Jonathan Hutchinson
Encyclopedia
Sir Jonathan Hutchinson was an English surgeon
, ophthalmologist
, dermatologist
, venereologist
and pathologist
.
, Yorkshire
, England
of Quaker
parents and educated in the local school. After school he was apprenticed for five years to Caleb Williams, an apothecary and surgeon in York.
He entered St Bartholomew's Hospital
in London
, became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons
in 1850 (and a Fellow in 1862), and rapidly gained reputation as a skilful operator and a scientific inquirer. While a student Hutchinson choose a career in surgery from 1854 on, under the influence and help of his mentor, Sir James Paget
(1814–99). In 1851 he studied ophthalmology
at Moorfields
and practised it at London Ophthalmic Hospital. Other hospitals where he practised in the following years were the Lock Hospital
, the City of London Chest Hospital, the London Hospital, the Metropolitan Hospitals and the Blackfriars Hospital for Diseases of the Skin.
His intense activity in so many medical specialties reflected also in his involvement with several medical societies. He was president of the Hunterian Society
in 1869 and 1870, professor of surgery and pathology at the Royal College of Surgeons from 1877 to 1882, president of the Pathological Society (1879–80), of the Ophthalmological Society (1883), of the Neurological Society (1887) of the Medical Society (1890), and of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society from 1894 to 1896. In 1889 he was president of the Royal College of Surgeons. He was a member of two Royal Commissions, that of 1881 to inquire into the provision for smallpox
and fever cases in the London hospitals, and that of 1889–96 on vaccination
and leprosy
. He also acted as honorary secretary to the Sydenham Society. In June 1882 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
, gout
, leprosy
, diseases of the tongue
, etc., were full of original observation; but his principal work was connected with the study of syphilis
, on which he became the first living authority. He was the first to describe his triad of medical sign
s for congenital syphilis
: notched incisor teeth, labyrinthine deafness and interstitial keratitis
, which was very useful for providing a firm diagnosis
long before the Treponema pallidum
or the Wassermann test
were discovered.
He was the founder of the London Polyclinic or Postgraduate School of Medicine; and both in his native town of Selby and at Haslemere
, Surrey
, he started (about 1890) educational museum
s for popular instruction in natural history. He published several volumes on his own subjects and was given an Hon. LL.D degree by both the University of Glasgow
and University of Cambridge
. He received a knighthood in 1908.
Sir Jonathan Hutchinson has his name attached to the following entities in medicine:
was discovered in 1873.
He was the founder of Haslemere Educational Museum
He died on 23 June 1913, in Haslemere
, Surrey
. He had married Jane Pynsent West in 1856; they had six sons and four daughters.
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
, ophthalmologist
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
, dermatologist
Dermatology
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its diseases, a unique specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails....
, venereologist
Venereology
Venereology is a studio album by the Japanese noise musician Merzbow. It was the first of five Merzbow albums released by the American heavy metal label Relapse Records, under their Release Entertainment imprint, and as such was responsible for bringing Merzbow's work to a much wider audience in...
and pathologist
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
.
Life
He was born in SelbySelby
Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
of Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
parents and educated in the local school. After school he was apprenticed for five years to Caleb Williams, an apothecary and surgeon in York.
He entered St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England.-Early history:It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or Rahere , a favourite courtier of King Henry I...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
in 1850 (and a Fellow in 1862), and rapidly gained reputation as a skilful operator and a scientific inquirer. While a student Hutchinson choose a career in surgery from 1854 on, under the influence and help of his mentor, Sir James Paget
James Paget
Sir James Paget, 1st Baronet was a British surgeon and pathologist who is best remembered for Paget's disease and who is considered, together with Rudolf Virchow, as one of the founders of scientific medical pathology. His famous works included Lectures on Tumours and Lectures on Surgical Pathology...
(1814–99). In 1851 he studied ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
at Moorfields
Moorfields
In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. The fields were divided into three areas, the Moorfields proper, just north of Bethlem Hospital, and inside the City boundaries, and Middle and Upper Moorfields to the north.After the Great...
and practised it at London Ophthalmic Hospital. Other hospitals where he practised in the following years were the Lock Hospital
London Lock Hospital
The London Lock Hospital was the first venereal disease clinic, being the most famous and first of the Lock Hospitals, which opened on 31 January 1747....
, the City of London Chest Hospital, the London Hospital, the Metropolitan Hospitals and the Blackfriars Hospital for Diseases of the Skin.
His intense activity in so many medical specialties reflected also in his involvement with several medical societies. He was president of the Hunterian Society
Hunterian Society
The Hunterian Society, founded in 1819 in honour of the Scottish surgeon John Hunter , is a society of physicians and dentists based in London....
in 1869 and 1870, professor of surgery and pathology at the Royal College of Surgeons from 1877 to 1882, president of the Pathological Society (1879–80), of the Ophthalmological Society (1883), of the Neurological Society (1887) of the Medical Society (1890), and of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society from 1894 to 1896. In 1889 he was president of the Royal College of Surgeons. He was a member of two Royal Commissions, that of 1881 to inquire into the provision for smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and fever cases in the London hospitals, and that of 1889–96 on vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
and leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
. He also acted as honorary secretary to the Sydenham Society. In June 1882 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Works
Hutchinson's activity in the cause of scientific surgery and in advancing the study of the natural sciences was unwearying. He published more than 1,200 medical articles and also produced the quarterly Archives of Surgery from 1890 to 1900, being its only contributor. His lectures on neuropathogenesisNeuropathology
Neuropathology is the study of disease of nervous system tissue, usually in the form of either small surgical biopsies or whole autopsy brains. Neuropathology is a subspecialty of anatomic pathology, neurology, and neurosurgery...
, gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
, leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
, diseases of the tongue
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...
, etc., were full of original observation; but his principal work was connected with the study of syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
, on which he became the first living authority. He was the first to describe his triad of medical sign
Medical sign
A medical sign is an objective indication of some medical fact or characteristic that may be detected by a physician during a physical examination of a patient....
s for congenital syphilis
Congenital syphilis
Congenital syphilis is syphilis present in utero and at birth, and occurs when a child is born to a mother with secondary syphilis. Untreated syphilis results in a high risk of a bad outcome of pregnancy, including mulberry molars in the fetus. Syphilis can cause miscarriages, premature births,...
: notched incisor teeth, labyrinthine deafness and interstitial keratitis
Interstitial keratitis
Interstitial Keratitis basically means corneal scarring due to chronic inflammation of the corneal stroma. Interstitial means space between cells i.e corneal stroma which lies between the epithelium and the endothelium...
, which was very useful for providing a firm diagnosis
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...
long before the Treponema pallidum
Treponema pallidum
Treponema pallidum is a species of spirochaete bacterium with subspecies that cause treponemal diseases such as syphilis, bejel, pinta and yaws. The treponemes have a cytoplasmic and outer membrane...
or the Wassermann test
Wassermann test
The Wassermann test or Wassermann reaction is an antibody test for syphilis, named after the bacteriologist August Paul von Wassermann, based on complement-fixation.-Method:...
were discovered.
He was the founder of the London Polyclinic or Postgraduate School of Medicine; and both in his native town of Selby and at Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, he started (about 1890) educational museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s for popular instruction in natural history. He published several volumes on his own subjects and was given an Hon. LL.D degree by both the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He received a knighthood in 1908.
Sir Jonathan Hutchinson has his name attached to the following entities in medicine:
- Hutchinson's angina
- Hutchinson's sign
- Hutchinson's dehidrosis
- Hutchinson's disease or senile degeneration of the choroidChoroidThe choroid, also known as the choroidea or choroid coat, is the vascular layer of the eye, containing connective tissue, and lying between the retina and the sclera. The human choroid is thickest at the far extreme rear of the eye , while in the outlying areas it narrows to 0.1 mm...
- Hutchinson's facies
- Hutchinson's freckle (a precancerous spot occurring in old age)
- Hutchinson's mask
- Hutchinson's melanotic disease
- Hutchinson's patch (a corneal sign attached to syphilitic keratitis)
- Hutchinson's prurigo
- Hutchinson's pupilHutchinson's pupilHutchinson's pupil is a clinical sign in which the pupil on the side of an intracranial mass lesion is dilated and unreactive to light, due to compression of the oculomotor nerve on that side.The sign is named after Sir Jonathan Hutchinson....
- Hutchinson's teethHutchinson's teethHutchinson's teeth are a sign of congenital syphilis. Babies with this have teeth that are smaller and more widely spaced than normal and which have notches on their biting surfaces...
(seen in congenital syphilisCongenital syphilisCongenital syphilis is syphilis present in utero and at birth, and occurs when a child is born to a mother with secondary syphilis. Untreated syphilis results in a high risk of a bad outcome of pregnancy, including mulberry molars in the fetus. Syphilis can cause miscarriages, premature births,...
) - Hutchinson's triadHutchinson's triadHutchinson's triad is named after Sir Jonathan Hutchinson . It is a common pattern of presentation for congenital syphilis, and consists of three phenomena: interstitial keratitis, Hutchinson incisors, and eighth nerve deafness.- References :...
- Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome
Later life
After his retirement from active consultative work he continued to take great interest in the question of leprosy. In one of his few scientific errors, he was firmly convinced that there was a link between getting leprosy and eating salted or rotted fish, even after the pathogenic agent, Mycobacterium lepraeMycobacterium leprae
Mycobacterium leprae, also known as Hansen’s coccus spirilly, mostly found in warm tropical countries, is a bacterium that causes leprosy . It is an intracellular, pleomorphic, acid-fast bacterium. M. leprae is an aerobic bacillus surrounded by the characteristic waxy coating unique to mycobacteria...
was discovered in 1873.
He was the founder of Haslemere Educational Museum
He died on 23 June 1913, in Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He had married Jane Pynsent West in 1856; they had six sons and four daughters.