Charles Fergusson Forbes facts for kids

Sir Charles Fergusson Forbes (born 1779, died 1852) was a skilled English army surgeon. He was also honored with the Royal Guelphic Order, a special award.

An Army Doctor's Journey

Charles Forbes trained to be a doctor in London. In 1798, he joined the army's medical team in Portugal. The next year, he became an assistant surgeon with the Royals.

He traveled a lot during his service. He worked in places like Holland, Ferrol, Egypt, the Mediterranean, and the West Indies. He also served throughout the Peninsular War, a big conflict in Europe.

In 1808, he joined the main medical staff. By 1813, he was promoted to deputy inspector-general of hospitals. This was a very important role.

In 1814, he left the army. He had earned a special war medal with five clasps. He then started working as a doctor in Argyll Street, London. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1808. In 1814, he joined the College of Physicians of London, becoming a full member in 1841.

Hospital Work and a Disagreement

In 1816, Sir Charles became a doctor at the new Royal Westminster Infirmary for Diseases of the Eye. This hospital was in Warwick Street, Golden Square. He worked alongside George James Guthrie, who was a surgeon.

In 1827, Forbes and Guthrie had a disagreement. They had different ideas about how to treat eye infections. This disagreement became public in a medical journal called The Lancet. The journal wrote things that Guthrie did not like.

Guthrie decided to take legal action against the journal. However, he stopped when he learned that Forbes would be a witness.

A Challenging Situation

After this, a young surgeon named Hale Thomson, who supported Guthrie, insulted Forbes at the hospital. Because of this, Forbes challenged Thomson to a duel.

The duel happened on Clapham Common on December 29, 1827. They used pistols. Both men fired twice, but no one was hurt. Their helpers tried to stop the duel. But Forbes and Thomson wanted to continue. After another round, which was also harmless, the helpers declared the duel over. This happened even though both Forbes and Thomson wanted to keep going.

Forbes then left his job at the hospital. Many people who supported the hospital also left with him. Guthrie later offered to settle things in a gentlemanly way. But Forbes refused, saying the offer came too late.

Later Life and Honors

Sir Charles Forbes had a successful medical practice. He treated many important families from the nobility. He received several special honors during his life. He was made a Knight of the Crescent. In 1837, he became a Guelphic knight of Hanover. Later, in 1844, he was made an English knight.

Sir Charles Fergusson Forbes passed away at his home in Argyll Street on March 22, 1852.

Writings

Sir Charles Forbes also wrote some articles and pamphlets:

• Two pamphlets about the disagreement with Guthrie (1828).
• A short report about a medical case in the Medico-Chirurgical Transactions (1827).
• An article called "The Table-Talk of an Old Campaigner" in The United Service Magazine (September 1834).