Thomas Grainger Stewart facts for kids
Sir Thomas Grainger Stewart (born September 23, 1837, in Edinburgh – died February 3, 1900, in Edinburgh) was a very important Scottish doctor. He held many high positions in the medical world. For example, he was the president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh from 1889 to 1891. He also led the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Edinburgh and the medicine section of the British Medical Association. He was even the personal doctor to Queen Victoria for Scotland! Sir Thomas was especially known for explaining a nerve condition called multiple neuritis and for drawing attention to how our bodies' reflexes work.
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Early Life and Education
Thomas Grainger Stewart was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, Alexander Stewart, was a painter and decorator. The family lived on Princes Street, which had a great view of Edinburgh Castle.
He went to the High School in Edinburgh. After that, he was accepted into the University of Edinburgh Medical School. He finished his medical degree in 1858. To learn even more, he continued his studies in other countries, including Berlin, Prague, and Vienna.
A Doctor's Career
When he came back to Edinburgh, Thomas started working as a resident doctor at the Royal Infirmary. In 1862, he became a pathologist there. A pathologist is a doctor who studies diseases. He also taught about diseases and children's health at the Edinburgh Extramural School of Medicine. For the next seven years, he wrote many papers about diseases and how to treat them.
In 1866, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a special group for important scientists and thinkers. At this time, he lived with his family in a nice house on Queen Street.
Later, in 1876, he became a regular doctor at the Royal Infirmary. He also started teaching clinical medicine. When another professor, Dr. Thomas Laycock, passed away that same year, Grainger Stewart took his place as Professor of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He held this important teaching job until he died in 1900.
He wrote several well-known medical books. These books were about kidney, lung, and nerve diseases. He also wrote a popular textbook called On the position and prospects of therapeutics: a lecture introductory to a course on materia medica and dietetic in 1862.
Important Roles and Honors
Grainger Stewart was the president of a big meeting called the tenth International Medical Congress in Berlin. In 1898, he was also the president of the British Medical Association when they met in Edinburgh. From 1889 to 1891, he was the president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
In 1882, he was chosen to be a personal doctor to Queen Victoria for Scotland. This was a very high honor! In 1894, he was given a knighthood by the Prime Minister, Lord Rosebery. This meant he could be called "Sir." He also received an honorary degree from Aberdeen University in 1897.
Besides his medical work, he was also interested in other things. He was a literary critic, which means he wrote reviews about books and plays. He even wrote plays himself! He was also an amateur archaeologist, someone who studies old things and places. He was an elder in his church and supported the Liberal political party.
Later Life and Family
In his later years, Sir Thomas lived at 19 Charlotte Square. This is one of Edinburgh's most famous and beautiful addresses, very close to Princes Street. He passed away at his home in Edinburgh on February 3, 1900.
He is buried in Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh. His grave has a simple, curved stone marker.
Sir Thomas Grainger Stewart was married twice. His first wife was Josephine Dubois Anderson, but she sadly passed away in 1864, just a year after they married. In 1866, he married Jessy Dingwall Fordyce MacDonald. Both of his wives are buried with him. His daughter, Agnes Grainger Stewart, grew up to be a writer.
Artistic Recognition
Sketches of Sir Thomas Grainger Stewart were made in 1884 by an artist named William Brassey Hole. These pictures are now kept at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
