HX11 Sir Thomas McCall Anderson 1836–1908: a pioneer of dermatology in Glasgow

Abstract With the annual scientific meeting returning to Glasgow, it seems only right and proper that we praise the achievements of Sir Thomas McCall Anderson. Indeed, it is hard to imagine the shape of dermatology services in Glasgow and how they might have developed through the 20th century without his efforts in the latter half of the 19th. Born in Glasgow to a distinguished medical family, Sir Thomas McCall Anderson was the son of Alexander Dunlop Anderson, a prominent practitioner and former president of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons (1852–1855), as well as the cousin of Andrew Anderson, who held the same position (1868–1870). He began his education in Edinburgh before returning to study medicine at the University of Glasgow, graduating MD with honours in 1858. Following his role as resident physician at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, he travelled to continental Europe to study and spent time with von Hebra in Vienna – an experience that likely ignited his passion for dermatology. After his return to the city, he was appointed to the Chair of Medicine at Anderson’s University, a medical school founded by his great-uncle, Professor John Anderson. In 1874, he was appointed the first Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Western Infirmary and later served as Regius Professor of Medicine (1900–1908). His key contribution to dermatology came in 1861 when, with A.B. Buchanan and a group of local worthy citizens, he founded the Glasgow Skin Dispensary for outpatient skincare. In 1871, 20 inpatient beds for the use of dermatology cases were established at the Western Infirmary, and after Anderson’s death, in 1908, a lectureship founded in his name was to be awarded to a physician having charge of skin beds at the Western or Royal Infirmaries. Anderson’s influence extended beyond Glasgow. He attended the first International Congress of Dermatology in Paris (1889), engaging with 19th-century dermatology pioneers such as Brocq, Hallopeau, Besnier and, of course, von Hebra. In 1897, he became the first Examiner in Medicine for the British and Indian Medical Service outside London. A respected teacher, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1900. He presided over all major Glasgow medical societies, including the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons. Knighted in 1905, he became Honorary Physician to the King in Scotland in 1907. Anderson’s distinguished career ended abruptly on 25 January 1908 when he had a fatal heart attack after delivering a speech at the Ayrshire Society’s Burns Supper. His legacy lives on through his lasting contributions to dermatology and his impact on medical education and practice.