Thomas Duncan Greenlees

{{Short description|Scottish psychiatrist}}

{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}

Thomas Duncan Greenlees FRSE (29 September 1858Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 – 22 January 1929) was a Scottish psychiatrist who had a strong association with South Africa. He headed the Medical Association of South Africa for many years and was Inspector of Asylums for the Cape of Good Hope.{{cite journal|title=The Fort England Mirror: A Magazine to Amuse and Instruct: Published quarterly. July and October, 1892. Published at Fort England, Grahamstown |journal =The British Journal of Psychiatry |volume=39 |issue=165 |year=1893 |pages=264–265 |issn=0007-1250 |doi=10.1192/bjp.39.165.264}} He did much to promote the de-stigmatisation of insanity.

Biography

He was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of Dr Thomas Greenlees of Ballantrae. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with an MB ChB in 1882. He chiefly concerned himself with psychological aspects of health.{{cite journal|journal= Br Med J |date=9 February 1929|volume= 1|issue=3553|pages=272|pmc=2449971|title=Thomas Duncan Greenlees, M.D|doi=10.1136/bmj.1.3553.272|pmid=20774460}}

He worked in the City of London Asylum at Stone (1882–1884) and at Carlisle Asylum (1884–1887) and Dartford Asylum (1887–1890).{{cite journal|last1=du Plessis|first1=Rory|title=The principles and priorities of Dr T.D. Greenlees, medical superintendent of the Grahamstown Lunatic Asylum, 1890–1907 |journal=Historia |volume=60 |issue=1 |year=2015 |pages=22–46 |issn=0018-229X|doi=10.17159/2309-8392/2015/v60n1a2|doi-access=free |hdl=2263/49610 |hdl-access=free }} Then in 1890 he obtained a post as Medical Superintendent of the Grahamstown Asylum (now Fort England Psychiatric Hospital) in the Cape Colony. He remained there until 1908. He held a secondary post at Grahamstown Chronic Sick Hospital.

He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1897. His proposers were Alexander Edington, Henry Barnes, W Campbell, and Sir William Turner. He received his doctorate (MD) in 1901.{{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=0-902198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf}} In the First World War he served as a Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps, acting as Commanding Officer of the Weymouth Military Hospital.{{cite journal|title=T. Duncan Greenlees, M.D. (Edin.).|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh|volume=49|year=2014|pages=361|issn=0370-1646|doi=10.1017/S0370164600026511|doi-access=free}}

In later years, he worked at Fenstanton Asylum, a private home in Streatham Hill. During this period he lived in Fordingbridge.British Medical Journal, October 1921

He retired in 1922 to St Leonards-on-Sea on the south coast of England and died there following a short illness on 22 January 1929. He was the father of writer Duncan Greenlees.{{cite journal|title=Thomas Duncan Greenlees M.D., F.R.S.E|journal=The British Journal of Psychiatry |volume=75 |issue=309|year=1929|pages=353|issn=0007-1250|doi=10.1192/bjp.75.309.353|last1=Lord |first1=J. R. }}

Publications

  • {{cite journal|last1=Greenlees|first1=T. D.|title=A Contribution to the Study of Diseases of the Circulatory System in the Insane. (The Essay to which the £10 10s. prize of the Association was awarded)|journal=The British Journal of Psychiatry|volume=31|issue=135|year=1885|pages=327–355|issn=0007-1250|doi=10.1192/bjp.31.135.327|display-authors=0}}
  • {{cite journal|last1=Greenlees |first1=T. D. |title=Insanity Among the Natives of South Africa |journal=The Lancet |volume=145 |issue=3730 |year=1895 |pages=498–499 |issn=0140-6736 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(01)62119-6 |display-authors=0}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite journal|last1=Swartz|first1=S.|title=Colonizing the insane: causes of insanity in the Cape, 1891–1920|journal=History of the Human Sciences|volume=8|issue=4|year=1995|pages=39–57|issn=0952-6951|doi=10.1177/095269519500800403|s2cid=143625636}}