William James Wanless
Encyclopedia
Sir William James Wanless, M.D., F.A.C.S. (May 1, 1865 – March 3, 1933) was a Canadian
born surgeon
, humanitarian and Presbyterian missionary
who founded a medical mission in Miraj, India in 1894 and led it for nearly 40 years. As part of this mission, Dr.Wanless founded India's first missionary medical school
in 1897, and helped to establish a leprosy
sanatorium
as well as a tuberculosis
hospital, now known as the Wanless Chest Hospital.
His medical mission turned the once-small village of Miraj
into a major medical center in India. By the time he retired in 1928, the clinic he started had become a 250-bed hospital with several important adjuncts. He is considered by many to be India's most famous surgeon of the 19th century, and was known throughout Asia, personally treating princes, raja
hs and Mahatma Gandhi. In 1928, he was knighted by King George V
, who appointed him Knight Bachelor
of the British Empire, for treating 1,000,000 patients and restoring sight to 12,000 of them. The Wanless Hospital in Miraj bears his name, and is now a modern 550-bed teaching hospital.
), Ontario
, Canada
. He was the sixth of 14 children, including two elder brothers who died in childhood. His father, born in Barrow, Alwinton, Northumberland, England (or possibly Jedboro, Scotland) on December 30, 1832, emigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 17, later emigrating to Canada where he variously became a railroader, a hardware store owner (John Wanless & Sons), and a home heating furnace manufacturer in Toronto
(where Wanless Park
and several streets are named after one of their distant relations, also a John Wanless, a municipal alderman and educator). During his childhood and adolescence, William was educated in the schools of Charleston, Mount Forrest
and Guelph, Ontario
.
He graduated from the New York University School of Medicine
in 1889. He married Mary Elizabeth Marshall on September 5, 1889 in Canada, and sailed for India the same year., Mary gave birth to Ethel at Miraj on Dec 2, 1891. Mary died on August 12, 1906. On December 5, 1907, Dr William married again at Kodoli
to Lillian Emery Havens, who survived him. Lillian gave birth to 3 children: Harold L. Wanless on October 2, 1908, at Miraj; Robert Emery Wanless who became a PanAm Boeing pilot' and Margaret Elizabeth Wanless on August 24, 1917 in Toronto. Lillian later wrote his biography.
Wanless was a delegate to the 1910 World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was president of the Missionary Medical Association of India
from 1911 to 1928. In 1918 he was made a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
. He was erroneously reported as dead in 1922; the incorrect report and its subsequent retraction made headlines in the United States.
, of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
, sent Dr. Wanless to India
in 1889. In 1891, he selected the rustic town of Miraj
in Maharashtra State for the mission hospital. The Mission was started as a one-room dispensary in a very small rented place at a busy bazaar, and he was assisted by his wife, Mary, a trained nurse. The Rajah of Miraj
, Raja
h Sir Gangadharrao Ganesh (Bala Saheb) Patwardhan, provided him with land for a hospital which was formally opened in 1894, in a part of the city now known as Wanlesswadi.
With the establishment of a hospital, the need for higher quality medical care was increasingly felt, and towards that end a School of Nursing was founded in 1897 under the superintendence of Miss Elizabeth Foster. It has since steadily developed into one of the best nursing school
s in Maharashtra.
The Mary Wanless Hospital was founded in memory of Wanless's first wife Mary after her death in 1906. Now called the Mary Wanless Hospital / Miraj Medical Centre, it still attracts hundreds of poor and needy patients from across India and abroad. He established the Miraj Christian Medical School in 1907, which later graduated its first group of 17 students, with its only qualified teacher being Wanless himself. In 1917 the medical school was recognized for a Diploma of Licentiate by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Mumbai
(LCPS), similar to the LRCP of the Royal College of Surgeons
(MRCS) of England.
Tuberculosis
Sanatorium
, was later established By Dr. Wanless in 1920. At the time of his retirement in 1928 money was raised by citizens and his friends for erection of new building for Tuberculosis Sanatorium. This new Sanatorium was named as Wanless Tuberculosis Sanatorium, better known as Wanless Chest Hospital. It is one of the premier institutions in the country. The Vail Memorial Cancer Institute, named after Dr. Charles E. Vail who joined Wanless three years later, and the Goheen Psychiatric Clinic were started in 1937 and 1955 respectively. The Goheen Clinic was named after Dr. Robert H. H. Goheen, father of Robert Francis Goheen, Under the management of its expert surgeons, physicians, and nursing staff, these facilities have effectively served the purposes for which they were established, that is in providing quality health care to all irrespective of caste
, creed
, religion
or financial means
.
Additionally, Wanless established five outpost stations attached to the hospital, and paid the hospital's staff of 125, living only on his missionary's salary sent by the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, while donating his personal staff salary to the mission.
on March 3, 1933, and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
in the same city. His wife Lillian died in 1973 at the age of 99 years at their home in Glendale, California. Wanless's son Harold later carried on his father's tradition by studying medicine at the University of Toronto
.
Since its inception over 115 years ago his medical mission has grown into an institution consisting of a 550-bed teaching hospital affiliated with India's Government Medical College, a College of Nursing, an Institute of Pharmacy and various paramedical programmers.
The Wanless Hospital and Wanless Chest Hospital are now located in the township of 'Wanlesswadi', that is ‘Wanless town’, made notable for its medical institutions. The name was given it by its citizens in that part of India and is recognized by the federal government of India. Wanlesswadi has its own Postal Index Number
, 416414, and the Indian Railways
also has a station named 'Wanlesswadi’ on its Miraj–Sangli Route, which opened on April 1, 1907 for the use by ill or needy patients from across India and from abroad.
As a secondary and tertiary care centre, Wanless Hospital serves a large part of western Maharashtra
and North Karnataka
. The Wanless Hospital reputedly provides the best possible medical care
to all its patients; an institution for comprehensive and dedicated health care.
Dr. Wanless received official honors from Great Britain on three occasions:
The Sultan Mahommed Shah, Aga Khan III
presented him a silver casket with a farewell address on his retirement.
As cited in other works:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
born surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
, humanitarian and Presbyterian missionary
American Presbyterian Mission
American Presbyterian Mission was an American Presbyterian missionary society, operated by the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, that was involved in sending workers to countries such as China during the late Qing Dynasty and to India in nineteenth century...
who founded a medical mission in Miraj, India in 1894 and led it for nearly 40 years. As part of this mission, Dr.Wanless founded India's first missionary medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
in 1897, and helped to establish a 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...
sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
as well as a tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
hospital, now known as the Wanless Chest Hospital.
His medical mission turned the once-small village of Miraj
Miraj
Miraj , is an historic town in southern Maharashtra, India. The history of the town dates back to the early 10th century, and the town is known for its rich tradition of Hindustani classical music and for religious harmony. It served as a stronghold and a strategic bastion because of its location...
into a major medical center in India. By the time he retired in 1928, the clinic he started had become a 250-bed hospital with several important adjuncts. He is considered by many to be India's most famous surgeon of the 19th century, and was known throughout Asia, personally treating princes, raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
hs and Mahatma Gandhi. In 1928, he was knighted by King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, who appointed him Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
of the British Empire, for treating 1,000,000 patients and restoring sight to 12,000 of them. The Wanless Hospital in Miraj bears his name, and is now a modern 550-bed teaching hospital.
Early life and education
William James Wanless was born on May 1, 1865 to Elizabeth and John Wanless in the then-community of Charleston (now part of CaledonCaledon, Ontario
Caledon is a town in the Regional Municipality of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. In terms of land use, Caledon is somewhat urban, though it is primarily rural in nature...
), Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was the sixth of 14 children, including two elder brothers who died in childhood. His father, born in Barrow, Alwinton, Northumberland, England (or possibly Jedboro, Scotland) on December 30, 1832, emigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 17, later emigrating to Canada where he variously became a railroader, a hardware store owner (John Wanless & Sons), and a home heating furnace manufacturer in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(where Wanless Park
Wanless Park
Wanless Park is a neighbourhood and park in North Toronto. It is located just north of Lawrence Avenue, between Bayview Avenue and Yonge Street.Central to the Wanless Park neighbourhood is a public park called Wanless Park...
and several streets are named after one of their distant relations, also a John Wanless, a municipal alderman and educator). During his childhood and adolescence, William was educated in the schools of Charleston, Mount Forrest
Mount Forest, Ontario
Mount Forest is an unincorporated community located on the junction of the 6 and the 89 in the township of Wellington North, Ontario. The town's motto is "High, Happy, Healthy", which can be seen on the water tower when approaching the town from the south....
and Guelph, Ontario
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
.
He graduated from the New York University School of Medicine
New York University School of Medicine
The New York University School of Medicine is one of the graduate schools of New York University. Founded in 1841 as the University Medical College, the NYU School of Medicine is one of the foremost medical schools in the United States....
in 1889. He married Mary Elizabeth Marshall on September 5, 1889 in Canada, and sailed for India the same year., Mary gave birth to Ethel at Miraj on Dec 2, 1891. Mary died on August 12, 1906. On December 5, 1907, Dr William married again at Kodoli
Kodoli
Kodoli is a census town in Kolhapur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated between foot fills of Panhala fort and Warana river. Kodoli is home to many and variety of industries. This is one of the unique towns in the Maharashtra where you can get glimpse of modernity and...
to Lillian Emery Havens, who survived him. Lillian gave birth to 3 children: Harold L. Wanless on October 2, 1908, at Miraj; Robert Emery Wanless who became a PanAm Boeing pilot' and Margaret Elizabeth Wanless on August 24, 1917 in Toronto. Lillian later wrote his biography.
Wanless was a delegate to the 1910 World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was president of the Missionary Medical Association of India
Christian Medical Association of India
Christian Medical Association of India is a forum, a gathering place, an association and eventually, a potent instrument to bring about social reform....
from 1911 to 1928. In 1918 he was made a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, often listed as "FACS", is a post-nominal title used to indicate that the surgeon's education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct have passed a rigorous evaluation, and have been found to be consistent with...
. He was erroneously reported as dead in 1922; the incorrect report and its subsequent retraction made headlines in the United States.
Mission in India
The Bryn Mawr Presbyterian ChurchBryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church is a church in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and is part of the PCUSA denomination. BMPC is one of the 20 largest churches in the denomination with over 3000 members....
, of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr from Welsh for "big hill") is a census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue and the border with Delaware County...
, sent Dr. Wanless to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1889. In 1891, he selected the rustic town of Miraj
Miraj
Miraj , is an historic town in southern Maharashtra, India. The history of the town dates back to the early 10th century, and the town is known for its rich tradition of Hindustani classical music and for religious harmony. It served as a stronghold and a strategic bastion because of its location...
in Maharashtra State for the mission hospital. The Mission was started as a one-room dispensary in a very small rented place at a busy bazaar, and he was assisted by his wife, Mary, a trained nurse. The Rajah of Miraj
Miraj Senior
Maraj Senior was a princely states of British India, under the southern division of the Bombay Presidency, forming part of the southern Mahratta Jagirs, and later the Deccan States Agency. The State of Miraj was founded before 1750 and was the former capital of the pre-British State of Sangli. In...
, Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
h Sir Gangadharrao Ganesh (Bala Saheb) Patwardhan, provided him with land for a hospital which was formally opened in 1894, in a part of the city now known as Wanlesswadi.
With the establishment of a hospital, the need for higher quality medical care was increasingly felt, and towards that end a School of Nursing was founded in 1897 under the superintendence of Miss Elizabeth Foster. It has since steadily developed into one of the best nursing school
Nursing school
A nursing school is a type of educational institution, or part thereof, providing education and training to become a fully qualified nurse. The nature of nursing education and nursing qualifications varies considerably across the world.-United Kingdom:...
s in Maharashtra.
The Mary Wanless Hospital was founded in memory of Wanless's first wife Mary after her death in 1906. Now called the Mary Wanless Hospital / Miraj Medical Centre, it still attracts hundreds of poor and needy patients from across India and abroad. He established the Miraj Christian Medical School in 1907, which later graduated its first group of 17 students, with its only qualified teacher being Wanless himself. In 1917 the medical school was recognized for a Diploma of Licentiate by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(LCPS), similar to the LRCP of the Royal College of Surgeons
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons
MRCS is a professional qualification for surgeons in the UK and IrelandIt means Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. In the United Kingdom, doctors who gain this qualification traditionally no longer use the title 'Dr' but start to use the title 'Mr', 'Mrs', 'Miss' or 'Ms'.There are 4 surgical...
(MRCS) of England.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
Sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
, was later established By Dr. Wanless in 1920. At the time of his retirement in 1928 money was raised by citizens and his friends for erection of new building for Tuberculosis Sanatorium. This new Sanatorium was named as Wanless Tuberculosis Sanatorium, better known as Wanless Chest Hospital. It is one of the premier institutions in the country. The Vail Memorial Cancer Institute, named after Dr. Charles E. Vail who joined Wanless three years later, and the Goheen Psychiatric Clinic were started in 1937 and 1955 respectively. The Goheen Clinic was named after Dr. Robert H. H. Goheen, father of Robert Francis Goheen, Under the management of its expert surgeons, physicians, and nursing staff, these facilities have effectively served the purposes for which they were established, that is in providing quality health care to all irrespective of caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
, creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
or financial means
Personal finance
Personal finance is the application of the principles of finance to the monetary decisions of an individual or family unit. It addresses the ways in which individuals or families obtain, budget, save, and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future...
.
Additionally, Wanless established five outpost stations attached to the hospital, and paid the hospital's staff of 125, living only on his missionary's salary sent by the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, while donating his personal staff salary to the mission.
Retirement and legacy
In 1928, after almost forty years of medical missionary service in India, Wanless retired to live in the United States. He wrote a book, Medicine in India, on his life as a doctor in India. He died at his home, 1016 Matillja Street, Glendale, CaliforniaGlendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
on March 3, 1933, and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
in the same city. His wife Lillian died in 1973 at the age of 99 years at their home in Glendale, California. Wanless's son Harold later carried on his father's tradition by studying medicine at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
.
Since its inception over 115 years ago his medical mission has grown into an institution consisting of a 550-bed teaching hospital affiliated with India's Government Medical College, a College of Nursing, an Institute of Pharmacy and various paramedical programmers.
The Wanless Hospital and Wanless Chest Hospital are now located in the township of 'Wanlesswadi', that is ‘Wanless town’, made notable for its medical institutions. The name was given it by its citizens in that part of India and is recognized by the federal government of India. Wanlesswadi has its own Postal Index Number
Postal Index Number
A Postal Index Number or PIN or Pincode is the post office numbering or post code system used by India Post, the Indian postal administration. PIN stands for Postal Index Number and the code is 6 digits long. The PIN was introduced on August 15, 1972.-Structure:There are nine PIN zones in India,...
, 416414, and the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
also has a station named 'Wanlesswadi’ on its Miraj–Sangli Route, which opened on April 1, 1907 for the use by ill or needy patients from across India and from abroad.
As a secondary and tertiary care centre, Wanless Hospital serves a large part of western Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and North Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. The Wanless Hospital reputedly provides the best possible medical care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
to all its patients; an institution for comprehensive and dedicated health care.
Honours
- He first received the silver Kaisar-i-HindKaisar-i-HindThe Kaisar-i-Hind was a medal awarded by the British monarch between 1900 and 1947, to civilians of any nationality who rendered distinguished service in the advancement of the interests of the British Raj....
(Emperor in India) medal of second class in 1912. - The same order of gold medal of first class in 1920, in recognition of his philanthropicPhilanthropyPhilanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
and humanitarian work for India. - The third honor was bestowed upon him on January 2, 1928 by His Majesty, George V of the United KingdomGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, was a knighthoodKnight BachelorThe rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
of the British EmpireBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, conferring upon him the degree and honor.
The Sultan Mahommed Shah, Aga Khan III
Aga Khan III
Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, Aga Khan III, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GCVO, PC was the 48th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. He was one of the founders and the first president of the All-India Muslim League, and served as President of the League of Nations from 1937-38. He was nominated to represent India to...
presented him a silver casket with a farewell address on his retirement.
Publications
A partial list of his writings and works includes:}}}} }} Origin: delivered before the Section of Historical and Cultural Medicine, November 13, 1929.As cited in other works:
- Wanless, William James. "The Medical Mission", 1898.
- Wanless, William James. "Medical Missions: Facts and Testimonies".
- Wanless, William James. "An American Doctor at Work in India", New York, 1932.
External links
- Wanless Hospital / Miraj Medical Center (official site)