Alexander Copland Hutchison facts for kids

Alexander Copland Hutchison (1786–1840) was a British surgeon and medical writer. He is remembered for his book Practical Observations in Surgery, published in 1811.

In 1818, Hutchison made an interesting discovery. He noticed that sailors in the navy rarely suffered from kidney stones. Over 15 years (from 1800 to 1815), only eight cases were found among at least 145,000 sailors each year. This meant the rate was very low, about 1 in 11,000 people. He thought this might be because of the sailors' diet. They ate a lot of salted beef and pork. Some also thought it was because they slept in their hammocks, sweating a lot. Hutchison's study suggested that the navy diet might have prevented kidney stones. This was possibly because their diet had very few dairy products, which can sometimes contribute to kidney stone formation.

Life Story

Hutchison was born in Stonehouse, Plymouth in Devonshire around 1786. He came from a family with a naval background.

He studied Medicine at Aberdeen University and earned his medical degree in 1809. After his studies, he worked in different government medical roles. His first job was as a surgeon at HM Dockyard in Sheerness. In 1817, he moved to London. There, he managed the Westminster Dispensary. He also worked as a medical supervisor for Millbank Prison.

During his time at Millbank Prison, a serious illness spread among the prisoners in 1822 and 1823. An investigation found that the problems came from the prison's swampy location. It also pointed to poor diet and living conditions. Even though Dr. Hutchison was not blamed, some modern ideas might question the prisoners' diet. The prisoners received 4 ounces of raw meat daily, and 8 ounces on Sundays. They also got 1 pound of potatoes. Before he arrived, prisoners received more meat.

In 1827, he became a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The next year, he was also elected a member of the Royal Society of London.

In the 1830s, he became a consulting surgeon. He worked at the Royal Metropolitan Infirmary of Children’s Illnesses. This hospital later became the famous Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Alexander Copland Hutchison passed away at his home in Wimpole Street in London on January 3, 1840.

Family

His wife was Susannah Hutchison. They had a son in 1808 when they were living in Deal.