Edward William Archibald
Encyclopedia
Edward William Archibald (August 5, 1872 – December 17, 1945) was a Canadian
surgeon
. Archibald was born in Montreal
, Quebec
, and received his initial education in Grenoble
, France
. Upon returning to Canada, he attended McGill University
, receiving his Doctor of Medicine
there in 1896. Archibald became interested in the specialist field of surgery, and began an apprenticeship at Royal Victoria Hospital
. After a year in Europe studying under two well known physicians, the young surgeon was appointed to the staff of the Royal Victoria Hospital's Department of Surgical Pathology. However, Archibald became ill with tuberculosis
, and moved to New York
for treatment. Upon his recovery, the surgeon returned to Royal Victoria Hospital. There, he developed what he had learned in Europe, and came to be dubbed Canada's first neurosurgeon.
In 1908, Archibald published a monograph
, Surgical Affection and Wounds of the Head, but left neuroscience to combat the public health issue of tuberculosis
. During World War I, the surgeon served in France
as a military hospital doctor, and upon his return to Canada attempted to develop Canada's standard of education for surgeons, which he saw as declining. In 1935, Archibald became President of the American Surgical Association, and delivered a speech that is considered to have been the trigger for reforms of the standard of surgeon education in the United States
. Archibald died on December 17, 1945 in Montreal. During his 73-year life, the surgeon had several medals, fellowships and even an honorary doctorate bestowed upon him.
, Quebec
to father John Sprott Archibald and mother Ellen Hutchison. The young Edward's family had moved around a great deal before he was born, with his ancestors first living in Scotland
, then moving through Ireland
, New Hampshire
, Nova Scotia
and eventually Quebec. His parents insisted that all their children experience a foreign culture experience, with the added benefit of becoming bilingual. To this end, the young Archibald was sent to Grenoble
, France
by his parents to study upon reaching adolescence. In 1888, after returning to Canada, Archibald entered the McGill University
Faculty of Arts, graduating from there with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1892. He continued at McGill, entering medical school and graduating with a Doctor of Medicine
in 1896. There, he became interested in the medical specialisation field of surgery, and although the invention of general anaesthesia
and other technological improvements made surgery a fast-moving field, Archibald said that he opted to become a surgeon due to the logic involved and the application of theoretical knowledge in practice. The young doctor began his surgical career with a three-year program at McGill University, with what was essentially an apprenticeship
in the field at Royal Victoria Hospital, which had opened only a few years earlier. Archibald also spent a year in Europe, where he studied under the guidance of Ludwig Aschoff
and Jan Mikulicz-Radecki
. He was impressed the most by the surgical methods of the latter, which were groundbreaking for the time.
by the hospital's Chief of Medicine, and Archibald moved to the Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium
in upstate New York
to experience a change of climate. The surgeon returned to Canada upon his recovery, and in 1904 was appointed to the Royal Victoria Hospital's Department of Surgery. The same year, Archibald married Agnes Maud Black Barron. The head of that Department, a Dr. Ruddick, encouraged Archibald to develop the new practices he had learned during his time in Europe, and his work in this field has led to many dubbing him Canada's first neurosurgeon. In 1908, Archibald published Surgical Affection and Wounds of the Head, a monograph that was at the time considered to be the most comprehensive text on the subject.
led to the development of the sphincterotomy, a procedure still in use today. His earlier experience with tuberculosis
prompted him to look beyond neurosurgery into other areas of the body, and his work in fighting tuberculosis led to the refining of thoracic surgery
. When World War I
began, Archibald went with the Third Canadian General Hospital to France, where he was able to apply his experience in combating the disease to the patients he encountered on the war front. The surgeon was also greatly interested in the education of new surgeons, and believed that the standard of doctor education had been declining, leaving incapable surgeons to perform procedures. Archibald returned to McGill University
, this time as a staff member in the Department of Surgery, and revitalised it following almost thirty years of stagnation. In 1929, he served as a member of the first Royal College of Surgeons of Canada Examining Board in Surgery, and after becoming President of the American Surgical Association in 1935, made a speech entitled Higher Degrees in the Profession of Surgery, triggering the formation of the American Board of Surgery. He was also considered a key influence in the surgical education of Norman Bethune
, however he reportedly disapproved of Bethune and his actions. Additionally, he was a mentor to Wilder Penfield
, another famous physician who worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital
.
Archibald died on December 17, 1945 in Montreal. By the end of his life, the surgeon had been bestowed the Trudeau Medal of the National Tuberculosis Association and the Boston Surgical Society's Bigelow Medal. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
and the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Medicine by the University of Paris
. Archibald had published several scholarly papers on his experiences and research, including Observations upon shock, with particular reference to the condition as seen in war surgery (1917), A note upon the employment of blood transfusion in war surgery (1916), Further data concerning the experimental production of pancreatitis (1921) and A brief survey of some experiences in the surgery of the present war (1916). However, despite the mental demands of his profession, Archibald was described in his obituary
as being "a... distressingly absent-minded character".
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...
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...
. Archibald was born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and received his initial education in Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Upon returning to Canada, he attended McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, receiving his Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
there in 1896. Archibald became interested in the specialist field of surgery, and began an apprenticeship at Royal Victoria Hospital
Royal Victoria Hospital
The Royal Victoria Hospital, or as it is popularly known, the "Royal Vic", is located at 687 Pine Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The Royal Vic is located in downtown Montreal, on the slopes of Mount Royal. There are a number of buildings, including the Surgical, Medical, Ross and Women's...
. After a year in Europe studying under two well known physicians, the young surgeon was appointed to the staff of the Royal Victoria Hospital's Department of Surgical Pathology. However, Archibald became ill with 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...
, and moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for treatment. Upon his recovery, the surgeon returned to Royal Victoria Hospital. There, he developed what he had learned in Europe, and came to be dubbed Canada's first neurosurgeon.
In 1908, Archibald published a monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
, Surgical Affection and Wounds of the Head, but left neuroscience to combat the public health issue of 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...
. During World War I, the surgeon served in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
as a military hospital doctor, and upon his return to Canada attempted to develop Canada's standard of education for surgeons, which he saw as declining. In 1935, Archibald became President of the American Surgical Association, and delivered a speech that is considered to have been the trigger for reforms of the standard of surgeon education in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Archibald died on December 17, 1945 in Montreal. During his 73-year life, the surgeon had several medals, fellowships and even an honorary doctorate bestowed upon him.
Early life
Edward William Archibald was born on August 5, 1872 in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
to father John Sprott Archibald and mother Ellen Hutchison. The young Edward's family had moved around a great deal before he was born, with his ancestors first living in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, then moving through Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and eventually Quebec. His parents insisted that all their children experience a foreign culture experience, with the added benefit of becoming bilingual. To this end, the young Archibald was sent to Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by his parents to study upon reaching adolescence. In 1888, after returning to Canada, Archibald entered the McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
Faculty of Arts, graduating from there with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1892. He continued at McGill, entering medical school and graduating with a Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1896. There, he became interested in the medical specialisation field of surgery, and although the invention of general anaesthesia
General anaesthesia
General anaesthesia is a state of unconsciousness and loss of protective reflexes resulting from the administration of one or more general anaesthetic agents...
and other technological improvements made surgery a fast-moving field, Archibald said that he opted to become a surgeon due to the logic involved and the application of theoretical knowledge in practice. The young doctor began his surgical career with a three-year program at McGill University, with what was essentially an apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
in the field at Royal Victoria Hospital, which had opened only a few years earlier. Archibald also spent a year in Europe, where he studied under the guidance of Ludwig Aschoff
Ludwig Aschoff
Karl Albert Ludwig Aschoff was a German physician and pathologist. He is considered to be one of the most influential pathologists of the early 20th century and is regarded as the most important German pathologist after Rudolf Virchow.Aschoff was born in Berlin, Prussia...
and Jan Mikulicz-Radecki
Jan Mikulicz-Radecki
Jan Mikulicz-Radecki was a Polish-Austrian surgeon. He was born May 16, 1850 in Czernowitz in the Austrian Empire and died June 4, 1905 in Breslau, German Empire .While his mother Freiin von Damnitz was Austrian, his parental ancestors of the Mikulicz...
. He was impressed the most by the surgical methods of the latter, which were groundbreaking for the time.
Early career
In 1901, Archibald was appointed as a staff member at the Royal Victoria Hospital Department of Surgical Pathology. However, soon after he entered this position, the surgeon began to develop a cough, lose weight and experience fatigue. These symptoms were confirmed to be as a result of tuberculosisTuberculosis
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...
by the hospital's Chief of Medicine, and Archibald moved to the Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium
Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium
The Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium was a tuberculosis sanatorium established in Saranac Lake, New York in 1885 by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau. After Trudeau's death in 1915, the institution's name was changed to the Trudeau Sanatorium, following changes in conventional usage...
in upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to experience a change of climate. The surgeon returned to Canada upon his recovery, and in 1904 was appointed to the Royal Victoria Hospital's Department of Surgery. The same year, Archibald married Agnes Maud Black Barron. The head of that Department, a Dr. Ruddick, encouraged Archibald to develop the new practices he had learned during his time in Europe, and his work in this field has led to many dubbing him Canada's first neurosurgeon. In 1908, Archibald published Surgical Affection and Wounds of the Head, a monograph that was at the time considered to be the most comprehensive text on the subject.
Research, education and later years
Archibald's work in investigating the disease of pancreatitisPancreatitis
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It occurs when pancreatic enzymes that digest food are activated in the pancreas instead of the small intestine. It may be acute – beginning suddenly and lasting a few days, or chronic – occurring over many years...
led to the development of the sphincterotomy, a procedure still in use today. His earlier experience with 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...
prompted him to look beyond neurosurgery into other areas of the body, and his work in fighting tuberculosis led to the refining of thoracic surgery
Thoracic surgery
Thoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in the surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax . Generally treatment of conditions of the lungs, chest wall, and diaphragm....
. When World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
began, Archibald went with the Third Canadian General Hospital to France, where he was able to apply his experience in combating the disease to the patients he encountered on the war front. The surgeon was also greatly interested in the education of new surgeons, and believed that the standard of doctor education had been declining, leaving incapable surgeons to perform procedures. Archibald returned to McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, this time as a staff member in the Department of Surgery, and revitalised it following almost thirty years of stagnation. In 1929, he served as a member of the first Royal College of Surgeons of Canada Examining Board in Surgery, and after becoming President of the American Surgical Association in 1935, made a speech entitled Higher Degrees in the Profession of Surgery, triggering the formation of the American Board of Surgery. He was also considered a key influence in the surgical education of Norman Bethune
Norman Bethune
Henry Norman Bethune was a Canadian physician and medical innovator. Bethune is best known for his service in war time medical units during the Spanish Civil War and with the Communist Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
, however he reportedly disapproved of Bethune and his actions. Additionally, he was a mentor to Wilder Penfield
Wilder Penfield
Wilder Graves Penfield, OM, CC, CMG, FRS was an American born Canadian neurosurgeon. During his life he was called "the greatest living Canadian"...
, another famous physician who worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital
Royal Victoria Hospital
The Royal Victoria Hospital, or as it is popularly known, the "Royal Vic", is located at 687 Pine Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The Royal Vic is located in downtown Montreal, on the slopes of Mount Royal. There are a number of buildings, including the Surgical, Medical, Ross and Women's...
.
Archibald died on December 17, 1945 in Montreal. By the end of his life, the surgeon had been bestowed the Trudeau Medal of the National Tuberculosis Association and the Boston Surgical Society's Bigelow Medal. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is the body responsible for training and examining surgeons in Australia and New Zealand. The head office of the College is in Melbourne, Australia....
, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
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...
and the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Medicine by the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. Archibald had published several scholarly papers on his experiences and research, including Observations upon shock, with particular reference to the condition as seen in war surgery (1917), A note upon the employment of blood transfusion in war surgery (1916), Further data concerning the experimental production of pancreatitis (1921) and A brief survey of some experiences in the surgery of the present war (1916). However, despite the mental demands of his profession, Archibald was described in his obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
as being "a... distressingly absent-minded character".