Abstract

Many enjoy reading about the lives of remarkable people; John Aubrey's Brief Lives, James Boswell's A Life of Johnson, and Lytton Strachey's Eminent Victorians still delight a wide readership. Often it is through an account of a person's life and work—with all its contradictions, ambiguities, achievements, and sometimes scandals—that we can learn about the past or understand the present. As Ralph Waldo Emerson somewhat provocatively remarked, “There is properly no history; only biography”. The obituary, a condensed form of biography, is perhaps the most immediate and accessible way to celebrate a life. This week we reinstate our obituary page after a lengthy absence. We intend it to be an occasional feature, commemorating the life of remarkable individuals who are internationally renowned for their contribution to medicine. We welcome suggestions from readers. Sir Douglas BlackRenal specialist and staunch defender of the National Health Service; emeritus professor of medicine at Manchester University; chief scientist at the Department of Health; president of the Royal College of Physicians, president of the British Medical Association; and chairman of the NHS lottery. Bom May 29, 1913, in Shetland, UK; died from pancreatic cancer aged 89 years on Sept 13, 2002. Full-Text PDF

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