. He also became involved in a studyof altitude neuropathy, which meant climbing 15 000feet up the Andes to remote regions of Peru to do nervebiopsies and nerve conduction studies.
PK was very pleased to be awarded a CBE in 1997 and tobe made a Fellow of his old University, UCL. He belongedto numerous scientific societies all over the world, hadeight honorary memberships of national neurologicalorganisations and an honorary Doctorate from the MilitaryMedical Academy of
L
od
Ω
, Poland.He always had a special interest in anatomy from his
undergraduate days and edited the
Journal of Anatomy
from 1990 to 2001. He was a superb editor, being bothobsessive about the details and also able to see their widerimportance. He also edited the journal
Brain
and wroteover 300 original papers on a wide range of topics relatedto the peripheral nervous system as well as numerousreviews, chapters and books. He was well known for takingpapers to be written and edited on his travels – no momentwas ever wasted.
Despite being always very busy, he found time for avibrant social life and travelled extensively to scientific andmedical meetings all over the world. Even after his stroke,he still managed to go to Canada. There seemed to benowhere he hadn’t been! He loved good food, wine andmusic (he taught himself to play the piano as a boy) andhad a huge collection of CDs. He was particularly fond ofvery esoteric modern music.
He was married three times, first in 1952 to Mary whodied in 1977, secondly to Anita, who unfortunately alsopredeceased him in 1995. Lastly he married Sam in 1999.His boundless enthusiasm for life never faltered and led,for example, to careering down mountainsides with hisyoung stepson and breaking his shoulder when he waswell into his 70s. Although he was disabled for nearly7 years as a result of a severe stroke in 2001, he never losthis sense of humour and ability to enjoy life. Sam was anenormous comfort to him in his last years and cared forhim devotedly at home. He is survived by his sons, Adrianand Nicolas, and their children and by Sam and his stepsonMark.
Rosalind King
