Thomas Scott Wilson
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Former medical offer of health Glasgow and community medicine specialist Greater Glasgow Health Board (b Glasgow 1921; q Glasgow 1944; MD, FRCP Glas, FFPHM, DPH, DIH, DPA), died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on 1 May 2005.
In 1974 there was a major reorganisation of the NHSin Scotland and many of the responsibilities for the health of the citizens of Glasgow were transferred from local government. With this new legislation the historic post of medical officer of health came to an end.
Dr T S Wilson (known as Scott to his friends) was the last incumbent of this position and he had successfully directed a large and important department from its headquarters in the Glasgow city chambers to deal with the many serious health problems that challenged the citizens. Following reorganisation he performed a similar role with the same distinction, dedication, and success at the Greater Glasgow Health Board.
Born in 1921, he was educated at the High School of Glasgow before entering the University of Glasgow, where he qualified in medicine in 1944. During the holidays Scott took office jobs at Beardmore’s Foundaries at Parkhead. He often claimed that he obtained there a useful background of business procedures—despite being expected to make the inevitable tea! While a student he joined the university officers’ corps and, as it was wartime, became involved in such activities as fire watching and the filling of sandbags.
After qualifying he was appointed to a post at Stonehouse County Hospital and, in January 1945, he was called up to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps, where he spent the next three years on troopships (including the requisitioned White Star liner M V Georgic) bringing service personnel back from Africa and the Far East. These voyages often required the treatment of tropical diseases and surgical emergencies such as appendicitis. By the time he was demobilised in 1948 he had attained the rank of major.
Returning to civilian life he kept up his interest in the shipping world by working as a ship’s doctor on the Canadian run. He then worked at Knightswood Hospital, Glasgow, where he obtained invaluable knowledge in infectious diseases, which was to stand him in good stead for his subsequent career. After obtaining the diploma in public health and the diploma in industrial health in 1949 he then joined the public health department in Glasgow. This was followed by further study on the use of penicillin in the treatment of scarlet fever for his doctorate in medicine (MD), which he obtained in 1951.
Dr Wilson gained a wealth of experience in the public health department as he progressed in his profession when serving in the Glasgow Corporation’s central division, then as deputy medical officer of health, and finally as medical officer of health and principal medical officer in the school health service. He threw himself wholeheartedly into all of these appointments, and this conscientiousness and enthusiasm continued after reorganisation, when he was appointed to the post of community medicine specialist at the Greater Glasgow Health Board. Although the move from the city chambers to the headquarters of the Greater Glasgow Health Board brought about a change in the administrative settings of his work, his knowledge and experience in public health meant that the main thrust of the board’s responsibilities in the fields of infectious diseases and environmental health lay on the shoulders of Scott Wilson. Until he retired in 1986 the citizens of Glasgow were therefore able to continue to have the benefit of the expertise of this remarkable man.
He certainly led a life of great interest and fulfilment, dealing with the often spectacular outbreaks of infection and environmental hazards that frequently occurred. Among these were the smallpox outbreak in Glasgow in 1950, outbreaks of staphylococcal septicaemia among the newborn and nursing mothers at the Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital, outbreaks of food poisoning, Weil’s disease in sewer workers, legionnaires’ disease, and the difficulties associated with the strike of the dustbin men when rubbish piled up in the streets.
Dr Wilson took a very active part in the investigation of these occurrences as he did with other aspects of his work, such as the various immunisation campaigns. Diseases such as tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, measles, and whooping cough were greatly feared, and Dr Wilson was in the forefront of their control. Because of his key role in the control of infection he was sponsored in 1963 by the Sea Ports and Airports Association to go to India to gain further expertise in the recognition and eradication of smallpox.
In addition to his major work in the infection field Dr Wilson was also interested in nutrition, the education of children, the health of women, smoke control, and the problem of lead in tap water.
Although he had such a welter of responsibilities in his extremely busy life, his ability to deal effectively with many things at the same time allowed him to carry out research into various infection and environmental problems, and his many publications appeared as articles in medical journals and chapters in textbooks.
Outside his work, Dr Wilson was also very active. He was an elder in St Margaret’s Church of Scotland, Tollcross, and then at St Andrew’s Church, Cambuslang. He was also a past president of the Glasgow Philosophical Society, the UK vice chairman and chairman of the north Glasgow branch of Arthritis Care, chairman of the Glasgow Association for the Welfare of the Disabled, and he was also actively involved in the Cargill House Old People’s Home and the Indigent Ladies Association for Scotland. In his early days tennis, cycling, and rowing (where he was in the university eight crew) were his leisure activities, but latterly these were superseded by golf, bowling, gardening, and walking his dogs.
A learned, friendly, approachable, non-demonstrative, kindly man, who always did his best to be as helpful to others as he possibly could. Chief among his pleasures was his family. His wife, Chrissie (also a doctor, whom he first met at a BCG clinic), was a tower of strength to him and he took great pride in his children, Tom, Catriona, and Barbara.
Many people in Glasgow and beyond have reason to be grateful to Scott and to his work. [Struan Robertson, George Forwell, Daniel Reid]