James Ormiston Affleck

{{Short description|Scottish physician and medical author}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

File:38 Heriot Row, Edinburgh.jpg

Sir James Ormiston Affleck FRSE (19 July 1840Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 – 24 September 1922)Scotland, National Probate Index (Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories), 1876-1936 was a Scottish physician and medical author.

Life

File:The grave of James Ormiston Affleck, Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh.jpg

Affleck was born in Edinburgh in 1840, but not to a medical family. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1867 with MB ChB. He completed his doctorate in 1869 and began practicing in the Stockbridge area of the city, operating from 12 Claremont Place.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1870-71 He also took on the role of public vaccinator at the New Town Dispensary.{{Cite journal|last=James|first=Alexander|date=1923|title=Sir James Ormiston Affleck|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh|language=en|volume=42|pages=376–379|doi=10.1017/S0370164600024068|issn=0370-1646|doi-access=free}}

Sir Douglas Maclagan grew aware of his talents and chose Affleck as his assistant in the University and at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. In 1877 Affleck became the official Assistant Physician. He was promoted to official Physician to the infirmary in 1885. He retired from the Infirmary in 1900 and took on the role of Consulting Physician for the City Fever Hospital, and also worked at the Longmore Hospital for Incurables.{{Cite web|url=http://socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu/ark:/99166/w6dd36nt|title=Affleck, James Ormiston; Muirhead, C. @ SNAC|website=socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu|access-date=2018-05-13}}

In 1896 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Sir Douglas Maclagan, Sir William Turner, Alexander Crum Brown and Sir Thomas Richard Fraser. In 1905 he served as President of the Edinburgh Medico-Chirurgical Society.{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|access-date=15 July 2017|archive-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|url-status=dead}}

In later life he lived at 38 Heriot Row, a Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh’s New Town.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1911-12 The University of Edinburgh gave him a further honorary doctorate (LLD) in 1908. He was knighted at Holyrood Palace in 1911 by King George V for his services to medicine.

He died at home on 24 September 1922, and is buried with his wife Agnes in the north-west section of the first north extension of Dean Cemetery in western Edinburgh.

Family

His son, also James Ormiston Affleck, was educated at Edinburgh Academy and later served as a Major in the Royal Engineers during the First World War.{{Cite web|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1089277|title=The Discovery Service|last=Archives|first=The National|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-05-13}}

Publications

References