George Guthrie

George Guthrie was a remarkable 19th century soldier and surgeon; a medical reformer and politician who three times became President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Born in London in 1785, he became an apprentice surgeon at the tender age of thirteen, and passed the membership examination of the College of Surgeons two years later. He made such an impression on the examiners that he was immediately accepted by the army as an assistant surgeon. During his fourteen years in service he rose to become a Deputy-Inspector of Hospitals. His experience during the seven year Peninsular War led him to revolutionise the treatment of battle injuries, and this was against considerable opposition from previously held opinions.
The fascinating story of Guthrie's life from his early qualification as a surgeon to his death in 1856 is told here for the first time in an illuminating biography, which is divided into two parts; the first major part describes his army and civilian career, and the second summarises each of his many published works, some of which include interesting case histories.
George Guthrie: Soldier and Pioneer Surgeon will be of great interest to medical and army historians and all those involved in the history of medicine and war.

History of Medicine and Medical Biography

Raymond Hurt